Christian Today – Christian News > Methodist Church in Britain Dying, Research Says

Slegte nuus vir Methodiste in Engeland.

A senior researcher has found that Methodism is dying in Britain.

"By contrast, immigration from Africa and elsewhere has led to growth in Pentecostal churches, where the worship style is more flamboyant," Dr David Voas, a senior researcher at Manchester University's School of Social Sciences continued.

Pentecostals now outnumber Methodists at church services in England, according to a survey.

Evidence for the shift comes from the English Church Census, conducted by the independent charity Christian Research, and substantially sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council.

The Church is in third place behind the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church in terms of attendance.

The research will alarm leaders of the 200-year-old Methodist Church, which will next year celebrate the tercentenary of the birth of Charles Wesley, a prolific hymn writer, and the brother of John, the founders of Methodism.

According to the census, Sunday attendance at Methodist churches has fallen from 289,400 in 2005 to about 278,700 in 2006. The number of Pentecostals in church on an average Sunday has risen above 288,000.

"Black churchgoers in inner London, where they outnumber white attendees, are an important source of growth in the context of the national decline in church attendance," said Dr Voas. "So it is significant that 40 per cent of Pentecostals, but only four per cent of Methodists, are black."

The Methodist Church closed 264 churches between 1998 and 2005, more than any other denomination. During the same period, attendance declined by a quarter.

Meanwhile, Pentecostal numbers grew by a third, and new churches have opened.

Dr Voas said: "It seems inevitable that the Methodist Church will be reabsorbed into the Church of England. The Pentecostals have appeared out of nowhere in the last couple of decades, but it remains to be seen whether they can make significant inroads into the white population."

When religion loses its credibility

Oliver Thomas, 'n Baptiste predikant, is die skrywer van hierdie artikle in USA Today.

Galileo was persecuted for revealing what we now know to be the truth regarding Earth's place in our solar system. Today, the issue is homosexuality, and the persecution is not of one man but of millions. Will Christian leaders once again be on the wrong side of history?

What if Christian leaders are wrong about homosexuality? I suppose, much as a newspaper maintains its credibility by setting the record straight, church leaders would need to do the same:

Correction: Despite what you might have read, heard or been taught throughout your churchgoing life, homosexuality is, in fact, determined at birth and is not to be condemned by God's followers.

Based on a few recent headlines, we won't be seeing that admission anytime soon. Last week, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops took the position that homosexual attractions are “disordered” and that gays should live closeted lives of chastity. At the same time, North Carolina's Baptist State Convention was preparing to investigate churches that are too gay-friendly. Even the more liberal Presbyterian Church (USA) had been planning to put a minister on trial for conducting a marriage ceremony for two women before the charges were dismissed on a technicality. All this brings me back to the question: What if we're wrong?

Is she a religion? | IndyStar.com

Is Oprah Winfrey 'n godsdiens? Skynbaar 'n baie ter saaklike vraag ...

At first glance, Oprah Winfrey is nothing more than a talk show host.

But she's also recognized as one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people, giving her the status of a religious high priestess.
Winfrey uses her daily TV show -- which draws audiences so huge that they could make the most pious televangelist fall prey to envy -- to explore topics of spirituality in both celebrities and housewives.
Winfrey's own authoritative word, O, The Oprah Magazine, this month features a "guide to good behavior," which is not uncommon territory for her.
And, like megachurches across the land, Winfrey has her own mission projects in places as far away as Africa and as close to home as the Gulf Coast and victims of Hurricane Katrina.
For these reasons and others, Indiana University religious studies scholar Kathryn Lofton finds that her students frequently ask her whether Winfrey constitutes a religion.
Lofton, author of a couple of articles about Winfrey's spirituality, says the question might seem easy to dismiss given Winfrey's fondness for makeover shows and celebrity gossip. But she says there is more to it than meets the eyelash extensions.
"She is at heart primarily an entertainer," Lofton said. "But at the same time, all of those things are attributes of growing evangelical churches, which are trying to be all-in-one enterprises."
For the record, Lofton argues that Winfrey is not a religion.
She says Winfrey rejects the idea herself, abhors any one particular set of beliefs in favor of a more all-inclusive spirituality, is clearly a for-profit enterprise and, because of her focus almost entirely on women, has no designs on reaching the entire human race.

