Major Confusion - please help

[erin74]

So I've just come back from holidays for 3 weeks and have no idea what is going on.

From what I have read I understood enough to immediately resign from staff. Sorry about that fellow staff - I found somewhere to announce it, but don't know if it's a currently used area. The conference room was gone...

Can someone please explain what is going on? And assume for a moment I don't understand how wiki's work. Cause I don't.

 

[ebia]

So I've just come back from holidays for 3 weeks and have no idea what is going on.

From what I have read I understood enough to immediately resign from staff. Sorry about that fellow staff - I found somewhere to announce it, but don't know if it's a currently used area. The conference room was gone...

Can someone please explain what is going on? And assume for a moment I don't understand how wiki's work. Cause I don't.

So I've just come back from holidays for 3 weeks and have no idea what is going on.

Well, at least that puts you on much the same footing as everybody else.

 

[TomUK]

NOOOOOOOOO!!!! Don't resign. Give it a few days first. The changes aren't as bad as they first appear (though we at STR and trying our hardest to mark them far worse than they are!)

 

[erin74]

I think you'll have to explain further Tom. I can see nothing to redeem them.

 

[erin74]

What I have worked out is that I can be a member of the following congregations:

Anglican
Conservative Christians
Apostolic Churches
and possibly Semper Reformed - I've posted there on and off for quite some time, but not sure if I count given I've yet to affirm L.

 

[ebia]

What exactly are your concerns?

(In STR terms you haven't missed much - just two weeks of arguing with each other about what the rules should be and whether or not to have sub-forums.)

 

[erin74]

I am still formulating my concerns.

I struggle with the lack of definition of a christian. It is not up to the individual to declare what a chrisitan is - it is only up to God.

The whole - if you call yourself a christian you are one thing bothers me.

I can call myself a car, I can spend all day in my garage and make broom broom sounds. I am not a car and cannot make myself one simply by saying that I am one.

That is my primary concern - I have others, but that is the main one. The CF I signed up as a member and staff member of is different to the one that is in existance post my holiday. I need to work out if it's somewhere I still want to be.

I have gone close to leaving before - relationships are the only things that keep me here. Where else do I get to interact with you and all the others here at STR in particular. STR has had a huge impact on me and greatly increased my understanding of Anglicanism worldwide. I will not leave here without good cause. At this stage my intention is to stay, but I cannot with good conscience remain on staff.

 

[ebia]

I am still formulating my concerns.

I struggle with the lack of definition of a christian. It is not up to the individual to declare what a chrisitan is - it is only up to God.

The whole - if you call yourself a christian you are one thing bothers me.

I can call myself a car, I can spend all day in my garage and make broom broom sounds. I am not a car and cannot make myself one simply by saying that I am one.

I don't see CFs new attitude as being "calling yourself a Christian means you are" as "it's beyond the competence of CF to determine who is and who is not a Christian". That's a risky move, but possibly a good one.

That is my primary concern - I have others, but that is the main one. The CF I signed up as a member and staff member of is different to the one that is in existance post my holiday. I need to work out if it's somewhere I still want to be.

So far, I don't think much has actually changed.

I have gone close to leaving before - relationships are the only things that keep me here. Where else do I get to interact with you and all the others here at STR in particular. STR has had a huge impact on me and greatly increased my understanding of Anglicanism worldwide. I will not leave here without good cause. At this stage my intention is to stay, but I cannot with good conscience remain on staff.

Now seems to be our chance to try to work out how to make STR what it could be, rather than just settling for what it has been. Have a look through some of the recent threads, try not to dispare over the dissention, and maybe their are signs from many that (dispite the difficulties) perhaps we will manage to form something that represents Anglican diversity at its best. If we resist killing or excommunicating each other first.

 

[TomUK]

I struggle with the lack of definition of a christian. It is not up to the individual to declare what a chrisitan is - it is only up to God.

And that's precisely why i think this change is good. It is not our right to say whether someone is a Christian or not - that is only for God to judge. If somebody self identifies as a Christian then who are we to say they are not?

 

[Ahazmat]

Christians come in many flavours.
So do members of the Anglican Communion.

It seems to me that if you enjoy the relationships you have here then you should continue to enjoy them.

As to no warnings or infractions, does that mean the forum lets bullys bully?

 

[karen freeinchristman]

Warnings may still be issued, as far as I know.

 

[erin74]

There are things that should not be compromised for the sake of unity. CF as it is seems to be willing to compromise all. I do wonder at the right for it to call itself christian. It may be christian in the sense of it discusses things to do with christianity, but in what other?

