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 WE ARE LOOKING FOR SPONSORING CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN CONGREGATIONS INTERESTED IN EDITING AND/OR SPONSORING THIS WEBSITE BEGINNING IN AUGUST 2009. Sponsoring congregations will be listed under the new page entitled "Sponsoring Churches." The cost for sponsoring is $50 per year. Funds will be used to pay for the website and to send out mailings throughout the denominstion. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED BEING A SPONSORING CHURCH. PLEASE EMAIL morningside.treasures@yahoo.com THE MISSION of the Confessing Church Movement in the Church of the Brethren is to affirm the historic and living faith of the Church of Jesus Christ. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING CCMCOB Q: What is the Confessing Church Movement? A: The Confessing Church Movement is not a program or organization. It is a grassroots movement of congregations, pastors, and laypersons taking a visible stand for Scriptural authority and doctrine by affirming the following four confessional tenets of faith: 1. That God loves everyone on our planet. 2. That God has implanted visions of Himself and Jesus in every culture, and in nature, so that those who sincerely seek Truth will come to Jesus Christ, Who is the only way to salvation and relationship with God. 3. That both Testaments of Holy Scripture is the Triune God's revealed Word, and that the New Testament is the Church's only rule of faith and life. 4. That God's people are called to holiness in all aspects of life. This includes honoring the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, the only relationship within which sexual activity is appropriate. Q: Why is the Confessing Church Movement called a movement? A: Because it is a continually growing, unstructured, grassroots, collection of independently gathered churches and individuals within various denominations including the Presbyterian Church (USA), United Methodist Church, the Reformed Church of America and now the Church of the Brethren, that have agreed to assert a reaffirmation of four basic confessional statements. It has no organization, constitution or by-laws. Q: Why just those four confessing statements? A: Churches and individual who have become a part of the Confessing Church Movement can and have affirmed the four statements in their own words and added others when they were led to do so by the Holy Spirit. There is no organizational template because there is no organization. It is important to recognize that the four confessional statements comprise the bedrock essence of the Church. Q: Why is that necessary? Aren't such standards already required in our denomination? A: Yes, such standards are required in our denomination. They are in our Annual Conference statements and are supported by Scripture. Yet, these standards increasingly have come under attack by persons within the denomination and, lamentably, are being ignored with impunity by several churches. These standards are under attack and could be changed through increasing pressure on Annual Conference. Q: Do these four tenets of faith constitute a creed? A: Absolutely not. These tenets are simply a partial statement of faith, like those which appear in the constitution of most all of our congregations. Q: What caused the Confessing Church Movement to happen? A: Some leaders and congregations seem to be in sympathy with this drift away from Biblical standards and also seem to be encouraging it. There have been a complex of events within the Church of the Brethren that are exactly opposite to Scripture and Annual Conference actions. This includes the failure of our denominational evangelism emphasis to clearly acknowledge Jesus Christ as universal Lord and Savior for all humankind; affirmation in some quarters of the church that homosexuality as a gift of God and homosexual behavior as a legitimate expression of human love; and, singularly, not adhering to the Bible which has been considered irrelevant in the context of modern culture and nature. Q: Is the Confessing Church Movement an attempt to divide the Church of the Brethren? A: The Church of the Brethren is clearly already divided on three of the four confessional tenets of faith. Emphatically, however, it is neither the design nor purpose of the Confessing Church Movement to cause a schism. It is the design and purpose to bring about reconciliation of the whole Church of the Brethren with God Almighty, Christ Jesus, the Holy Sprit, Scripture, its statements of faith, and one another. Q: Would the Confessing Church Movement exclude particular persons from worship? A: The Church is a healing place for persons with wounded souls, of whatever nature, who wish to repent of their sins. All God's human creatures who wish to repent of their sinful nature are welcome to come and worship. After all, we are all sinners in the sight of God can be forgiven if we but ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Q: Is the Confessing Church Movement in the Church of the Brethren homophobic or anti-gay? Does it intend or seek to be punitive to homosexual persons? A: NO!. CCMCOB abhors the terrible treatment homosexual persons have received over the centuries. The denial of human and civil rights should be forever challenged by all people who receive God's mercy and believe in justice and peace. The civil authorities are charged to provide laws for persons wanting to enter into legal contractual relationships. Civil rights for secular and public employment, housing, and other civil liberties should be protected. Epithets and other derogatory language should be purged from the church and society. Issues such as marriage and clergy ordination, however, are matters not to be governed by the State but by the Church in accordance with the Scriptures. A: Is this website primarily about homosexual marriage? Q: No. Granted, with some States in our county allowing same sex marriage, it is currently a very emotional and controversial topic. This website, however, does not intend to focus on just this contemporary firestorm. Heterosexuals abuse the Biblical boundaries of sexual union as much or more than homosexual persons. Many heterosexuals have sex before marriage, live in non-covenant relationships, and commit adultery in marriage. More heterosexuals per capita are involved in the sexual abuse of children than homosexuals. This website is not about sexual preference, it is about sexual practice. It includes homosexual marriage because that topic is so much in the conversations and the decisions of our current culture. What we want to do most here on this site is to affirm what we believe the Bible says about the nature of the union called "marriage", strengthen the evangelistic passion of our denomination by lifting up the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and proclaim the truth of God's Word as the rule of faith and life. Over time, we hope to lift up all four of these tenets of faith as equally as the Holy Spirit leads. Q: Is there a point of contact for the Confessing Church Movement in the Church of the Brethren? A: This Website is the primary point of contact. E-mails are also welcome. For those who prefer the postal service may write to: Confessing Church Movement COB, 2153 Winterset Drive, Toledo OH 43614-1266. Q: Where can I indicate my personal or congregational interest in being a Confessing Church, Confessing Pastor, or Confessing Layperson? A: You may register your affirmation of the four confessional tenets of faith by email or postal mail. "AFFIRMATION FORMS" for registering by postal mail may be printed from this website. Or you may copy and paste the form(s) onto an email and send it to ccmcob@bex.net. (See buttons for "AFFIRMATION FORMS" at the upper left of this Home Page.) Again, the postal address is: Confessing Church Movement COB, 2153 Winterset Drive, Toledo OH 43614-1266. Q: Where can I find more information on the Confessing Church Movement? A: More information is provided on the "LINKS" page and "NEWS" page. (See buttons to those pages on the upper left of this Home Page.) Q: Where can I express my thoughts or opinions? A: A "GUESTBOOK" and "E-MAIL" link are also available for your communication. Q: Does CCMCOB need donations for it's ministry? A: While there are no salaries, CCMCOB has expenses for the website, office supplies, printing, and postage. Your contributions are received with much thanks. Donations may be made by postal mail (see above address); or by credit card or on-line check by using the Paypal logo link below. If using Paypal, the email payment address for the Confessing Church Movement COB is "ccmcob@bex.net".
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