Pastors’ Disclosures May Stir Empathy, Some Evangelicals Say - New York Times

'n Berig in die New York Times oor die moontlike effek wat onlangse bekentenisse deur prominente 'evangelical' leiers in die VSA dat hulle homoseksueel is kan hê op die houding en gesindheid jeens gays.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 — Confessions by two evangelical Christian ministers to having same-sex relationships could lead evangelicals to feel greater compassion toward gay men and lesbians, especially those in their congregations, some evangelical leaders said Tuesday.

But none expected a broader re-examination of the belief, widely held by evangelicals, that homosexuality is sinful.

On Sunday, the pastor of a suburban Denver church, the Rev. Paul Barnes, resigned after admitting to having had sex with men. Mr. Barnes said he had often cried himself to sleep, begging God to end his attraction to men.

Mr. Barnes’s departure came just a few weeks after that of the Rev. Ted Haggard, who had been president of the National Association of Evangelicals and senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs. A male prostitute said Mr. Haggard had had a relationship with him for three years.

“I honestly don’t think there is significant rethinking on evangelical positions on homosexuality, but I think there may be greater compassion,” said the Rev. Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and senior pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minn.

“Those who don’t have homosexual inclinations can be judgmental towards those that do,” Mr. Anderson said. “When you discover people you know and respect are struggling with homosexuality, suddenly you’re more compassionate because they are real people who are around you, members of your church and community, and the compassion level rises. It should.”

The Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo, an American Baptist minister and a professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University in Pennsylvania, said he was opposed to what he called “same-gender eroticism.” Dr. Campolo said that many evangelicals, influenced by Christian radio, had come to believe that homosexuality was largely a choice and that homosexuals “choose to be evil.”

Others, he said, subscribe to theories, now discredited by psychologists, that men become gay because they had a domineering mother or were victims of sexual abuse as children.

“People on Christian radio have portrayed gays as insatiable, promiscuous people, which they are not,” Dr. Campolo said, “and they describe gay people as fungus on society that must be exterminated.”

Given the sadness many evangelicals say they feel for the former pastors, he added, “what we’re seeing here is a growing awareness among evangelicals that they have oversimplified, made false judgments and been very, very mean to the gay and lesbian community.”

Bakker son is 'One Punk Under God' - CNN.com

Jay Bakker, seun van voormalige skatryk TV prediker wat tronk toe is vir bedrog, "doen kerk" op sy eie unike manier.

NEW YORK (AP) -- He was born into the glare of televangelist parents Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Then the "Praise the Lord" empire collapsed in scandal. His father went to jail for fraud.

Jay Bakker spent his teens in the darkness, rebelling and bent on self-destruction from alcohol and drugs.

But now, with his 31st birthday next week, this tattooed, multi-pierced pilgrim is on a righteous path: preaching God's grace to a flock of young, downtrodden and disillusioned parishioners most any other church would turn away.

'Bid, sodat julle gesond word'

Navorsing bevestig die krag van gebed.

Daar is klaarblyklik groot krag in gebed, soos wat omvattende studies in die VSA toon.

Dié studies wys dat siek mense vir wie daar gebedsgroepe gestig is, ’n beter kans gehad het om gesond of beter te word as dié vir wie daar nie gebid is nie.

’n Groep van 393 hartpasiënte in een van die VSA se grootste akademiese hospitale is in twee verdeel. Gebedsgroepe is vir die een helfte georganiseer, maar nie vir die ander nie. Dié vir wie daar gebid is, het tien maande later vyf keer minder antibiotika benodig en ’n 2½ keer kleiner kans gehad om hartaanvalle te kry. Die ander groep het steeds ’n hoë risiko vir hartaanvalle gehad.

In ’n ander studie is bevind dat Christene wat gereeld bid minder aan stres en stresverwante siektes gely het.

