{"id":1476,"date":"2021-11-02T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-02T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pastormathis.com\/?p=1476"},"modified":"2022-03-23T13:46:37","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T19:46:37","slug":"the-gay-future-of-the-presbyterian-church-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pastormathis.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/02\/the-gay-future-of-the-presbyterian-church-in-america\/","title":{"rendered":"The gay future of the Presbyterian Church in America"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Sadly, the <a href=\"https:\/\/byfaithonline.com\/sjc-rules-on-complaint-against-missouri-presbytery\/\">recent judicial decision<\/a> of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) slammed one more door in the face of the conservatives trying to purify the church in Jesus\u2019 name. Unless something radical changes soon, self-described celibate gay minister, <a href=\"http:\/\/pastormathis.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/23\/understanding-the-heinousness-of-homosexuality-from-the-confession-of-greg-johnson\/\">Greg Johnson<\/a>, will be the poster-boy for the future of the PCA. The future is looking gay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Does that seem like an exaggerated claim? It is not. After all, we were warned in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The warning came from a collection of voices at the pro-homosexual <a href=\"https:\/\/revoice.us\/\">Revoice <\/a>conference. In varying ways, the speakers foreshadowed this future. The loudest warning bell was Greg Hartley\u2019s provocative lecture, \u201cRedeeming Queer Culture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">However, Greg Johnson\u2019s little-known <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1U-T5Xg4yRLAclmlidMO4wEnz4PWsOI8G\/view\">lecture<\/a>, \u201cMaking Church a Haven for Sexual Minorities: Thoughts For Church Leadership,\u201d was most illuminating. In his talk he shared his thoughts for the PCA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">His vision reflects the shared goal of the same-sex attraction movement across the board. What is that goal? It is the transformation of the PCA into a safe-space for the gay populace, pastors and problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/pastormathis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Revoice-Johnson-First-Lecture-2018-352x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1483\" width=\"372\" height=\"476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pastormathis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Revoice-Johnson-First-Lecture-2018-352x450.jpg 352w, https:\/\/pastormathis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Revoice-Johnson-First-Lecture-2018-213x272.jpg 213w, https:\/\/pastormathis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Revoice-Johnson-First-Lecture-2018.jpg 569w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 372px) 100vw, 372px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">First, the homosexual church of tomorrow is a gay-friendly church. By \u201cgay-friendly\u201d I do not mean inviting sinners to hear the Gospel as churches already do. Rather, if Johnson\u2019s wish is granted, more church members and leaders will put the homosexual before the straight. In his lecture, he was emphatic about this: \u201cyour job as a ministry leader is to become their [the non-straight] biggest, fieriest advocate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This is not hyperbole. He specifically states this commitment must be a high priority, even to the point of losing members: \u201cYou have to be prepared to defend sexual minorities, even at the cost of budgets, programs and numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In the Reformed Church in America (RCA), this is achieved through browbeating lectures, otherwise known as a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rca.org\/homosexuality\/homosexuality-seeking-guidance-church\">discussion guide<\/a>.\u201d It is five sessions of snuffing out \u201chomophobia.\u201d Straights are the ones called to repentance and to winsomeness and to openness, not the same-sex attracted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Second, the ecclesiastical leadership will fill up with homosexuals and more. Transgender, agender, non-binary, genderqueer, and genderfluid will be emboldened to join the ranks of deacon, ruling elder and pastor. After all, Revoice described its workshops as answering the question of how to make the church safe for \u201csexual minorities\u2026[to] mature into Christian leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PcaMemorial\/status\/1447655796364431363?\">Recently<\/a>, Johnson posted a video arguing this point: \u201c[churches should] actively recruit, encourage, and build up, train and ordain non-practicing gay believers to positions of ministry.\u201d What was hidden in a church-officer-only lecture three years ago is now public notice of where the PCA is careening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The PCA already had a <a href=\"http:\/\/pastormathis.com\/index.php\/2021\/03\/31\/revoice-gay-straight-friends-planning-a-life-together\/\">gay youth leader<\/a> move in with his best friend that he finds \u201ccute.\u201d Why is not a gay pastor allowed to do the same thing? In ten years, such arrangements will include adopting children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Last, churches across the PCA will swell up with gay problems. Many conservative churches already struggle handling heterosexual sins of fornication and adultery, they will have a harder time dealing with homosexual issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Many church members think the queer world is just like the straight except for some gender-bending ways. That is not true. Compared to the normal population, homosexual men have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/ObergefellHodges\/AmicusBriefs\/14-556_American_Public_Health_Association.pdf\">higher amount of troubles<\/a> from sexual to psychological.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">One practical problem is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/porn-is-not-a-public-heal_b_9709134\">porn addiction.<\/a> This is not an abstract problem \u201cout there\u201d in the unbelieving gay community either. In his <a href=\"https:\/\/crosspolitic.com\/podcast\/family-meeting-with-greg-johnson-pastor-of-memorial-presbyterian-church-and-host-church-of-revoice-us\/\">2018 interview<\/a>, Johnson, to his credit, did not water down the truth of his gay-porn attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cI am a pornography addict. I have had pornography addiction for fifteen years\u2026I have a pornography addiction\u2026I have an accountability partner\u2026I am still a pornography addict\u2026I&#8217;m sober but that impulse\u2014it has not gone away\u2026I am still killing it&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Imagine if a straight pastor admitted to this kind of addiction. Of course, the church has sinners struggling with sexual temptation. And they should get help. But they are humble enough to feel shame, avoiding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/ct\/2019\/may-web-only\/greg-johnson-hide-shame-shelter-gospel-gay-teenager.html\">public announcements<\/a> of their sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Johnson gave a hint of other problems at the beginning of his workshop. He offered a story of a homosexual man addicted to sex. His addiction led to expulsion from college and failed attempts by the church to use a GPS tracker to control him. This fits the known facts of the queer lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This is only a summary of the multitude of coming troubles. The PCA of tomorrow is all but queer unless something changes. She was warned three years ago. 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