Mennonite Lesbian Pastor

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said,.

But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn't for you.

By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we're called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King. Here's our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Opening Banter and Show Setup

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, I'm Mike Abendroth here. Take three. It usually doesn't take me this long. I go for about a minute and I think if it sounds dopey, then I hit record and we start over. If I'm five or six minutes in and then it starts with the dope factor, there's not much I can do about it because I am who I am.

We are glad to be back on WVNE, 760 AM, Worcester, and we're on WVW, Worldview Weekend, thankful to be there, and you can catch us on Facebook and TuneIn Radio and a bunch of other places. Pretty amazing.

Trippy. I get these emails from people like in New Zealand or Australia, say we listen to the radio station and we'd love to have you come down, but they'd never put their money where their mouth is. Now you have to have an invitation that includes other things besides we'd just love to see you down here.

There has to be some place to speak at or from, since my friend Russell Honig is never going to invite me. Maybe you can. All right. I did want to wrap up a little bit here with my free copy of Leadership Journal, page 15, and Jonathan Merritt is a reporter for Religious News Service and Jonathan writes some excellent things and so I don't think he is, this isn't his view, I don't want to speak for the man, but I don't think this is his view.

Egalitarian Momentum and the Pressure to Sound Modern

And so he's talking about data about culture and church. And here's what he says, reporting about this issue, according to the most current data on the culture and the church, egalitarian evangelicals seem to have momentum.

Egalitarian evangelical just means Christians who think that there's no difference before the Lord in value and worth, soteriologically we're the same and complementarians believe that same thing, but they also believe that there are no functional differences between men and women.

So men could be deacons, women could be deacons, men could be elders, women could be elders, men could be pastors, women could be pastors, egalitarian evangelical is that. They seem to have the momentum, yeah.

Try living in New England here and try living next to or pretty close to Gordon Conwell who is doing everything they can, who are doing everything they can, who should not be doing everything they could be pushing this agenda.

Those Christians who hold to traditional views on gender, traditional meaning biblical, that is to say men and women are equal before Christ, yet different in function, I don't know why different is bad, but it's just the way the world goes, must either catch up with a broader culture or learn to communicate their beliefs in ways that feel less outdated and disconnected from modern realities.

And again, I don't think Jonathan is saying that, that it's his belief, he's just reporting on that and I think it's interesting because this is what people say. If you are going to disagree with egalitarians, then you must communicate your way, communicate your thoughts in ways that feel less outdated, meaning new is better, old is bad, traditional is on the down and on the up, we've got to have the novel and the fascinating and the 7 .0 instead of the 6 .0, disconnected from modern realities.

Well, I think that's a farce because the way the church is governed, Christ's church, you see Jesus is still the head of the church, the Lord of the church, and His Spirit, the Holy Spirit is still seen fit to regenerate the elect.

He is saving people and even if you're an Arminian, you have to believe that there are still people getting saved today. And I think that's pretty relevant, how then the church is governed. And if you want to govern a group of people, then you could say, well, democracy, you could say republic, you could say Marxism, you could say socialism, you could say communism, you could say all kinds of things.

But for the local church, according to 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1 and Hebrews chapter 13 and 1 Peter chapter 5, elders rule the church. And you say, oh, I don't like that word rule. Well, it's a biblical word.

Would you like me to say manage? No, I don't like that word either. Well, that's one of the ways to translate the text. Say, well, supervise. No, super means over, vise means see, oversee. Oh, there we go, an overseer.

New Testament church leaders are called overseers, bishops, elders. And so when you go to the pastoral epistles, when you look at Acts 20 and other passages, it just is what it is. Now, there are times, not so much these days, maybe there's something that pop in my mind, but there were times that certain things in the Bible I didn't really like, I didn't want to do.

It cramped my style, it cramped my sin is what it cramped. And as Cooley would say, it put a C-clamp on my gizroid. And so I didn't like those things. And so now I've come to the fact that my ways are not God's ways and his ways are higher than my ways.

And whatever he says is good and true and right, I just have to get my mind wrapped around it with the key word being. Ready? It's a word that the world hates. It's a word that the egalitarians hate. Submit.

