House of Mercy
AI summary — doctrinal positions on this page are inferred by AI from this church's own public statements and may be inaccurate.
Tension detected
3 stances that depart from the denomination
The congregation's own words appear to differ from what its denomination's confession binds. This is an AI reading of the church's public text and may be inaccurate — the quotes below show what it's based on.
AI summary — these stances are inferred by AI from the church's own public text and may be inaccurate. Report a correction.
American Baptist Churches USA denies.
This congregation affirms.
"rejects — Rejected entirely. Each congregation is autonomous under Christ. There is no priestly class or institutional chain of authority."
American Baptist Churches USA denies.
This congregation affirms.
"rejects — The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of remembrance, not a sacrament conveying grace. Christ is present spiritually through faith, but the elements are symbols."
American Baptist Churches USA denies.
This congregation affirms.
"rejects — Rejected. Only believers may be baptized. Infant "baptism" is considered unbiblical — no NT command or clear example supports it."
Inherited from denomination
What American Baptist Churches USA teaches
Positions bound by the denomination's confessional standards. This is what the tradition teaches; whether this specific congregation publicly holds each is a separate question — see Statements below.
Affirms
- Believer's BaptismstandardBaptist confessions; Pentecostal fundamentals; Anabaptist tradition
- Permissibility of divorce and remarriageweakMatthew 19:9 (adultery ground); 1 Corinthians 7:15 (abandonment ground). Practice varies.
- Women in pastoral / ordained officeweakVarious denominational actions (TEC 1976, ELCA 1970s, PC(USA) 1956, AG 1935, CofE 1994 priests / 2014 bishops, etc.)
Denies
- Apostolic SuccessionweakCongregational and presbyterian polity reject the necessity of tactile episcopal succession.
- Assumption of MaryweakUniversal Protestant rejection — not attested in Scripture; not received as dogma.
- Immaculate ConceptionstandardUniversal Protestant + Orthodox rejection. Orthodox reject on the grounds that they hold prepurification at the Annunciation, not conception.
- Infant BaptismstandardBaptist confessions (New Hampshire; BFM 2000 VII); Anabaptist / Schleitheim; Pentecostal fundamentals
- Perpetual Virginity of MaryweakNatural reading of Matthew 13:55–56 (brothers of Jesus); typical modern Baptist / evangelical position.
- Real PresenceweakMemorialist / Zwinglian view; typical Baptist and Free Church position
- TransubstantiationstandardOrthodox reject the Aristotelian metaphysics; Lutherans use 'sacramental union'; 39 Articles Art. XXVIII rejects explicitly; Reformed/Baptist reject substance-change.
Wrestles with
- Homosexual practice and biblical sexual ethicsweakNo unified national stance.
- Marriage as one man and one womanweakRegional / congregational autonomy — no unified national stance.
- Pacifism vs. just-warweakDefault just-war framework — usually unwritten. Inheriting at weak confidence.
In their own words
Statements
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> About House of Mercy | House of Mercy Skip to content About About House of Mercy Rev. Russell Rathbun Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue Events Sermons Music Musical Guests Audio Archive Be a Musical Guest House of Mercy Music Hall House of Mercy Recordings Community Hospitality Guild Youngsters Youth Volunteer Donate Menu Item About House of Mercy Sundays 4:30 PM 436 Roy St N, St. Paul, MN 55104 You should come, it’s not that bad. History Founded in the spring of 1996, House of Mercy offers a discriminating blend of high church and low, of tradSource ↗
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> Russell Rathbun | House of Mercy Skip to content About About House of Mercy Rev. Russell Rathbun Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue Events Sermons Music Musical Guests Audio Archive Be a Musical Guest House of Mercy Music Hall House of Mercy Recordings Community Hospitality Guild Youngsters Youth Volunteer Donate Menu Item Russell Rathbun Rev. Russell Rathbun Russell Rathbun is a founding minister of House of Mercy , this church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Russell is the author of a number of books, including Midrash on the Juanitos and Post-Rapture RadioSource ↗
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue | House of Mercy Skip to content About About House of Mercy Rev. Russell Rathbun Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue Events Sermons Music Musical Guests Audio Archive Be a Musical Guest House of Mercy Music Hall House of Mercy Recordings Community Hospitality Guild Youngsters Youth Volunteer Donate Menu Item Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue Debbie Blue Debbie Blue is a founding minister of House of Mercy, a pretty great church in St. Paul, Minnesota. She approaches scripture like a farm wife handles a chicken, carefully but notSource ↗
about
Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue | House of Mercy Skip to content About About House of Mercy Rev. Russell Rathbun Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue Events Sermons Music Musical Guests Audio Archive Be a Musical Guest House of Mercy Music Hall House of Mercy Recordings Community Hospitality Guild Youngsters Youth Volunteer Donate Menu Item Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue Debbie Blue Debbie Blue is a founding minister of House of Mercy, a pretty great church in St. Paul, Minnesota. She approaches scripture like a farm wife handles a chicken, carefully but not delicately, thoroughly but not exactly cautiously.Source ↗
about
About House of Mercy | House of Mercy Skip to content About About House of Mercy Rev. Russell Rathbun Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue Events Sermons Music Musical Guests Audio Archive Be a Musical Guest House of Mercy Music Hall House of Mercy Recordings Community Hospitality Guild Youngsters Youth Volunteer Donate Menu Item About House of Mercy Sundays 4:30 PM 436 Roy St N, St. Paul, MN 55104 You should come, it’s not that bad. History Founded in the spring of 1996, House of Mercy offers a discriminating blend of high church and low, of tradition and innovation, sincere worship and healthySource ↗
about
Russell Rathbun | House of Mercy Skip to content About About House of Mercy Rev. Russell Rathbun Pastor Emeritus Debbie Blue Events Sermons Music Musical Guests Audio Archive Be a Musical Guest House of Mercy Music Hall House of Mercy Recordings Community Hospitality Guild Youngsters Youth Volunteer Donate Menu Item Russell Rathbun Rev. Russell Rathbun Russell Rathbun is a founding minister of House of Mercy , this church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Russell is the author of a number of books, including Midrash on the Juanitos and Post-Rapture Radio . His new book, nuChristian: Finding Faith in a NSource ↗
Leadership
Who serves here
Debbie Blue
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