LETTER TO REV DR JOHN CROSBY,SENIOR PASTOR OF CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, EDINA MINNESOTA,USA

   Wednesday, February 4, 2009 12:00 PM

Dear Pastor John Crosby

Senior Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church, Edina Minnesota, USA

Greetings in the name of the Holy Trinity.

Thank you for inviting me to come and participate in the Forum on Race,Faith and Politics at Christ Presbyterian Church Edina on Saturday February 7th,2009.But first of all, you have to inform the Edina Police that you have changed your mind and would like me to come and take part in that important dialogue  that could shape the Republican Party Politics and change some of their negative tones and policies against humanity. I am very excited for this type of forum because it will allow me to express myself as a Liberal Republican and also ask some tough questions about Race,Politics and Faith ,which I have learned and experienced in this Country.I love this theme a lot and it is very timely since we shall engage one another across the world to re-examine our common humanity in terms of the political and religious precepts in the light of our actions in this country and also in the world especially concerning violation of human dignity in this society and especially in Africa. I am sure you will recognise the foreign policies of the missionary Church in Africa as well as the role of people like us who have captured the spirit of the United States and are now resident in this country.

I intend to re-introduce my memorandum about the race,politics and faith of Christ Presbyterian Church's involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa where genocide and civil war has resulted in the murder and assassination of innocent people including fetuses,unborn children and women.

Since there are expert speakers at your invitation, I think they will also address some of the concerns I have as regards the false and illegal police arrest that was orchestrated by you and the Leadership of CPC in gross violation of the first amendment to the great constitution of the United States of America.

The biggest issue that bothers me is these two letters that you folks wrote to me;One was about evil and the other about Good. I am looking forward to participating in the forum , which will also examine the conflict between good and evil , within the Leadership of Christ Presbyterian Church, Edina. My major question is how is it possible that the same people will have the propensity for evil and good simultaneously? This is a serious issue about faith and as you know evil and good have both infleunced and shaped RACE,FAITH AND POLITICS in this country and the world a lot. It is therefore critical that these issues be addressed. These are the two letters from CPC leadership


1. Infinite Power of God’s love and respect
 

GOOD

 “Jonathan: We are responding at this time to your email and attachments that were sent to me dated May 15, 2008.First and foremost, we at CPC hope and pray that you will understand our sincere love for you as a brother in Christ and that we care for you as a child of God. We at CPC are willing to have discussions with you at a future date regarding what a relationship between us and you might look like and how to get to that relationship”     By the leadership of the Church


The above letter followed a different letter that was written to me by the Oppenheimer law firm , which came through as the work of Satan.

 

2. Indefinite Power of man’s hate and disrespect
  EVIL

By the Oppenheimer law firm misrepresenting the Church Leadership

“Dear Mr. Awasom Jonathan
With the foregoing in mind CPC …effectively immediately,
you are prohibited from being on CPC property, or entering any CPC building. This prohibition includes CPC parking lots, as well as CPC’s buildings…CPC will view your violation of that prohibition as trespassing on private property…In the unlikely event that you fail to comply with that prohibition, CPC will utilize security personnel and law enforcement officers to remove you from CPC property. If necessary, CPC will also secure a court order baring you from its property.  March 22, 2007

In closing, please understand that Christ Presbyterian Church has the legal right to restrict unauthorized individuals from its property. We expect that you will voluntarily comply with the prohibition set forth in this letter and attached Trespass Notice, and it will not be necessary for the Edina Police Department and Edina City Attorney to undertake the type of criminal enforcement action which they had to undertake against you in 2007. In closing, I thank you for what I expect will be your compliance with the prohibition set forth in this letter and the enclosed Trespass Notice...This notice serves to warn and direct you to immediately leave our property, including any parking areas, described below. Property/business name: Christ Presbyterian Church: Address: 6901 Normandale Rd. , Edina , MN 55435.Pursuant to Minnesota State Statue 609.605,you will be guilty of a misdemeanor if you intentionally enter upon our property prior to the expiration of this notice, which is valid until INDEFINITE”   

As you can tell, there are a lot of burning issues to be addressed and I can't wait for this great day to arrive. However you need to confirm with me that your invitation is genuine and not a set up for me to be picked up by the Edina Police. As soon as you confirm this I will get all my questions and concerns ready.  I thank the Holy Trinity for making sure that you did not forget to include me in your mailing list.

NB: Since the crisis we have rest on issues on Race, politics and Faith, I shall be at CPC on Saturday at the main entrance into the church to raise awareness about the gross abuse and injustice that I have suffered when I did not commit any crime. I will come as a very peaceful human being and will position myself around where the Police Car is always packed so that everybody will know that I respect the police and our civil leaders and would not defy their order not to enter the premises of CPC following the unjust order banning me from coming to CPC again because I was inspired by the Holy Trinity to ask questions. I shall start coming to worship again once all the corporate individuals who are practicing bad politics and faith  begin to listen to the Voice of God and the Chief Sherpherd.

I thank you  again for the invitation. The justice and peace of God , which passes all human misunderstandings and confusion continue to touch and soften your hearts so that you'll not hurt me again. But that you will listen and act with reason and commonsense. 

