Some national church denominations have changed their standards in recent years ”“ stirring debate among congregations about whether to stay or find a new path.
In the central San Joaquin Valley, some congregations have chosen to leave their denominations because, they say, it doesn’t represent their traditional values. The goodbyes have worked out for the churches, but they have been difficult.
The trend has reached three major denominations ”“ the U.S. Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA) and most recently the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
This is good publicity for the truth – distressing as it is for the world to see Christians in dispute, it will be even more distressing for the world on the day of judgment if they see the church united behind the doctrines of the liberal leaders of the Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Lutheran churches.
That is why it is so important that the orthodox christians in those denominations take whatever steps they can to show the world that they do not agree with liberal doctrines, and that Christ’s message is still the same today as it was 2,000 years ago.