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hi Tim & Ed--Tim, just looked at your blog. Saw you were part of (or maybe becoming part of) the Order of St. Luke. I have a review of The Bible Made Impossible in an upcoming issue of Sacramental Life. (The editor was/is my predecessor in the position I have at Houghton.) Good organization, and we probably have quite a bit of connection to make, as I have been interested in all things liturgy for a while. Ed, good to hear from you too. The Wesleyan Church is interesting that way. There is definitely a "John Wesleyan" faction and a "holiness" faction (and probably a "megachurch" faction too), and sometimes it is an uneasy relationship to be sure. But I appreciate deeper connections here than I was able to make in ABC life. Blessings on you both.

Mike, yes I have been a member of the Order of Saint Luke since 1995. I was one of about four Baptists out of a membership of 400 mostly Methodist and Wesleyan denominational folks. I've appreciated the connection in the Order even more since becoming a United Methodist. I'll keep an eye out for the next issue of Sacramental Life!

Even this pew sitter occasional fill in pianist has thrown up her hands with Baptists. While still a CBFer at heart and a regular supporter of all things CBF, I'm checking out the ELCA, the downtown Christian church, and the Methodists. Even with a regional ABC guided search the church has chosen a Bible college graduate and apparently a sometimes student at a DTS clone. With this change there will be no local Baptist congregation with a CBF/ABC education.

I will continue in this life to send my monthly check to CBF (as my denominational home) and hope to find myself in a vicinity where those churches can be found before I die.

I have. There are other hot button issues for me as well.

Previous church faith statement with the word inerrant and an all male elder board. The first sermon was pretty much...shame on anyone who doesn't believe in my potential. Plus it is my understanding that the church bylaws are getting a rewrite.

My daughter and I have to play Sunday. Then we'll start church shopping next week. Something I've never done before. I just went to the closest mainstream Baptist church. But extreme autonomy of individual Baptist churches has never been anything I have had a great appreciation for. I'd rather have denominational credentialing and as a minister's daughter I'd like to think the minister would have better job security. A favorite cousin was an ELCA pastor and my daughter has friends at a nearby ELCA church. So that's our first to check out.

Actually this young pastor will probably do well here as it is the most conservative county in the state. It isn't anything terribly personal from my perspective. It is simply a fairly objective decision about what I want to support.

Cathy, by all means check out all the available options. Are you in Bozeman or someplace?

Well in an odd turn of events the candidate declined the position. We will likely visit a few other churches from time to time as we should have two years ago but have some hope of a pastor with more typical denominational experience and education coming to the church.

Maybe he heard there was an opening in Rome...

Ed: Cathy, given the wide diversity among ABC-USA related Seminaries do you have a preference, and from which you believe the church shold select a pastor? Or perhaps I am asking what do you consider a more typical denominational experience and education?

Well to start with an education from an institution affiliated with Four Square Gospel, Open Bible, and Assembly of God is not a Baptist education. And coming from a church that has an all male elder board is not exactly what I consider a good match with a church that is happy with and supportive of women in ministry. I asked the moderator yesterday if any women had been considered and he suggested that no women's names had been sent from the regional office.

I'm sorry you seem offended by my desire that this church remain the only progressive Baptist church in the county.

Ed are you aware that you are using your wife's account?

OK Ed. If you are able to check your email it is possible to get your password sent to you by the system.

Yeah, or any of us moderators can send it to you (or change it, at your request, to something you can remember), Ed.

Ed: Are you fellows having fun with you off topic conversation about passwords. But no I do not have my e-mail on this machine. Trudy and I do use The same Gmail account. I do not however wishh to change my Bl.C password until I am back on my machine.

And Tim, since you nor I, are moderators on this site any longer why get your bowels set over process.

I hope Cathy is still here. and will pardon the interruptions

I attempted to remove the last 3 posts from Cathy, Haruo and Timothy because they appeared twice. Since they were duplicates I deleted them, which I have done before, but both copies disappeared. My apologies to the posters involved.

Neil

Evergreen has fairly significant relationships, one way or another, with three quite different seminaries: ABSW in Berkeley, Fuller in Seattle (extension of the one in Pasadena), and Seattle University (Jesuit-led, multidenominational). Most of our new ordinands come from one or another of these three.