Comments on: COVER STORY: Leaving a lasting legacy

By: ToddR

ToddR — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:01:53 +0000

I knew Piazza when he first came to Dallas, many years ago. After all the damage he has inflicted on the community, all I can say is “Good Riddance!” I pity the people at Virginia Highlands.

By: Gene

Gene — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:27:11 +0000

Pete, i’m sorry to say that you are correct that CoH’s reputation has been tarnished and hence lost many followers. unfortunately, as long as the people who have so closely affiliated themselves with Piazza, people who covered and coverted with him, are still very much still a part of CoH. until those affiliations are removed, i sincerely doubt that things will change. knowing the details or not, God will reveal enough within the Spirits of the Body for discernment. when there is division in a church and it is evident that God is no longer the focus but rather the ‘leaders’, people who are truly looking for Spiritual guidance will be led to other places. as far as i know, being an active member at the time, i don’t recall a great discord with the affiliation with MCC as far as the church members, themselves. the problems were those created by the leaders (sic) and now many who were content with the relationship between CoH and MCC have moved on. if CoH is to survive, there must be healing and proof of leadership that is not self-serving, but rather God serving. though i, personally, will not go back to CoH as it has its denominational affiliation today (and its current leadership), there are those who are taken in by the emotionally charged rhetoric and choose to stay. i am very sure i don’t stand alone in my decision to not return. it saddens me because i remember the beginnings of this congregation and the struggle to exist and thrive as a church full of love and acceptance during a time when much of the mainstream “Christian” churches were preaching separation, if not hate. but even then there were struggles with the leadership (Piazza) and MCC. many other MCC affiliated congregations began to spring up all over the metroplex, meeting in hotels or small, rented buildings… but the passion to find a church that truly was searching for growth in Christ burned fierce. to this day i and many others are still trying to find that same type of congregation…without much success. i do so pray that this move will begin the healing that is so desperately needed within the church and within the community. if we can’t turn to a place of worship and find goodness, love, compassion, and a will to follow God in a sincere fashion, then what do we have? i’m sorry to say that i still feel the void, as do others, any my search continues. i wish it could end where for many it began….Cathedral of Hope.

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 05:50:51 +0000

The Voice has never accurately reported the real story of how CoH left the MCC denomination. This article is no exception, making it sound the like the board just got fed up with the investigation into Piazza and then called for the vote on disaffiliation. The real story is that after a lengthy and exhaustive investigation MCC was about to release its findings, which could have been extremely detrimental to Piazza, and possibly incriminating. Piazza was getting legal counsel throughout the process. By resigning his clergy credentials at the last minute, that stopped the denomination from releasing its findings, because it then lacked “jurisdiction” to discipline a pastor no longer part of MCC. Piazza then pushed to withdraw from the denomination, because he could no longer be licensed in it. Of course 90% voted in favor since Piazza had effectively cut off all interaction with MCC for years, and most members were not even aware they were part of it. The vehement anger and hostility toward MCC during the disaffiliation process was anything but Christian. From this sad legacy CoH seems never to have recovered.

By: John M. Lukert

John M. Lukert — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:07:04 +0000

To Gene and others:

First I want to complement you for stating clearly your concerns without being full of venom and and being visceral. I understand much better the concerns you feel strongly about.. In your words you are disappointed about the past and the present that has been created,

And how full of promise is your last paragraph which imagines a future. You write “Maybe now we can find a way to get back to the worship of God. Maybe now is the time for things to change”….Let’s pray this will be a chance for all of this and much more to happen.”

Let me tell you that your hope and prayer is a shared one. Such is my prayer that we can share a common effort to help our prayer be answered in a way that God can bless and sanctify.. This can be done if we if the past either/or solutions are put on a back burner and we Maybe work toward that which is ” truly new” believing that God fulfills the promise “Behold I will make all things new”

Lastly I tell you that your last paragraph contained fresh hope for mending the tear in the fabric of our church family. I feel that I am one of God’s kids that stayed at home. You were one of the kids who went away. Both of us were part of a breach in the family . But the story of Jesus was really about neither of us. Instgead it is about the will and hope of our Parent

By: Reigh

Reigh — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 04:03:35 +0000

Perhaps once Rev. Piazza is solidly ensconced in Atlanta, this publication can once again become the Dallas Voice instead of the Mike Piazza Journal. During my 24 years in this city I do not think a week has passed without some major coverage of this jackleg preacher. Perhaps he can lovingly guide or fleece this new Atlanta flockby guaranteeing that they have a place at the Jesus table………

By: okieguy

okieguy — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 02:50:06 +0000

<>
New American Standard Bible
35‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’

By: Terry

Terry — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:24:28 +0000

I must thak him personally for filling me with the belief that I could be a gay Christian and that God loves me. That breakthrough was one of the most important moments in my life.

By: George

George — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 02:04:29 +0000

Atlanta’s loss is Dallas’ gain!

By: Gene

Gene — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:51:09 +0000

Vincent (and others), i hear what you’re saying, but for those who know what’s been going on in the background for many years, they (we) have a legitimate complaint(s) to offer. this is just another forum for people to express their disappointment with the past and present that has been created.
it’s also a forum to possibly educate others so as not to be taken in by those ‘leaders’ who are mostly self-serving. does this mean we don’t love God? of course not! if anything, it shows how much more we DO love God and want the true opportunity to worship Him without the human egos in the middle. it isn’t just controversy, it’s also being mislead by our spiritual leaders (?) and the responsibility they have committed to follow when they accepted their postions. it SHOULD all be about God. THAT’S our point!

it isn’t about bashing. it isn’t about being judgemental, it’s about expressing the truth as we see it from the monetary mishandlings to the ego feeding projects, and much more, not based on hear-say, but based on facts as they happened…witnesses to what was going on AS it was going on. maybe now we CAN move on and find some healing in the community. maybe now we can find a way to get the church back to God and worshiping Him. maybe now is the time for things to change to create the kind of fellowship that we should be able to experience by service to God and what He wants for us and others through us. let’s pray this will be a chance for all of this and more to happen.

By: Dallas Guy

Dallas Guy — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 23:18:54 +0000

We attended COH several years ago and it was very apparent people were in awe of Piazza and not God. He had just built a truly beautiful church (the current structure) and almost immediately his ego demanded this large “iceburg” cathedral be built. People were dying of HIV/AIDS and needed food and drugs and Piazza needed his great white whale. Now they’ve built it in miniature and it looks like a shed. How many people could have been comforted in their last days or had their lives extended with the money the “Cathedral Builders” poured into Piazza’s folly. Jesus never collected for a building fund.

Piazza is all about Piazza. It was amazing to see him knife the Rev. Mona West in the back as she held the congregation together during the financial crisis. Then he “steps aside” and becomes the man behind the curtain as Rev Hudson plays the public role. I don’t know Rev Hudson but I hope she can distance herself from him in some way. I say don’t let the door hit ya, Mike. Atlanta, be warned.