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| No more WELS pastors and their councils dressing as women for the congregational picnic? Church and Change your wardrobe - or Die! |
GracePointe and the Elusive LGBT-affirming Megachurch | VirtueOnline – The Voice for Global Orthodox Anglicanism:
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| No more Scott Barefoot photos? |
"After his announcement of LGBT support in 2015, Pastor Stan Mitchell of GracePointe Church in Franklin, Tennessee was profiled in Time magazine. But what was a much sought-after sign of Evangelical movement towards LGBT affirmation may have been wishful thinking on the part of cultural progressives pouring money into programs that aim to shift Evangelical pastors' views on sexuality.
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| No more Matt the Fatt cameos featuring Scott Barefoot and his ministry? |
A Consequential Change
Time's Elizabeth Dias identified GracePointe as "one of the first evangelical megachurches in the country to openly stand for full equality and inclusion of the LGBTQ community."
GracePointe, with 700-800 weekly attendees at its height, was not actually a megachurch, typically defined as a congregation with worship attendance greater than 2,000 persons.
Perhaps more so than oldline Protestant denominations, pastor-driven structures of Evangelical churches are well-attuned to their constituency. Evangelical institutions that have waffled about Biblical teaching on human sexual expression -- such as World Vision's short-lived policy change allowing those in same-sex marriages to be employed by the Christian nonprofit -- have quickly reversed course as donors promptly redirected their giving elsewhere.
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| No more plagiarizing the Fire Island gay music videos at Martin Luther College? |
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| Martin Luther College caught the attention of another demographic. |
GracePointe was no exception: a 2015 article from the Nashville Scene reported significant departures: both members of the church's Board of Elders and half of the congregation's 2,200-person membership quickly decamped following the LGBT announcement.
"A happy ending has not materialized," the Scene reported. "Members have left, and the very fate of the church is at risk."
Changes ultimately were not limited to teachings on sexuality. In August, the Nashville Star reported that GracePointe would share space with another progressive congregation, now describing itself as "unapologetically interfaith".
A visitor to a recent service counted approximately 240 attendees, a fraction of the number that once participated."
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| Are WELS, the ELS, and the LCMS done with ELCA joint-ministry projects via Thrivent? This is an ELCA meeting - not WELS, ELS, or LCMS. |
'via Blog this'
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| This is a Martin Luther College of Ministry graduate - WELS - not ELCA, so don't tar ELCA with the WELS brush. OK? |
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| MLC roommates chortle and complain, but MLC officials did not know! |