Wetenskaplikes en dokters glo nou gebed het ’n positiewe uitwerking op siek mense. Van die studies het getoon dat gebed ’n positiewe uitwerking het op die verlaging van hoë bloeddruk, genesing van ernstige wonde, hoofpyne, angs en hartsiektes. Dié wat diep gelowig is en gereeld bid, kon ook ’n chroniese siekte soos borskanker makliker hanteer. Hulle is ook geneig om minder depressief te wees en het ’n sterker immuniteitstelsel.

– Aanvullende bronne: www.berkeley.edu, www.dhs.ca.gov, http://aje.oxfordjournals.org

Godsdiens-aktueel: Vier Jesus se menswording

Nico Botha se Godsdiens-aktueel artikel in vandag se Beeld.

’n Geliefkoosde preektema hierdie tyd van die jaar is om die kommersialisering van Kersfees te betreur.

Die clichés is oorbekend: Dat dit met die Kerstyd om winsbejag gaan; ’n oordrewe klem op die gee van presente; dat Christus heeltemal uit Kersfees verwyder is en net die blink liggies, versierings en uiterlike vertoon oorgebly het.

Ek het self al oor die tema gepreek dat die spoeg spat.

Die probleem is egter dat Suid-Afrika spog dat 80% van die bevolking nominaal of toegewyd die Christendom aanhang. ’n Mens moet dus of die onhoudbare afleiding maak dat slegs die 20% Suid-Afrikaners wat tot ander godsdienste of geen godsdiens behoort nie, meedoen aan die malle gedoente rondom Kersfees – of ’n mens moet aanvaar dat Christene met oorgawe meedoen. En dis half lekker ook nog.

Sodom, Gomorra nié vernietig weens gays

Nog 'n bydrae tot die debat oor gays.

Christen-sondaar, Kroondal, se brief Gewete hou jou 60 jaar in die tronk van 6 Desember 2006 verwys.

In hierdie, sowel as baie ander briewe, is dit duidelik dat die homoseksueles gestenig en gekruisig word. Bovermelde skrywer wat ook besig was om klippe te gooi, vra die vraag “Waarom anders is Sodom en Gomorra deur God vernietig?”

Ek wil dit duidelik stel dat ek nie homoseksuele praktyke goedkeur nie. Ek is nie homoseksueel nie, is 36 jaar gelukkig getroud, maar ek wil net graag die ander kant van die saak ook stel.

In Mattheus 21:31 (b) het Jesus aan die priesters en ouderlinge wat hulself probeer regverdig het, gesê dat “die tollenaars en die hoere gaan julle voor in die koninkryk van God”.

Volgens Genesis 18 wou God Sodom en Gomorra vernietig vanweë hul sondes, maar Hy sou hulle gespaar het indien Hy vyf regverdiges daarin sou gekry het. Sodom en Gomorra is nie vernietig omdat daar homoseksuele praktyke plaasgevind het nie, maar omdat daar nie genoeg regverdiges was om vir hul sondes in te tree nie.

Waar lê die probleem dus vandag? Is dit omdat daar te veel homoseksuele, te veel klipgooiende “goeie mense” of te min regverdiges is wat intree?

Volgens ’n Ou Testamentiese profesie in Jesaja 53:4 en 5 het Christus ons siektes en ons sonde om Hom geneem.

Waarom weet die homoseksuele nie hierdie dinge nie?

Is dit miskien omdat die “goeie mense” nie uitgaan en dit vir hulle gaan vertel nie?

Wat het van “glashuise en klippe” sowel as “balke en splinters” geword?

# Pieter van Buuren, Wonderboom-Suid

'Haves' have most of it

Die gaping tussen ryk en arm word groter. Tien persent van die wêreld se bevolking besit 85% van wêreld se rykdom. Indien jou bates jou laste oorskry met 450 000 dan is jy deel hierdie 10%!

London - The richest 2% of adults still own more than half of the world's household wealth, perpetuating a yawning global gap between rich and poor, according to research published on Tuesday.