This is not the first time I've had concerns for CF due to it having unity at it's centre. The only thing that should be at the centre is the gospel, the cross of christ. Where something else is there, there is the danger of the gospel being compromised. I think CF has crossed that line - just not sure when exactly.

 

[karen freeinchristman]

There are things that should not be compromised for the sake of unity. CF as it is seems to be willing to compromise all. I do wonder at the right for it to call itself christian. It may be christian in the sense of it discusses things to do with christianity, but in what other?

This is not the first time I've had concerns for CF due to it having unity at it's centre. The only thing that should be at the centre is the gospel, the cross of christ. Where something else is there, there is the danger of the gospel being compromised. I think CF has crossed that line - just not sure when exactly.

But, realistically, Erin, CF isn't meant to be a 'church' - it is meant to be a place where Christians gather in an online community, and it also allows for non-Christians to gather with us. I think this is what Erwin had in mind originally, and he has just returned it to his original idea. At least that's what it has come across as to me.

 

[erin74]

Erwin has repeatedly called this a ministry in the past. It is now just a messageboard.

 

[Timothy]

Erwin has repeatedly called this a ministry in the past. It is now just a messageboard.

It's not just a messageboard with non-christians moderating. Erwin has repeatedly stated--in public and in the CR--that non-christians would never moderate til now. And that's the big deal breaker to me ever returning to staff.

 

[holyshe]

lmao well erin
i just want to say god bless you for noticing !!!
our so called anglican community is becoming so broken up it is a joke!! the cake as a whole has been carved up into thousand of pieces!!! which is why i alway believe in a truth of our church an acceptance of the creed and bible!
but no ,i would say too many people want to split it up further, to suit lifestyles and idea's, i mean, i heard not to long ago that a female priest (well i dont think females should be priests) has stated that she is a christian and muslim at the same time what a joke!!!

i mean lets just make a new rules lol
lets not have the bible the creed or anything handed down to us through time by our fore fathers
let just start a new have a god if you want but hay!! do you worship in tesco's and give thanks to our lord in woolworths! infact make god a woman , let women rule the world kill all men and just have a sperm bank! therefore we wouldnt have the gay issue anymore!! lmso,
how about we become a-sexual no gender at all!! o
r we could just have a new faith which merges all religions church on sun synagoge on sat, temple worship on mondays and so on we could have year pilgrimages to a buddist temple we can call in soup slide!!! we could also change every church temple holy place in the uk into more house!!!
joking aside the only thing i can see is happening is our faith our religion is becomeing so broken that satan is invading our beliefs? i mean you keep cutting that cake up and you just end up with a big old mess!!!!!!

sorry for my sarcastism but i am so fed up with some peoples coimments lately!!

love you all xxx

 

[karen freeinchristman]

Erwin has repeatedly called this a ministry in the past. It is now just a messageboard.

I think of it like this: this 'messageboard' isn't so much of a ministry as we are ministers. If this messageboard has Christians on it, Christians are called to be ministers to each other and to non-Christians. So it is up to us, not up to Erwin. He is passing the responsibility on to us.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

I think of it like this: this 'messageboard' isn't so much of a ministry as we are ministers. If this messageboard has Christians on it, Christians are called to be ministers to each other and to non-Christians. So it is up to us, not up to Erwin. He is passing the responsibility on to us.

You can probably be a better minister off staff, tbh.

 

[norbie]

I think of it like this: this 'messageboard' isn't so much of a ministry as we are ministers. If this messageboard has Christians on it, Christians are called to be ministers to each other and to non-Christians. So it is up to us, not up to Erwin. He is passing the responsibility on to us.

And how do we minister to our Non-Christian Friends?
"it's all between you and God: what are we teaching? same Sex relation, don't worry it's between you and God. Divorce-Remarry, don't worry it's just a formality for the o.k. from the Bishop and don't worry what's written in Matthew.
I think we have a lot of thinking to do!

 

[Naomi4Christ]

And how do we minister to our Non-Christian Friends?
"it's all between you and God: what are we teaching? same Sex relation, don't worry it's between you and God. Divorce-Remarry, don't worry it's just a formality for the o.k. from the Bishop and don't worry what's written in Matthew.
I think we have a lot of thinking to do!

How do we minister to others?

First of all, we pray for them.

Secondly, we live out the gospels ourselves

Thirdly, we are encouraging, edifying and uplifting to others.

What we shouldn't do is tell them they are wrong or unworthy. We should meet people where they are and not where we want it to be. By extending the hand of friendship, and living out the gospel, we can prepare their hearts to open up to the power of the holy spirit. Only then can they experience the life changing power of the Christian faith, when the factors that shaped their old life become less important than those in their new life in Christ.