From: 	Mark & Lorraine Fearnall[SMTP:mfearnall@sonetis.com]
    Sent: 	Tuesday, November 25, 1997 11:19 PM
        
Latest News:  Tuesday 25 November 'United Church reaffirms its faith'
This article was in regard to the statement made by the Executive of 
General Council.  Wishy-washy if you ask me, but hey isn't that the 
United Church!
It reaffirms the Basis of Union as our teaching, but then basically
says you don't have to go along with it to be a minister of the 
church.  Bizarre!
Anyone out there need a job?  Come be a United Church minister! 
Don't believe, you say... don't matter, we don't care!
    
   Mark.
    
    Mark & Lorraine Fearnall <><
    Quebec, Canada
    http://www.iosphere.net/mfearnall
    Response to United Church Moderator
    http://www.iosphere.net/mfearnall/response.htm
    --------------------------------------------
    If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject
    what you like, it is not the Gospel you believe,
    but yourself.  - Augustine


*************
From:          Gary Bielert 

..on another note - I found it interesting that the way the 
United church solved their present  problem is by saying the 
head could engage in whatever public musings that he chose 
because they do not represent the views of the denomination.  
That hair splitting statement is one I would expect from a 
political leader.  But then maybe the general public is getting
so sophisticated that they are able to separate out private 
musings that a professor of theology categorized as being 
heretical and the core beliefs of the denomination as a whole.

I am left rather puzzled by the whole incident.  

I can't imagine any other head of any other Protestant 'mainline'
- like Anglican , Presbyterian,  denomination getting away with 
the same thing.

And certainly the so called 'evangelical' denominations would 
have their spokesperson immediately muzzled and probably removed 
from office.

I saw one editorial which praised the current head of the UC as 
a great humanitarian - in the same way the Ghandi was - but 
certainly not a Christian - in the sense that he denied the core 
beliefs that Christians of all stripes - whether catholic, 
evangelical, or orthodox would subscribe to.

I guess the good that has come out of all this is that what 
often is a taboo in the press - religious issues are being 
actively discussed.

Gary

*****************
 
Forwarded by Mark Fearnal:

We should all remember to communicate that the General Council 
executive nor the G.C. itself, nor all Gc.'s put together can 
redefine the faith of the church. The process of  remits protects 
the church from schismatic councils, executives and moderators. 
the 20 articles stand, and besides that, 1992 action on the 
Authority of Scripture sounds pretty traditional to the untrained 
ear.
    
 Stand up for Jesus
    
    Rev. Brian Wilkie,
    Dominion- Chalmers United Church, Ottawa Ontario
    http://www3.sympatico.ca/brian.wilkie/index.htm
    
    ****************