Originally published in eNCA.com
A Methodist minister who was fired from her church for marrying her same-sex partner, has taken her fight to be reinstated to the courts.
Ecclesia de Lange was ordained as a Minister in the Methodist Church in 1996. She served her congregation in the Cape Twon suburbs of Brackenfell and Windsor Park.
De Lange said her church supported her when she announced that she was lesbian and would be marrying her same-sex partner.
Now, four years later, she’s fighting her former colleagues in court, after she was fired soon after the wedding.
The Methodist Church argues that while it does not have a rule forbidding same-sex marriage, no-one should attempt to enter such a union while the issue is still being grappled with, even through same-sex civil unions were legalised in South Africa in 2006.
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De Lange says she feels strongly that as a Christian, getting married is her basic human right.
Dear Ecclesia, the Word of God is clear on the matter of homo-sexuality, regardless of church policies.
IT IS A SIN LINE ANY OTHER.
It’s even more problematic that you would go to the world to fight for your Christian rights??? Church and state should never mix.
Now here is scripture THAT IS STILL RELEVANT TODAY AS HIS WORD IS THE SAME!!!
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
As any other sin – WE LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO COMPROMISE WITH YOU – REPENT AND BE DELIVERED
It is not okay to live in contradiction to the essence of what you teach. It is not about Church rules or country constitution etc. It is about the Bible. Non believers cannot comment or have an opinion on this issue. Those in the Church who accept this decision to live this life are defying the very Bible on which our absolute belief and faith is based. God’s word cannot be changed, altered or even watered down to suit our lifestyles. Full stop
On top of that all, does this Biblical scholar/teacher not realise that one Christian taking another Christian to court is not on in God’s eyes? Or does this teacher not see anyone else as Christian?
No one disputes Ecclesia’s right to marry. She can marry any man she chooses. But same-sex couples, by definition, cannot marry each other. Jesus defined marriage as a male-female union (Matt 19:4-6), so God will never ever join two people of the same sex in marriage. It is a contradiction in terms. The Methodist Church DOES have a rule forbidding same-sex marriage – it is not in their Church Discipline Book, but it IS in the inspired Word of God. This takes precedence over Government laws. If Ecclesia is a CHRISTian she should not try to oppose anyone who chooses to obey Jesus. If she does, she is denying her Lord. Pray for her soul, that she may repent and return to follow Jesus as Lord. That is the loving way forward.
Being a minister is like holding political office. You could be doing it for yourself only. I congratulate the Body of Christ for being clear on this matter. Man and woman, and only man and woman.
To sue the church which she is supposed to support thoroughly disgusts me! I am sickened! Does she nor realise that she is aiming to ‘fine’ the ordinary worshipper who funds the church? many of which do not wish to be involved in the ‘gay rights’ fight. It is time this so-called pastor read her Bible -the New Testament I mean, which guides Christians. I am afraid sin-tolerance has crept into the Methodist church in the deceptive guise of ‘Christian Love’ How clever is Satan behind all this deception,inspiring all those who call ‘evil good’. A weak spiritually disabled church gives him no opposition. – I say all this with acute grief as an ex Methodist -it is – was – a lovely happy church in which to be reared,I have very happy memories!