I just had to submit to scripture. And whatever the scripture says, it says, whatever God declares, then he declares. And he declares with finality. And I just have to submit. And even if I disagree, I have to put myself under him.

And so when I read this, I say to myself, well, I just have to proclaim the truth. This is an important issue. And it is relevant when when the news reporter says, reporting someone else, feel less outdated and disconnected from modern realities.

OK, modern realities, meaning everybody's equal, transgendered bathrooms in California. I mean, really, do you think this world needs a savior? Do you think there's a reason why I am pro millennial? I know I'm sick and I know I'm taking medicine or I should be taking medicine, should be taking more caffeine.

Man, it's cold out. It's cold out. It's cold inside. My toes are cold. There's literally a foot of snow outside. The plows have not come tramping through the snow wider than snow. Yes, wider than snow.

Why I Am Pro-Millennial

But to think back on topic here, pro millennial. Now, I happen to be premill and I'm kind of a hybrid premill, S. Lewis Johnson, premill, one people of God, covenant of grace, covenant of redemption, covenant of works.

I do see a future for Israel. So I'm historic premill in one sense, but not on the other. But I don't ever want to call myself a dispensationalist. So anyway, I am pro millennial. Now, I am premillennial, but I am pro millennial.

Read Ladd, George Alan Ladd, and you will be premillennial. I'm quite certain. You read James Boyce, read Richard Sibbes, read Charles Spurgeon. Those are all wonderful premill folks. Read John, Revelation 20.

But I am pro millennial because who wouldn't be for a millennial kingdom? Who wouldn't be for the millennium? Who wouldn't be for Jesus ruling and reigning? Because we need him to do that because we are off the deep end.

Today, I pulled it up. Today is in real time, January, I don't know when it is, third or fourth. But I pulled up Christian News Network and their January 2nd, 2014. It's interesting. Heather Clark writes an article and it's filed under.

How do you file things? This is right there on the top of the list here. Filed under apostasy. Life and society top stories. So when Christian News Network has enough sense to file something under apostasy, you know, it really must be bad.

Mennonite Church USA Ordains Its First Openly Homosexual Pastor

January 3rd. It is today. Yeah, it's today. Mennonite church. When I think of Mennonites, what do you think of? Well, when you think of Mennonites, what do I think of? I just conflate words and grammar and diction syntax.

When I think of Mennonites, I think usually of. Conservative. Moralistic head covered. D. Edmund Hebert. Those are some of the things I think of. They I'm sure the conservative wing understands the gospel, but most of the other wings, I think they get caught up in legalism.

D. Edmund Hebert was a professor at the Mennonite College in Fresno before he died, although he was the conservative version. By the way, if you ever can get some commentaries by D. David Edmund Hebert, you should get them.

Mark, first and second Thessalonians. Maybe it's just first. First Peter, second Peter, Jude. Excellent resources that you should have. James, I believe you wrote a commentary on James. They're kind of like exegetical digest.

But anyway, excellent stuff. But Mennonite Church USA ordains first openly homosexual pastor. Nederland, Colorado. That's what it is. Nederland. Sounds I know. I know what it sounds like. Mennonite Church USA has ordained its first openly homosexual pastor.

According to the Mennonite World Review, the Mountain States Conference, a division of the Mennonite Church USA, has approved the ministerial license of a Colorado woman who identifies as a lesbian. Then it has a picture there.

Theda Goode, T-H-E-D-E-A, Theda Goode, who is in a relationship with another woman, according to Facebook, allegedly. I just threw that in. Began serving with First Mennonite Church of Denver in 2012 and has a master's degree from Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia.

Her church submitted a letter requesting her licensure last year, and the conference has been reviewing the matter over a period of many months. A series of meetings has been held to discuss the request, including with Goode and members of her church.

Much of the work centered around the consideration of a person whose gifts and call to ministry are clearly affirmed by people, not by 1st Timothy 3, not by Titus 1, and see how we non-egalitarians, we need to be more in tune with the world and with society.

Yet is committed in a committed same-sex relationship, which varies with denominational standards, the conference outlined in a press release. So what's worse? The denomination that has no authority, the denomination that has no courage, the denomination that just lets this stuff go on.

