Others suggest that there are more than enough churches around here with an exclusive stance and that we need to offer an alternative. Folks coming from Presbyterian or Methodist background would be more used to an open approach. Certainly a person of our denomination who moved here would hope to find our church looking like other Disciples churches. I don't know which case would mean more growth for our church, but I do know that divided churches do not grow. Churches with members who are openly hostile to one another, will not grow.
Nobody wants to join a church where people are at each other's throats.
Our faith in Christ in on the line. In the church at Corinth, Paul found people who were intensely loyal to him, others who were intensely loyal to Apollos, some who were intensely loyal to Cephas, and those who claimed loyalty to Christ. Perhaps you feel very strongly on one side of this issue. You've made up your mind. In fact, you can't understand how anyone could take the opposite position and you want with all your heart for the church to vote your way.