The following is another installment of the Friday Church News Notes designed especially for use in churches. It is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. For instructions on how to unsubscribe to this list or to change mailing addresses, please consult the information paragraph at the end.

CHURCH OF SWEDEN TO CREATE UNION CEREMONY FOR HOMOSEXUALS. Friday Church News Notes, December 5, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The wretched apostasy that characterizes Europe today is illustrated by the Church of Sweden’s decision in October to create a ceremony or “liturgy” to celebrate the union of homosexuals. This move coincides with action in Sweden’s parliament toward creating a new “sex-neutral” marriage law that, if passed, will give full marriage rights to homosexuals (ENI, Dec. 3.). Bo Larsson, spokesman for Archbishop K.G. Hammar, head of the Church of Sweden, said: “We officially accept same-sex relations within the church. And many of us are not only glad and proud of it, but we want to talk about it. Jesus and the Gospel stand for everybody’s right to equality and freedom from oppression.” He is referring, of course, to the false humanistic, new age gospel that is so popular today, not to the gospel preached by Jesus Christ and His apostles, which requires that men repent of their sin.

TWO ORTHODOX GROUPS FIGHTING OVER JURISDICTION. Friday Church News Notes, December 5, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The Orthodox Church of Greece and the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate based in Turkey, are fighting over which has the right to name bishops in the province of New Lands, located in northern Greece. Bartholomeos I of Constantinople (based in Istanbul) has approved a list of candidates to succeed two “Metropolitans” who died this summer, but the Church of Greece looks upon this as a usurpation of its authority. In reality, neither of them have “authority” to name “bishops” and “metropolitans” and other such extra-biblical positions by which men rule over multiple assemblies. Not content with the New Testament teaching that the office of pastor, bishop, and elder refer to the same position in the local church, these apostate organizations have exalted their own tradition to the place of Scripture.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH USA PROFESSOR SAYS HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE O.K. Friday Church News Notes, December 5, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - In a new book, Marvin Ellison, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, says that marriage should be open to homosexuals “as a matter of justice.” The book Same-Sex Marriage? A Christian Ethical Analysis is due out in January 2004. Ellison is a professor at Bangor Theological Seminary, which is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

CHURCH DESIGNS SERVICE TO IMITATE THE DAVID LETTERMAN SHOW. Friday Church News Notes, December 5, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Abundant Life Ministries, a Pentecostal church in Largo, Florida, redesigned its Wednesday evening service this past June by copying the late night TV show staring David Letterman. The church show opens “with a monologue and some lighthearted banter with his co-host, followed by a top 10 list with some religious connection (for example, Reasons Why God Made Eve)” (Charisma News Service, Dec. 2, 2003). Everything about the church service is given the look and feel of the Letterman Show, including a live band and a cameraman. Pastor Rodney McKinley claims that church attendance has tripled since he adopted the Letterman format. Has the man never read Romans 12:2? “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The two loudest messages that this nonsense gives is, first, that the world is not so bad; the filth on television is innocent; and that it is fine for God’s people to participate in things exemplified by the profane, foul-mouthed Letterman. And second, that the “church” is so shallow and empty that it must imitate the world to have success “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). The church is affiliated with the Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee.

NORTH KOREA’S DICTATOR RECEIVES WORSHIP. Friday Church News Notes, December 5, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The communist dictator in North Korea denies the existence of God but has deified himself. Every family in North Korea is required to display Kim Jong-Il’s picture in a prominent place. He has worshipful titles such as the Eternal Sun, Ever-Victorious General, the Sun of Life, and the Guardian Deity of the Planet. Kim succeeded his father, Kim Il-Sung, as dictator in 1994.

WORSHIP LEADER PRAISE AWARDS. Friday Church News Notes, December 5, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Worship Leader magazine demonstrates its spiritual destitution each year by its Annual Praise Awards. The nominees for the 3rd Annual Praise Awards were made this month. The awards cover six categories: Best Compilation, Best Worship Project, Best Scripture Song, Best Urban or Gospel, Best Praise & Worship Song, Breakthrough Artist. Such a thing is completely foreign to the Scripture. True worship to God is all about exalting God and humbling man. To give an award to a man because he has written or performed a “worship” song is carnal folly at best, but it is no surprise to see this among those who have turned worship into a commodity. True worship is characterized by the statement of John the Baptist when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Worship Leader publisher Chuck Fromm said that the awards are their way “of honoring those who serve as exemplars in all areas of worship.” The Apostle Paul said, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12).

PATRICIA IRELAND FIRED AS HEAD OF YWCA. Friday Church News Notes, December 5, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from Calvary Contender, Dec. 2003: “Six months after being named new president of Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), feminist Patricia Ireland was fired. It reportedly proved to be the ‘wrong platform’ for her advocacy of women’s issues and social justice. But Bob Knight of the Culture and Family Institute thinks the former head of the liberal National Organization for Women (NOW) was let go because ‘the money spigot [to YWCA] was turned off... when its supporters found out what they had done.’ He said, ‘If you’re truly interested in young women getting a Christian experience, why would you put a bisexual, leftist feminist in charge of them?’ (10/27 AgapePress). Many critics of the YWCA claim it has a strongly liberal leadership--and that that is what led to the hiring of Ireland in the first place.”

CANADIAN MP FIRED FROM POSITION FOR REMARKS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS. Friday Church News Notes, December 5, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from Sermonaudio.com, Nov. 28: “Canadian Alliance MP Larry Spencer was fired Thursday as the party’s family issues critic and temporarily resigned from caucus after making controversial remarks about homosexuals. Alliance Leader Stephen Harper said Spencer’s comments on homosexuality were unacceptable and do not reflect the party’s stance on gays. Spencer had told the Vancouver Sun that homosexuality should be outlawed and cited a ‘well-orchestrated’ conspiracy that began in the 1960s and led to recent successes in the gay-rights movement. The Saskatchewan MP said the conspiracy included the seduction and recruitment of young boys in playgrounds and locker rooms and the deliberate infiltration of North American’s judiciary, schools, religious community and entertainment industry. The movement’s progress in gaining public acceptance for homosexuality would have been slowed if former prime minister Pierre Trudeau had not legalized homosexuality in 1969, said Spencer, a U.S.-born former Baptist pastor.”