celestial bodies – Protestia

Pastor Greg Johnson and the elders of Memorial Church in St Louis, Mo, have announced their intentions to leave the conservative Presbyterian Church of America after finding that they can no longer support sound doctrine, according to the letter sent to congregants, which reads in part:

After fifteen months spent fasting, praying, waiting, consulting and listening, now write to call a meeting of the congregation for 5:30–6:30 p.m. Friday, November 18, 2022, in the Auditorium for the purpose of deciding on matters pertaining to denominational alignment. We are recommending the congregation vote to withdraw from the Presbyterian Church in America

Johnson, an open homosexual, is perhaps the most controversial figure within the denomination, gaining publicity in 2018 when he hosted and defended the abomination that is Revoice. (See notes below) Since then, he’s been staunchly opposed Overture 15, a proposed amendment to the denomination’s Book of Church Order that is designed to combat the wreckage of Revoice and make the denomination more biblically faithful with a purer sexual ethic.

The authors of this amendment argue that ministers of the gospel are to be above reproach in their Christian character and self-conception. They say a pastor is disqualified from serving in ordained office in the PCA if that man identifies himself in terms associated with the LGBTQ+ movement or has a Gay self-conception.

“Men who describe themselves as homosexual, even those who describe themselves as homosexual and claim to practice celibacy by refraining from homosexual conduct, are disqualified from holding office in the Presbyterian Church in America.”

Johnson hates this, and his repeated and public condemnation has been tearing at the denomination’s seams. We hate that he hates this, and believe that any man who makes his sexuality part of his identity and affirms he’ll always struggle with same-sex attraction; denying the efficacy of a new heart upon one’s sexuality and denying that “such were some of you” is the normative expectation for Christians who are being sanctified by Christ, is not qualified to be pastor.

Not only is Johnson and Memorial continually castigated for their role in Revoice, but the church is presently under investigation by their Presbytery after one of their ministries hosted a lurid concert event featuring filthy trans performers. The church is upset that anyone is questioning this ministry or choice of event, complaining that the possibility of being forbidden to let similar events take place will negatively impact their ministry to the pagans.

Rather than let everything play out, the church wants to leave as soon as they can, before Johnson goes to a church trial, in order to avoid bad optics from whatever denomination they join in the future:

We have now learned that, yes, once a court of the church (whether local Missouri Presbytery, denominational supreme court or General Assembly) takes a case, thereby entering into judicial process, the pastor involved must see the case through unless another denomination receives him into it. Other denominations can be hesitant to receive a pastor under such circumstances, and would likely require a supermajority vote to receive him. This could hold us all up.

…Other possible cases against our pastors are also developing. The flow of these baseless judicial attacks is unlikely to slow down. We are being deliberately targeted. To protect our pastors—and to keep our presbytery from having to do multiple formal investigations of baseless accusations—we therefore think it wise to take this next step in realignment sooner rather than later.

They conclude by saying:

Our intention has been to bathe this process with prayer and with love. We believe this decision to be the most loving option for Memorial, for same-sex oriented believers, for our pastors and, yes, for the PCA itself.
We hope that Memorial’s withdrawal from the PCA will strengthen the hands of our friends within the denomination. As their opponents have capitalized on the “wedge issue” they found in knowing the PCA had a celibate same-sex oriented pastor, we can now remove Memorial from that equation. Critics will have to find some other cause with which to rally their troops. Lord willing, that will help our friends in the denomination as they work hard to once again take leadership to ground the denomination in a humble, winsome and missiological grace.

For more on Revoice:
Revoice Conference is Bringing Back the Roman Catholic Lesbian Who Praised X-Rated Gay BDSM Film
Revoice Introduces ‘Semi-Celibate Throuple’ to Christendom
So who are all the She/Her, They/Them, and He/Hims Speaking at Revoice?
Revoice Founder Insists Christians Repent Of Signing Nashville Statement on Sexual Ethics
Revoice President says Being Pro-Life Means Being Pro-Trans
‘Revoice’ Founder Calls Own Denomination ‘Rampantly Homophobic’ for Rejecting LGBTQ Clergy
Revoice Leaders Promoting “Homosexuality is a Blessing” Nonsense

As Greg Johnson’s Memorial Presbyterian Church in Saint Louis, Mo pursues leaving the PCA, they find themselves under investigation by their Presbytery after hosting a disturbing concert event.

‘Pastor’ Johnson is an outspoken supporter of the Revoice conference, having hosted the notorious event in the past. He’s and has been a vocal opponent of Overture 15, a progressive Presbyterian bugaboo which squarely takes aim at pastors who identify themselves as being a ‘gay Christian’ or ‘same-sex attracted’ and yet still aspire to the office of the pastorate, of which Johnson is. (The Overture, which is on its way into becoming a part of the denomination’s Book of Church Order, says that ministers of the gospel must be above reproach in their Christian character and self-conception and would disqualify any man from serving in ordained office in the PCA if that man identifies himself in terms associated with the LGBTQ+ movement or has a Gay self-conception.”)

Johnson’s church hosted The Sept 2nd, 2022 event ‘Celestial Bodies’ as part of their The Chapel (Sanctuary for the Arts) ministry, whose purpose is to offer a “practical, real-life way that we can support local artists and manifest the Welcome of Jesus through our hospitality and through our service.”

Part of the way the church loves people is by giving each concert guests free booze and supplying the barkeepers.

Because they seemingly have no standards of who they host, this particular show featured performers Eldraco, Brother Francis and the Soultones, and Elle Patterson; a trio of bands which can each individually be seen on Instagram either dressing up and performing in drag or posting semi-nude or fully nude pictures of themselves.

Using Eldraco as just one example, his social media is rife with him dressed as a transvestite, performing at PRIDE, or, as stated, posting nude photos of himself. His concerts are slimy and garish events, with lots of writhing inevitably making up the bulk of his dance moves.