On November 21st, 24th, the ministerial council met for a second time with Goode and agreed to accept her request for ordination. The matter then moved to the leadership board, who agreed unanimously to ordain Goode.

She will receive her license in February 2nd and serve as pastor. Now, this is the crazy part. This is, it all makes sense. See, I thought I woke up in a different universe. Remember the old Star Trek Mirror Mirror episode, the different universe where Spock had a beard.

I think maybe there's a band, isn't there? Spock's beard. I wish they were better than they were, are, can be. Here's the funny thing. Now, we always think, OK, senior pastor, associate pastor, administrative pastor, executive pastor, pastor of assimilation, pastor of small groups, pastor, pastor.

OK, what do we do? What kind of pastor is she going to be? She should be put out to pasture. She's going to be pastor of nurture and fellowship. Mountain States Conference has acknowledged that the decision to ordain Goode is controversial.

It's controversial to have a pastor of nurture as well, but that's a subplot here. It is the desire of the leadership board to function and communicate with a spirit of deep humility. See how this works?

You can see this everywhere. It even infiltrates the Mennonite church, because we have to be humble and it is the hermeneutic of humility. And that goes before the hermeneutic of the science and art of biblical interpretation, doing exegesis so we can understand the authorial intent and what God meant when he wrote these things.

The Bible is a human book and it is a divine book. It is both. And so we have lots of principles that go along with that kind of book that's both human, written by human authors, of course, moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1, 20 and 21, 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, but also a divine book and reflecting divine attributes like holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory to love him with his heart, soul, mind and strength.

That's what the person should do. And his neighbor is himself. We have this great and glorious book and we are under that book. I don't care what the culture says. I don't care what The Times says. I think God is relevant.

I think God is immutable. And I think men and women are under God's authority, like it or not, whatever the culture says or not. We do not determine truth by democracy or a republic. And the Supreme Court does not determine truth either.

Not biblical truth, that is. And so it says, with a spirit of deep humility. And if I was going to be sarcastic, I'd say it this way. It is the desire of the leadership board to function and communicate with a spirit of deep humility, joyfully acknowledging the work of God in our midst.

Say nothing about the word of God, by the way, acknowledging the word of God, willing to take a stand, saying, I know the culture is going to wig out on this. But the Bible is what it is. If you want to have a church that has practicing homosexuals in leadership capabilities and capacities, you can do that.

Just don't call it Christian. And if I was on the Mennonite leadership team, just don't call it Mennonite. Don't call it either one. Go call it whatever you want. The Nurture Fellowship. That'd be good.

I bet you a thousand dollars there's a church called Nurture. And I bet you it's run by a bunch of weak men. If that. All right. And with a sense of sadness, recognizing the pain that this causes some of the sisters and brothers that we love in the Mennonite Church USA.

Yeah, I know how mean of them to cause the pain for the conservatives. They're not very nurturing for the conservatives. They only nurture their own nurturing folks. Reaction to the matter has been mixed.

Grace, Law, and the Denomination’s Moral Collapse

I applaud the Mountain States Mennonite Conference for choosing grace over law. This is one comment in her grace over law. Yes, there's no. Tether that hooks grace to truth. Is there none? According to this commentator, I don't mean me either.

I applaud them for choosing grace over law. See, that basically tells me they know what the Bible says. I do not allow first Timothy chapter two. Husband of one wife, first Timothy chapter three, husband of one wife, Titus chapter one.

They know everybody knows for affirming common humanity over the perception of sexuality. What do you mean perception? This goes right back to transgender deals in the bathroom for kindergartners in California.

Perception of sexuality, short of hermaphrodites, there's no perception. It's factual hormones, uh, genitalia. This is crazy. This is just, I am pro millennial. Believe me reaction. Oh, I applaud them for choosing grace over law for affirming common humanity over the perception of sexuality.

Grace is where love is free to happen and where there is love. There is God because God happens when love happens. File under apostasy, life and society, top stories in that order. I'm pro millennial.

