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| Grace Baptist Church, Granite City, IL. |
I really, really, really do NOT want to be typing about this issue regarding my future membership at my church, Grace Baptist Church... and I have no choice but to do so. The concern is that my church is proposing a Statement on Marriage and Sexuality that will be voted on in the 06.12.2013 business meeting, designed primarily to silence and/or eject me and any other Democrats/LGBTQ rights/pro-reproductive choicers out of the church. As I personally believe that abortion, cohabitation, same-sex marriage, and homosexuality are not sins, this looks like the end of Grace Baptist membership for me, mostly due to the power grab proposal by the GBC higher ups. The proposal will make me end my volunteering opportunities at GBC.
I started attending back in 2000 when my Grandma switched membership from Suburban Baptist Church.
Not long after my Grandma couldn't drive anymore, I relied on the strong and robust bus ministry to take me to and from there. If it weren't for them, I would likely be long from Grace. Also, I gained (and lost) friends during my 12.5 years at Grace Baptist. With that being said, there were bumps in the road along the way, such as attacks on my Christianity and liberalism in later years (primarily from Ron Martin), especially for endorsing President Obama and supporting abortion rights and same-sex marriage.
How I became pro-choice and pro-marriage equality, which ties into this a lot: I'd say sometime between the election of Obama in 2008 and being in Ms. Ames' economics class and the passage of the Hate Crimes Law in 2009 for the latter. For the former, it was around the time that Dr. Tiller got killed that changed my views on abortion from leaning personally pro-life but not for restrictive abortion laws to pro-choice and even moreso recently. However, I am still opposed to assisted suicide.
There were lots of changes during that period, including:
- Bro. Steve Trask became music director in 2001.
- realignment of the children's classes back in 2002 to coincide with the then-realignment of K-5 Elementary, 6-8 MS, 9-12 HS at GCSD9. (now changed to K-4 Elementary, 5-6 Intermediate, 7-8 Middle/Junior High, 9-12 HS at GCSD9)
- Bro. John Oswald named associate pastor in 2004.
- the move to a new auditorium (from the old sanctuary, which is the current youth/multipurpose room) in 2005.
- Bro. Ben Towell named youth director in 2005.
- the abolishment of choir robes somewhere shortly after the new auditorium was completed.
- In 2006, the youth department moved to the old sanctuary.
- In October 2008, the church went to 2 Sunday services/2 Sunday Schools (9:15 and 10:45AM).
- October 2009 was the big Awakening event.
- former pastor Bro. John Gamblin resigned during the middle of the St. Louis Cardinals World Series run in October 2011.
- Thom and Rosie Wells quit the bus ministry on a regular basis in February 2012. They both still sub on Sunday Mornings and at VBS when warranted.
- Weekly bus breakfasts were abolished in April 2012.
- associate pastor Bro. John Oswald left in August 2012.
- The reversion back to the single Sunday morning worship service (10:45)/Sunday School (9:15) at the start of 2013.
- Bro. Daniel Wilson voted in on May 5th, 2013 and officially will take over on June 30th, 2013.
What the odious anti-religious and anti-LGBTQ rights bill really does:
The statement that says "...It is imperative that all persons employed by the Church in ANY capacity, or who serve as volunteers, should abide by and agree to this Statement on Marriage and Sexuality conduct themselves accordingly" is the biggest reason why I am considering leaving Grace Baptist Church. It means that if the proposal passes, bye-bye VBS volunteering like I did the past two years, as I do NOT intend to follow the new M&S statement.
Why I will decide to leave Grace Baptist?
- The theological and political differences are already distant as it is between me and other members and are too great to overcome.
- I have nearly came close to being forced out of there due to Ronald Martin's blatant lies about me and his theology.
- The church's lobbying efforts (albeit not very intense) to defeat and/or stall marriage equality in Illinois and at the Supreme Court.
- Attacks on abortion rights, most infamously during the Super Bowl 2013 sermon by Interim Pastor Charley Westbrook.
What to do after my likely leave from Grace? I will be headed to a new church that is at least somewhat more in line with my theological and political viewpoints, and it will be St. John UCC in Granite City. And that may start after my vacation on the last weekend of June.
UPDATE: I am sticking with Grace until at least August or until expulsion.
I urge all the congregants to vote NAY on Wednesday night, 06.12.2013, and plan on showing up to vote NO on this idea, although the idea will pass by a big margin sadly. Even if I get expelled for voting NAY on this idea, it is worth the price.



Obama has given us 10x the amount of debt, he has snubbed our friends, bowed to our enemies, illegally taken over private business, ignored our constitution and thats all in 18 months.
Say what you will about "W"at least he was compentent and knew how to lead, remember 911, Obama Is In Over His Head = OIIOHH!!!
Worst President EVER!!!
Congress is NOT excluded from the new health care bill. Obama does NOT Talk Down to America, and never has.
