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8 Most Controversial Topics In The Church Today

...ision and controversy throughout the broader church, there are also core doctrines that unite us. 1. Gay marriage Gay marriage and whether it should be permitted in the church are unquestionably at the top of the list of today's contentious issues. It does not take long to locate proof of this dispute in today's news. Many denominations have been divided on this subject. The Presbyterian Church (USA) supports it, although the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and others do not. But probably nowhere is the debate over this topic more heated than in the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church has changed its attitude on homosexual marriage and gay priests in re...

Francis Chan turns towards a more historical and ancient view of Communion

...If you follow certain Christian blogs, or have Christian friends on Social Media, then you may have seen a short video clip being shared which has been taken from a recent sermon by popular Evangelical pastor/speaker and author, Francis Chan of Crazy Love ministries. Depending on who shared the clip will depend on which reaction you have seen; some are praising his words, others fearing for his future calling it a “red flag”. And all of this over a short statement he made about communion! I recommend you watch this 3 minute clip below before continuing, if you haven’t seen it already. I would also recommend watching the whole 47 minute sermon for some b...

Did a Roman Catholic priest perform 'invalid' baptisms for years?

...Donatist controversy in the fourth century. This was a teaching claiming that the validity of sacraments depends on the moral character of the minister; e.g., if the one performing a baptism were in sin, then the baptism would be invalid. This sect persisted for a long time and eventually died out sometime after the fifth century, with the help of Augustine of Hippo. It obviously isn’t exactly the same issue faced by the early church, as Donatism was more about the moral standing of the ordained bishop or priest (and whether they recanted their faith during harsh persecution), rather than whether they recited liturgy correctly. But the similarities are there...

Melchizedek to Jesus: The Divine Thread of Bread and Wine

...usion and controversy among His listeners, yet they hint towards the spiritual reality of the Eucharist as a true participation in the body and blood of Christ and affirm the belief that the Eucharist is not merely symbolic, but a real and mysterious participation in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is also something that was recognised by a number of Early Church Fathers in their commentary and interpretations of John 6. Credit: @DefenseofSanity The Eucharist Today The Eucharist (from the Greek meaning “thanksgiving”), also known as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper, is central to Christian worship, or at least, it should...

A Historic Easter Change Is Coming — But Will Protestants Get On Board?

...urteenth) controversy. It’s called this due to the issue being over whether the Easter celebration should follow the Jewish pattern of Passover on the 14 Nisan or always be fixed to the day of the resurrection — a Sunday. It became a bigger issue when not only the Jewish community of believers wanted to follow this method, but when the Gentile Asian communities also claimed that their Quartodeciman practice was of Apostolic origin claiming they got their practice from John himself. But the Julian calendar, which is what the Church used in the fourth century, was increasingly out of sync with the actual solar year, so March 21 — generally assumed t...

Lent Day 37: Leo the Great: Letter XXVIII (called the "Tome")

...Day Thirty-seven: St. Leo the Great: Letter XXVIII (called the "Tome") Who: Leo the Great, also known as Pope St. Leo I (the Great), was Pope from 440-61 AD. Place and date of birth unknown; died 10 November, 461. Leo's pontificate, next to that of St. Gregory I, is the most significant and important in Christian antiquity, as he tried to  combat the heresies which seriously threatened church unity even in the West, such as Pelagianism. What: A defence of the twofold nativity and nature of Christ against the false teaching of a priest called Eutyches. It is a doctrinal letter sent by Pope Leo I in the year 449 to Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople, on the...