The report from the Helsinki-based World Institute for Development Economics Research shows that in 2000 the richest 1% of adults - most of whom live in Europe and the US - owned 40% of global assets.

The richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of assets, the report said.

By contrast, the bottom 50% of the world's adult population owned barely 1% of the world's wealth.

"Income inequality has been rising for the past 20-25 years and we think that is true for inequality in the distribution of wealth," said James Davies, a professor of economics at the University of Western Ontario, one of the report's authors.

"There is a whole group of problems in developing countries that make it difficult for people to build up assets, which are important, since life is so precarious."

Politicians 'very concerned'

The gulf between rich and poor nations has long concerned politicians and economists, who say it is one of the biggest obstacles to development.

But Davies said there are some hopeful signs: China and India, which are developing rapidly, are gaining wealth and in countries like Bangladesh, the spread of micro-credit institutions is helping people to increase their personal wealth, he said.

In other countries, land registration programs allow the poor to own land for the first time, he said.

According to the report, individual assets of US$2 200 (R15 680.87) placed an adult in the top half of the world's wealth distribution in 2000.

Those in the richest 10% of adults had assets of US$61 000 or more while those in the top 1% - who now number 37 million - had at least US$500 000.

Researchers defined wealth as the value of physical and financial assets minus debts.

Gewete hou jou 60 jaar in tronk

Nog reaksie op Gay Sondaar.

Graag wil ek kommentaar lewer oor sekere stellings wat Gay Sondaar maak in gister se Beeld.

Dit is nie Christene wat sy lewe hel gemaak het nie en die aanhang van die Christen-geloof waarborg ook nie ’n sondelose lewe nie.

Nee, hy is self verantwoordelik vir die lewe wat hy lewe.

Dit is sy gewete wat hom 60 jaar in die tronk gehou het.

Die feit wat hy noem dat die Christen sy naaste moet liefhê soos homself is korrek, maar dit is juis uit hierdie liefde wat jy jou naaste moet reghelp as hy verkeerd handel volgens die Skrif.

Nee, broer, om gay verhoudings aan te knoop is verkeerd.

Waarom anders is Sodom en Gomorra deur God vernietig en waarom het Lot sy dogters aan hierdie manne van Sodom aangebied in die plek van die Engele van God?

Gay-mense blameer alewig ander

Reaksie op Gay Sondaar se brief

Dit gaan net eenvoudig my verstand te bowe dat die gay-mense in die land alewig ander blameer vir hulle sogenaamde ongelukkigheid. Gay Sondaar, jy sê jy het al die jare die NP se wette nagevolg. Kan jy asseblief die wet aanhaal waar die NP gesê het jy mag nie gay wees nie? Wat het die Broederbond met jou gay-wees te make?

As gay 60 jaar in tronk van skynheilige Christene

Hierdie brief het 'n hele klomp reaksie veroorsaak.

Ek, as gay man, vind nou nadat die Wet op Burgerlike Verbintenisse verlede Donderdag goedgekeur is, geen baat by dié wet nie.

Ek is oor die 60 jaar oud en het al die jare die wette van die Nas­ionale Party, die NG Kerk, die Broederbond en alle Christene slaafs nagevolg. Ek het geglo dat dit sondig is om gay te wees en dat slegs ’n kuis lewe my van die ewige hel sou red soos die homofobiese heteroseksuele Christene gepredik het.

’n Leeftyd lank het ek ’n leuen geleef en moes ek al my gevoelens en emosies onderdruk. Om die skyn te bewaar, moes ek met meisies uitgaan om al my verpligtinge as professionele persoon na te kom. Ek moes net meisievriende hê, want mense kon agterkom ek is “skeef” as ek met mans sou uitgaan.

Ek is briesend kwaad vir die Christene wat my lewe hier op aarde hel gemaak het. Ek het oor die 60 jaar onskuldig in die gevangenis van homofobiese, haatlike Christene gesit. Ek kan dié liefdelose Christene nie sommer net vergewe nie. Oor ’n lewenslange gay verbintenis in “liefde en trou”, spreek die Bybelskrywers geen oordele uit nie. Lees maar die Bybel weer en weer deur.

