A Letter to the Editor

Before you go to that letter, allow me to do some explaining. First, I am Theo and Administrative Assistant at Circuit Rider's Range. In that area you will see me from time to time as I give significant assistance to my boss, CDH. Second, he is a fellow who does a lot of writing. He often writes letters to newspaper editors. A few years ago he locked horns with the editor of the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat -- well, actually, the "skirmishing" took place on more than one occasion. You can get more details on this at Letters to the Editor, Johnstown Tribune-Democrat -- one butchered and many others not published! If you go there, use return feature on your browser to come back here.

But my boss has also expressed deep appreciation to three other newspapers in the area where he lives. Editors of these papers have been very gracious and most of the time have printed the letters exactly as written -- if any editing has been done, it has been barely noticable. And on occasion these have even printed the web site address with his name.

Ok, now on the letter which deals with a very serious church issue ->

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Editor:

Dissatisfaction with trends in church denominations has prompted 2 congregations in the south central Pennsylvania region to consider leaving their parent denominations. This unfolding event has been discussed in some local media.

In recent decades there has been a growing restlessness at the grass roots level among those identified with mainline denominations in particular.

The primary reason for the intense dissatisfaction is rather simple. There has been an abandonment of Biblical authority on the part of many who hold positions of high level denominational leadership as well as too many pastors of local congregations. To put it in explicit terminology – “The Bible really doesn’t mean what it says!” The twisted and perverted “interpretations” which have crept in over the years has resulted in declining membership numbers for the mainline groups. In the case of one major mainline, the loss is in the tens of thousands each year.

Those widely accepted apostate teachings now tell us such things as the opening chapters of Genesis being the stuff from which myths and fairy tales are born, sexual behavior condemned by a holy God no longer is, Jesus Christ is not really the person portrayed in the New Testament Scriptures, etc!

One research project a few years ago revealed the shocking fact that only about 51 per cent of protestant pastors in this country hold to a Biblical world view in their lives and ministry!

A few of us still hold to the solid fact that the day is coming when God will interrupt the flow of human history and graphically demonstrate that every “jot and tittle” of His Word is true indeed!

Still contending at www.crrange.com and blogging at http://cdharriger.blogspot.com,


Clayton D. Harriger, United Methodist pastor

Western PA Annual Conference