Tag: pastor
Idaho Roundup: City in Idaho Demands Pastor Perform Same-Sex Weddings or Face Fines and Jail
Posted on October 30, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
This story has been all over the news and for good reason. The warnings against marriage redefinition have been numerous and strong and yet no one ever thought we would get to this point. Here we are. A pastor has been told that he must perform same-sex weddings at his chapel of face hefty fines and even prison for violating the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Below is a roundup of notable voices regarding this story. Two videos are posted at the end of this post.
Fox News: City threatens to arrest ministers who refuse to perform same-sex weddings
“Alliance Defending Freedom is representing Donald and Evelyn Knapp, ordained ministers who own the Hitching Post Wedding Chapel in Coeur d’Alene…According to the lawsuit, the wedding chapel is registered with the state as a ‘religious corporation’ limited to performing ‘one-man-one-woman marriages as defined by the Holy Bible.’ But the chapel is also registered as a for-profit business – not as a church or place of worship – and city officials said that means the owners must comply with a local nondiscrimination ordinance.”
UPDATE: US Civil Rights Commission Tells Houston Mayor to Leave Pastors Alone
Posted on October 27, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
The news that Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, Texas subpoenaed the sermons and other communications from several pastors after the passage and attempted repeal of a controversial “bathroom bill” in the city has become a national matter.
Bathroom bills are dangerous, to say the least. Typically a bathroom bill will allow a man to use the women’s bathroom, locker room, or other facilities (and vice versa) based on little more than a perceived gender identity. In other words a man can simply say that he is a woman and be allowed to use the women’s facilities. The dangers of such bills seem obvious to everyone but the activists pushing for their passage.
When the Houston bathroom bill was being proposed by the city many pastors spoke out against it and even encouraged their congregations to oppose the bill. Such speech is not merely appropriate for a pastor inside his church it is constitutionally protected speech. But that didn’t stop the city of Houston and Mayor Annise Parker from subpoenaing the sermons, emails, and other communication of these pastors.
That’s when people across the country got mad.
Pastor Appreciation Month! Do We Really Need It?
Posted on October 17, 2014 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
You may not have known that October is “Pastor Appreciation Month,” but that’s only because it wasn’t in the church bulletin or on the website. Even if it was announced from the pulpit last week in the service I am guessing you forgot by the time you walked out the door. Hey, no biggie.
All joking aside, this month is an opportunity to show your pastor that you truly appreciate him, his ministry, and his family. We have days to show our appreciation to teachers, public workers, and administrative professionals so I heartily endorse a month to show our spiritual shepherds that we appreciate their life of ministry.
You might be wondering why we need such a day.
SHOCK! Government Demands Copy of Pastors Sermons!
Posted on October 16, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
For some time people like myself has been warning that the government was becoming increasingly intrusive on the religious freedoms of churches. Stories from the last few years alone are enough to make any sane persons head spin. From zoning law restrictions to taxes, the government has been seeking to get more than a foot in the door of America’s churches.
I have warned on more than one occasion that before long the government would try to silence America’s pastors – either through regulation, IRS intimidation, or both. It seemed a no brainer to me that the end game was to pretend to value freedom of religion while seeking to monitor and regulate exactly what speech is used.
It seems that day has come far sooner than anyone expected.
The city of Houston has issued subpoenas to a group of pastors for their sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity, or any mention of Mayor Annise Parker; who happens to be a lesbian.
Pastor Tells Christians to Avoid Lawsuits by Compromising Religious Convictions
Posted on September 17, 2014 in Religious Freedom, Theology by Nathan Cherry
This idea came to Peterson in response to the couple in New York that was sued for not allowing a same-sex wedding at their bed and breakfast farm in order to be true to their religious convictions. Rather than compromise the couple opted to stop allowing weddings altogether and, as a result, lose part of their income.
Peterson says that instead of closing their farm for weddings altogether and losing money, what if the couple allowed the wedding to take place, but with one notable caveat; “told the lesbian couple upfront that they would take their money and donate it to a conservative Christian law firm to fight against same-sex marriage? In other words, what if they took the sinners’ money and used it for good?”
Uh…no.
Thankfully I’m not the only Christian with deeply held convictions that finds the suggestion of compromise to be untenable and offensive. Peterson shared the response from his radio audience:
A Very Clear Warning to Churches Regarding Youth Ministry (Kids Ministry Too)
Posted on August 20, 2014 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
The following article from the Christian Post should serve as a very sobering warning to every church regarding youth ministry. I would also suggest that it applies to kids ministry as well. Churches that are quick to entertain and lack the ability to challenge their kids and students could be setting them up to reject faith entirely during their college years.
As parents it should be our most sincere desire to be in a church that will intentionally challenge our kids and students in their faith. We should be looking for leaders that are not just convicted in their beliefs, but know the Bible and how to communicate it. At the end of the day the fun and games must take a back seat to imparting solid doctrine and teaching biblical values to the impressionable people in our care.
I encourage you to take a few moments and read this article if you are a parent or church leader. Let us be reminded of the eternal nature of our charge to share our faith and disciple our kids and students.
Learning From Young Atheists: What Turned Them Off Christianity
It’s something most Christian parents worry about: You send your kids off to college and when they come back, you find they’ve lost their faith. The prospect of this happening is why many parents nudge their kids towards Christian colleges, or at least schools with a strong Christian presence on campus.
But in many ways, the damage has been done long before our children set foot on campus. That’s the message from a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly.
Why It Might Be a Good Thing for People to Leave Our Church
Posted on August 1, 2014 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The distraction of keeping everyone happy comes from a fear that if people aren’t happy they will leave our church and go elsewhere. Because many churches are struggling to grow and having financial issues the task of keeping everyone happy (and tithing) takes precedence. Though they might not say it out loud, many pastors are afraid that someone might leave their church, not realizing that having people leave their church might be the best thing for the church.
Wait a minute. Did I just say it might be good for someone to leave the church? As a pastor that seems like an odd thing to say. Even more odd would be the statement that not only is it a good thing for people to leave, it might be what is best for that person and the church as a whole.
“Pastors” Use God to Support Abortion in Planned Parenthood Letter – Again!
Posted on July 12, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Remember that “Pastoral Letter” sent out by Planned Parenthood to support abortion? The one that was so offensive they removed it from their website? Well, it seems that they have drafted a second “pastoral letter” supporting women who kill their unborn children. This letter shows the names of the “Religious Affairs Committee” and the denominations they represent. Not surprising is the fact that most of the denominations represented are dying and desperately seeking to fill pews. Even more shocking is that any “pastor” would dare support the intentional murder of an unborn child. See the cover page of the letter and the text of the letter below. (H/T to LifeNews.com for reporting this.
Why Should Anyone Believe What a Christian Says?
Posted on May 21, 2014 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
It’s hard to read news headlines each day. I try to stay informed by maintaining a robust news aggregator service that I check daily. This allows me to read several hundred headlines each day and keeps me as informed as any person would want to be. But I admit that it is a difficult task.
Part of the difficulty is reading headlines related to Christians.
With all that Christians face from a lost and dying world each day it only compounds our burdens when we harm ourselves and the Gospel from within. When Christians behave in such a way so as to bring shame and embarrassment upon the Gospel we preach and the name of Jesus we are doing no one any favors. Most of all, we are helping to push others further away from Christ rather than being a tool to draw them to the Savior.
Here’s a headline I wish didn’t exist: “Peeping Pastor Pleads Guilty to Very Creepy Crime.” The article reports: