The Status Quo’s Greatest Fear Realized

[James Griffin]

Recently there has been genuine fear and resulting backlash among some of the leadership elite in the UPCI.

Young ministers especially (of which there are so precious few left) are no longer satisfied with the two pat answers given when they have questions about “standards’ and procedures. Namely:

1 Because I said so.
2 Because that’s the way we have always done it.

IF certain “standards” are heaven or hell issues then why are they not deemed as such in “The Manual”?

Isn’t that a legitimate question?

The truth is in times past such ministers did simply leave the organization.

This time it is different. One thing that out of touch leaders have failed to note is that there has been a MAJOR shift of the center within the UPCI over the past decade or so, and this time there are men who refuse to be driven off from the organization they love and have spent their life working within.

And as has been pointed out in other threads and other forums the lament from certain leaders is “why oh why don’t they just go away like all the others did?”

The simple answer is they are actually aligned with the current mainstream of the UPCI, and if they hang around they WILL eventually be elected to offices were they WILL represent the true feelings and principles of the rank and file.

This scares certain factions who are used to saying “boo” and watching men scatter.

That is the Great Fear, it is not working this time.

There is nothing subversive going on.

Good men, spiritual men, who believe that Acts 2:38 is the only correct response to the gospel are coming together. Not to question the Bible but to discuss mindless dicta from out of touch leaders, and how to deal with it in a godly manner.

[GrowingPains]

Originally Posted by James Griffin

Recently there has been genuine fear and resulting backlash among some of the leadership elite in the UPCI.

Young ministers especially (of which there are so precious few left) are no longer satisfied with the two pat answers given when they have questions about “standards’ and procedures. Namely:

1 Because I said so.
2 Because that’s the way we have always done it.

IF certain “standards” are heaven or hell issues then why are they not deemed as such in “The Manual”?

Isn’t that a legitimate question?

The truth is in times past such ministers did simply leave the organization.

This time it is different. One thing that out of touch leaders have failed to note is that there has been a MAJOR shift of the center within the UPCI over the past decade or so, and this time there are men who refuse to be driven off from the organization they love and have spent their life working within.

And as has been pointed out in other threads and other forums the lament from certain leaders is “why oh why don’t they just go away like all the others did?”

The simple answer is they are actually aligned with the current mainstream of the UPCI, and if they hang around they WILL eventually be elected to offices were they WILL represent the true feelings and principles of the rank and file.

This scares certain factions who are used to saying “boo” and watching men scatter.

That is the Great Fear, it is not working this time.

There is nothing subversive going on.

Good men, spiritual men, who believe that Acts 2:38 is the only correct response to the gospel are coming together. Not to question the Bible but to discuss mindless dicta from out of touch leaders, and how to deal with it in a godly manner.

Great infomercial for the WPF here

But, I think you are also correct.

[Withdrawn]

Right on!



Again, Bishop, I don't have a dog in this fight. But it does seem like the political establishment is getting worried because the center has shifted under them while they became more and more irrelevant and out of touch.

[James Griffin]

Originally Posted by jaamez

Right on!



Again, Bishop, I don't have a dog in this fight. But it does seem like the political establishment is getting worried because the center has shifted under them while they became more and more irrelevant and out of touch.

Well said.

[HopePreacher]

The more "conservative" a group becomes the less able they are to tolerate those among who have sincere questions. The results is that some will leave because they can't tolerate the closedness and others will just stuff it and compromise their true feelings because they are afraid they'll loose the fellowship. Either way it's a lose lose situation.

[Kim Komando]

Originally Posted by jaamez

Right on!



Again, Bishop, I don't have a dog in this fight. But it does seem like the political establishment is getting worried because the center has shifted under them while they became more and more irrelevant and out of touch.

What is most ironic is that many of these "ideas" come from graduates and attendees of Haney's Christian Life College and Paul Mooney's Indiana Bible College.

[GrowingPains]

Originally Posted by HopePreacher

The more "conservative" a group becomes the less able they are to tolerate those among who have sincere questions. The results is that some will leave because they can't tolerate the closedness and others will just stuff it and compromise their true feelings because they are afraid they'll loose the fellowship. Either way it's a lose lose situation.

It's not really a matter of conservative or liberal, because that's quite relative. It's a matter of what are core essentials and what aren't? In the "aren't" areas, we should be given to liberty.

[GrowingPains]

Originally Posted by Kim Komando

What is most ironic is that many of these "ideas" come from graduates and attendees of Haney's Christian Life College and Paul Mooney's Indiana Bible College.

Which both Mooney and Haney took their own lumps for being "liberal." Now, see where it gets you!

[James Griffin]

Originally Posted by HopePreacher

The more "conservative" a group becomes the less able they are to tolerate those among who have sincere questions. The results is that some will leave because they can't tolerate the closedness and others will just stuff it and compromise their true feelings because they are afraid they'll loose the fellowship. Either way it's a lose lose situation.

I fully appreciate what you are saying.

In this case the "group" has been LESS conservative but you have a circle a leadership within the group which is isolationist and monastic in their worldview and since they only speak to their close friends they are out of touch with the rank and file.

Happens in Washington, happens in St Louis.

[*AQuietPlace*]

Originally Posted by HopePreacher

The more "conservative" a group becomes the less able they are to tolerate those among who have sincere questions.

This is something that has always bothered me.... the intolerance for questions.