Die Bybel dui vir ons aan hoe Christene moet dink. Geregtigheid en liefde is van die belangrikste rigtingwysers. Jy, diskriminerende, homofobiese Christen, moet jou naaste liefhê soos jouself! Dít predik die Bybel.

Gay Sondaar, Piet Retief

BeeldNG Kerk maak keel skoon oor gay-troues

Wat sê die NG Kerk oor gay troues?

‘Die enigste huwelik wat Skriftuurlik is, is dié tussen ’n man en ’n vrou.”

Prof. Piet Strauss, ondervoorsitter van die NG Kerk se algemene sinode en voorsitter van die Vrystaatse sinode, het gesê die wanindruk wat bestaan dat dié kerk dieselfde status wil toeken aan gay-huwelike as aan heteroseksuele huwelike, is “een groot misverstand”.

Dit kom nadat die Vrystaatse sinode, nes die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika, nié die NG Kerk se parlementêre voorlegging oor homoseksuele verbintenisse ondersteun nie.

An open letter to American church leadership (Part One)

In stede daarvan om soos dissipels van Jesus Christus op te tree wil dit voorkom asof die houding en gesindheid van die Fariseërs heelwat meer aantreklik is. Madeline Crabb is 'n voorbeeld hiervan.

Dear Church Leaders,

This message is a wake up call and a warning for you. The current state of our nation is the fault of the Church, which ultimately is the fault of church leadership. Society's "moral mess" has happened because of the complacency and silence of the Church. As pastors and parishioners alike pat themselves on their backs because of all their great church programs, and big, fancy church facilities, society is a cesspool of sin, and sinks deeper and deeper into depravity. Just as Nero fiddled while Rome burned, Christians just keep playing church as society disintegrates.

The future of our nation is the responsibility of Christians — the Church. Christians must get serious about following the "marching orders" given to them by their Commander in Chief — Jesus. While most churches understand their orders to evangelize, they have been MIA, missing in action, when it comes to taking dominion over all things. They even disregard their orders to be salt and light, choosing instead to compromise with the world.

Now is the time for the Church to get right with God and to begin obeying him. Again, the Church is the only hope for the future of our nation. And besides, if it doesn't act, there will be individual and corporate consequences. Christians have abdicated their responsibility for far too long and God is not going to allow them to plead ignorance.

Wat sê die Bybel van die huwelik?

Pieter Craffert se rubriek in Maandag se Beeld.

Volgens berigte sou die eerste gay-huwelike die naweek in Suid Afrika voltrek word.

In die openbare debat is die saak egter nog lank nie afgehandel nie, want volgens sommiges skryf die Bybel slegs een siening van die huwelik voor: ’n Monogame verbintenis tussen ’n man en ’n vrou. Ek self is ten gunste van hierdie soort verbintenis vir ’n sinvolle huweliks- en gesinslewe, maar met die wete dat ons inkleding daarvan nie net so in die Bybel gevind kan word nie en dat dit nie die enigste soort “Bybelse” huwelik was nie.

Advent

André van Nieker se rubriek in Saterdag se Beeld

Die nuwe kerklike jaar begin môre met die aanbreek van die Adventtyd. In die volgende vier weke versier Christene hul woonplekke met Adventsgoedere. Advent is Latyns vir “koms”.

Dis ’n tyd van verwagting en voorbereiding. In die era waarin die ekonomie ons kultuur bepaal, word wag ’n vreemde saak. ’n Mens leef onder die dwang van die onmiddellike. Die advertensies sinspeel dat net dom mense nog wag.

’n Mens moet jou behoeftes dadelik bevredig: “Leen nou geld”, “koop nou wat jy begeer”; “doen nou waarvoor jy lus is”.

Ons volg hierdie advertensies al weet ons dis onwaar. Die bankbaas, wat lenings aan almal adverteer, maan sy kinders om nie skuld te maak nie.

Wie suksesvol wil wees, moet kan wag op die bevrediging van behoeftes. Dit geld vir alles van geldsake tot romantiese liefde.