For a person who claims to be a christian like Justin makes christians look bad. By looking at Justins writing on political issues. He is always one sided. Ones like Justine make the church look bad. Because those who aren't christians and look at Justine and think. If this is the way a christian is suppose to act and think. I don't want a part of christianity. But of course a person who thinks the way he does is abnormal. Thank God that there is very few people who think and believe like Justin.
@Ron: You are a teabagging quack, and repeating the GOP Talking Points makes your brain rot faster.
The tanning tax is to pay for the health bill. That is 10% of the earnings go to the health care plan. The best way to defeat socialism and obamacare is to not go to the tanning spas.
@RON: It is the Teabaggers and Righties are the ones who make up lies, slander, and hatred.
From the St. Louis Activist Hub: Dana Loesch (who was responsible for Classic99's demise) and Jim Hoft caught being race-baiters while claiming that the "NCAAP is racist." Proof that the Right does all this nonsense.
http://stlactivisthub.blog
Ron: I am NOT a puppet for the DNC/MSNBC/MMfA/Daily Kos/HuffPo, unlike you that relies on being a puppet for the RNC/Fixed News/Rush/Palin/GOP.
@Ron: The "Majority" you Conservatives have is phony, and people like you and your ideas are a decent-sized and vocal minority. There are more registered Democrats to registered Republicans. These are the real facts.
"Can you tell at least one truth today justin? But you have 60% of those who voted for obama the first time. Will not vote for him this next time. Plus there are millions of independents and democrats who are switching there part to the conservatives. Do you every watch tv. If you do you will get your facts straight."
"Put your money where your mouth is justin. People will take America back. I haven't lost a bet with you yet. You are 0 for 5."
I will definitely win the NV-Sen race pick for Harry Reid b/c Sharron Angle is insane, and hopefully Kentucky's Senate seat. I also am going to win the Illinois senate seat and gov picks.
@Ron: Liberals and "Socialists" love America just as much as you bomb-throwing Righty vermins do.
Ronald Martin Can you count past 2? Sharon Angle is insane because she isn't a liberal or socialist and doesn't bow down to obama like you do. Angle is ahead in Nevada by 12% points.
Polls: Pollster has Angle ahead 6.7, 47.6-40.9. http://www.pollster.com/po
The Angle being 12%+ up is likely from Rasmussen.
Glenn Beck's school, called Beck University (Beck U), is where all the uneducated Teabaggers are welcome to learn about the lies put out by Lonesome Rhodes Beck and his ilk.
http://mediamatters.org/re
Ronald Martin Justin: So if you are saying that if no one believes what you believe in. Then they are uneducated. So how many people on your face book are christians and conservatives. And if they aren't like you they are stupid. This really shows how smart you are when you say obama isn't the furthest president on the left. No other liberal or socialist ever wanted a bothed baby to lay there and die.
@Ron: You are telling fibs about my views. Ron, the reason that you are lying about Obama is because you have been reading too much FreeRepublic and NewsMax. Obama is NOT a "Baby Killer" at all. He is NOT a Far Left Marxist like you tools make him out be. It's people of your ilk that and dangerous to America.Ronald Martin So justin if we love God, Country, or the Constitution then we are bad people. I will go along with that. I would rather be a conservative then a liberal or socialist anytime. I couldn't be a liberal or socialist because I don't have the guts to go around all day and feeding people lies. I have to look at myself in the mirror and answer to God.
This past Sunday, he brought up the debunked "I stir up people at church" claim yet again. He said that "Glenn Beck backs up everything with facts." "He is a Christian, so by bashing him, you would be against God." Um, Beck just spews lies out of his orifice, just like the rest of the FNC clowns. Also said that "Palin has more experience than Obama." He spun the Joy-FM's signal stealing as this: "Classic99 had low ratings." Um, it may have had "low ratings," but 94+% of its listeners were core and loyal listeners. In the afternoon, he mentioned that Teabagger (former Democrat) Richard Trindle was busted for smoking, when he said "I quit smoking." Mike Hankes was mad.
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This Sunday (07.18.2010): The 3+ years of the Sunday Debate Bus ends, in which Me and Ron plus his cohorts argued about the issues. I nearly always took the Liberal side, whereas Ron plus his cohorts were the Conservatives. We brought up the AZ SB1070 Law. Ron said "It's the same thing that the Feds are neglecting to enforece." Wrong. It is a Hitler-style, repulsive, racist, and toxic law. Albert Pujols agrees with me here. Ron said he is "Stupid to say that, and he is a Christian." He also said that the Tea Parties are not racist and the NAACP are phonies. If you believe that garbage, then it is time to check yourself into a rubber room, next to quacks Sharron Angle, Michele Bachmann, etc... He baselessly claimed that "Felons stole the election for Al Franken" when he won fair and sqaure. He said some tired old crap that is debunked like "Obama's a Muslim," "Obama's a Kenyan," "The 'Liberal, Socialist Media' put Obama in office" and some warped shit like that.