Aren't you pro millennial, Lord return, and this is in the Mennonite conference. If you really loved everyone in the Mennonite church, then you would not be doing what you were doing. Another stated, see, somebody gets it because of your actions, you will be bringing a curtain of darkness and shame to the entire Mennonite church and you'll be talked about a noco radio.

I add that I feel that you have embarked upon a slippery slope. Don't they know it that will only bring pain, confusion, heartache, and disunity. I pray that God will not treat the Mennonite church like church, like he treated Sodom and Gomorrah Christian news network, according to James Grimes, a commenter.

And he calls himself, and it could be true. I mean, it's stated here, deacon at Locktown Presbyterian church. It says on the same website here, the Christian news network. I Googled the name of the new minister in quotations and came across an article on Gay News.

Here's the quote from that article, quote, it is the desire of the leadership board to function and communicate with a spirit of deep humility, joyfully acknowledging the work of God in our midst. And with a sense of sadness, recognizing the pain that this causes some of the sisters and brothers that we love in the Mennonite church USA.

There is a variety of views on homosexuality within the Mennonite church USA. So in recent years, the church has taken a live and let live approach to dissenting congregations to avoid splitting the church.

Biblical Authority, Repentance, and the Only Real Options

Well, truth is going to split. An unbiblical view of grace over law, affirming personhood, affirming perceptions of sexuality. This is all gobbledygook to say, we want to do what we want to do. And we don't care if the leaders are unqualified and show me unqualified leaders.

And I'll tell you what happens to the generation that sits under them. Why do we have to talk about this? I don't want to talk about any of this. I think it's A, gross, B, shameful, C, I want somebody to act like a man.

1 Corinthians 16, act like men. And Paul is even telling the ladies there at Corinth to act like men. Now, women have certain virtues. And when my kids get upset in the night or have a tummy ache, or they have a bad dream, they don't come to daddy's side of the bed.

Why? Because daddy will tell them to go take a Tums and go back to bed. You have a thumb for a reason. The first part I'll tell them, the last part I won't. And Kim will nurture them, and she will be kind to them, and she will love them.

And then she'll tell me to get out of bed and take care of them. I don't want to talk about any of this stuff. This stuff is nasty. But Luther's right. If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God, except precisely that little point, which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ.

However boldly I may be professing Christ, where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved. And to be a steady on all the battlefields besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.

This fight has come to us. And so we have options. Option one, say nothing. You got to look back 20 years to see if I've said anything about homosexuality being a sin. It's option one. Option two, go along.

Live and let live. Perceptions of sexuality. Grace over law. Not wanting to hurt people. Affirming common humanity. Grace is where love is free to happen. Because God happens when love happens. That kind of nonsense.

Oh, the other thing is to say, listen, there's forgiveness found in Christ Jesus. And theta good should repent. Theta good must repent. There's forgiveness found for theta good. You should pray for theta good.

Jesus Christ's life was magnificent enough as a representative to give enough righteousness to theta good. His death was great enough to pay for all of theta good's sins, including the sin of sexuality, including the sin of defying the Bible, including the sin of having so much, having the audacity to say you're going to be a pastor in Christ's church.

There's enough of grace found at Calvary for theta good. God demonstrates that it's true because he raised Jesus from the dead. And therefore, theta should repent and should believe. And it's not too late for the ministerial council, the leadership board of the Mennonite church, USA and Denver, to say we have to do the right thing.

And yes, some people would be upset. People could march. People could say we hate people. But we love God and we love people enough to tell them, you don't want to go to hell, do you, theta good? You don't want to be judged for your sins, do you?

You want a savior, don't you? You must be born again. Therefore, you must be born again. And so, my name is Mike Ebendroth. I'm not mad at a person. I'm mad at this committee, I think, with leadership team is held to higher standards.

But Christians, they're trying to shut us up is what they're trying to do. And they're trying to jam this stuff down our throats. And so, what are your options? Say nothing, go along, or stand up and say, Jesus Christ gospel is great enough for sinners like me and theta good.

My name is Mike Ebendroth. This is No Compromise Radio. You can write us at nocompromiseradio .com, info at No Compromise Radio. No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Ebendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.

Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life-transforming power of God's Word through verse-by-verse exposition of the sacred text. Please come and join us.

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