Yours truly
Jonathan Fru Awasom 
 Voice of conscience





      CPC Special Event

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 12:00 PM




From:


"John Crosby" <email@...>
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To:

"Jonathan* F Awasom -" <wisesayings10@...>




Dear CPC Community,

Please join us for a special evening at CPC this Saturday, February 7..  After the 5:15PM worship service, all are welcome at CPC’s monthly Saturday Community Dinner in the Fellowship Hall. The cost for the dinner is $6 for adults, $4 for kids (age 4-12), with a $20 max per family. To reserve a meal, please RSVP by Thursday, February 5 to Patti Kratzer at pattik@....  (Those who signed up via the Friendship Pads during last weekend’s worship services do not need to RSVP again).

Starting at 7:00PM, we will reconvene in the Sanctuary for a Forum on Race, Politics, and Faith.  Join us for a dialogue between the President of Fuller Seminary, Dr. Richard Mouw, and Reconciliation and Community Development expert, Dr. John Perkins, as they discuss these touchstone issues from a Christian perspective.  The forum will be moderated by Mike Hotz, CPC’s Associate Pastor of Domestic Missions.  For more information about the forum and our guest speakers, please click here: http://cpconline.org/index.php?content=Forum.

We hope you will join us this Saturday, February 7 for an evening of fellowship, discussion, and growth.

In Christ,

John Crosby
Senior Pastor



           "Statement of Faith of Christ Presbyterian Church , Edina.



As a congregation, we reaffirm what the church in all ages and places has proclaimed as a foundation of the Christian faith — the Apostles Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic (universal) church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

We recognize that humanity is created in the image of God, separated from God by sin, lost and in need of forgiveness. In the person of Jesus Christ we see the Trinity of God most plainly; through His atoning death and physical resurrection we receive forgiveness and eternal life. The church is the Body of Christ on Earth to spread His Kingdom, and embody His love for the world. 

We also feel it important to emphasize our commitment to two additional doctrines:

The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ
We believe God has spoken to people of the world, so that human beings know of God’s goodness and existence (Hebrews 1:1-3, Romans 1:19-21). We affirm that salvation comes by God’s grace to sin-filled people, through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 4:12, John 14:6).

The Authority of Scripture
In confusing times, it is imperative to define how we make difficult decisions. We affirm that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are inspired by God and authoritative to direct the behavior of God’s people in matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16, Psalm 119:2-4). We also affirm the primacy of the Scriptures over all other creeds, which exist to reflect the teaching and affirmations of the Scripture in certain times and situations.

In everything we seek humility and reliance on God’s Spirit to guide us. God is judge, not human beings. Our faith compels us not to pass judgment, but to preach and live the gospel in loving relationships, with urgency and respect for all. Like the Reformers we proclaim: in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, diversity; in all things, charity.





WHY A STATEMENT OF FAITH

Christians periodically need to reaffirm what has defined Christianity since the time of the first disciples and apostles long ago. At the beginning of the 21st century, Christ Presbyterian Church’s leadership (elders, pastors, and staff) faces three important cultural realities:


CPC is a Presbyterian church (PCUSA) at a time when mainline denominations are theologically divided even as they decline in number and relevance.

The increased diversity of our congregation brings a variety of perspectives, many with little clarity of historical, biblical Christianity.

We live in a post-modern culture, where moral absolutes and ultimate truths are no longer recognized. The authority of biblical truths needs to be emphasized and explained in order to apply effectively.   





QUESTIONS ON OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH

Why do we need a formal Statement of Faith now? I thought we already had one. Good question! Presbyterians have used a Book of Confessions to define their core beliefs, all subservient to the authority of Scripture. These range from the early church’s Apostles Creed through 11 Catechisms, like the Westminster Catechism, to modern statements of faith like the Confession of 1967. At the same time, there is a lot of confusion and disagreement within the denomination, especially considering that about 80% of our members come from non-Presbyterian backgrounds. We want something short enough to serve as common ground without being so detailed as to be unusable. 

Do all the members of CPC have to understand and believe in this Statement?
Our vows of membership focus on four questions: Who is your Lord and Savior? Do you trust Him? Will you be His disciple? Will you be a faithful member of this congregation? The Statement is an amplification of basic Christian beliefs aimed at informing our visitors as well as guiding leadership and those with teaching responsibilities. 

Why aren’t there specific references to contentious issues, like abortion, homosexuality, or capital punishment? 
Most of the decisions made on these types of issues fall back to one central principle – the authority of Scripture which we do outline in the Statement of Faith. When Scripture speaks in one voice on any issue (non-disputable matters) we will yield to the authority of the Bible over against any other source of wisdom. On the other hand, one of the principles in our church’s life is to allow for diversity when not directed by the Scriptures. Where Scripture is silent on an issue or when there are a variety of voices within it, we need to allow for grace in our conversations with others. Many of these issues have faithful Christians on all sides; while we will seek to learn together, we need to encourage a respectful atmosphere where God can speak to all.





GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FAITH

We want to be defined theologically by our center in Christ, not by our boundaries. Boundaries only become important when issues divide us, or are potentially inconsistent with these core beliefs. We hold in tension a desire for people to feel free to begin their spiritual journey at many different places, while at the same time, calling them to step toward biblical issues.

We have no desire to make a rigid, detailed template for subscription. This Statement will be used as:

information to allow visitors to discern our core beliefs,

guidance for teachers and leaders, so they may affirm their accord with our core theology before teaching and setting curricula,

an educational tool for the congregation at all ages,

to give guidance to the staff and Session when matters of dispute come before them, so we are more consistent in our deliberations, and

to help define our center as we interact with various denominational issues."