I'm Southern Baptist and we got a new preacher about 9 months ago and has taken up with the rich folk of the church. He's a good preacher, but not a very good pastor. I was told that he told people at the church, that if the church hasn't grown in a year then he's leaving. There were a couple of women in the church that had family members to die and they had called the church office to let the pastor know and he didn't bother showing up for anything, he didn't call or nothing. I have seen that if you have a 6 figure income then you get all the attention you need. The way I look at it is Jesus didn't hang around with the rich folk and the preacher needs to start paying attention to the rest of the flock. I don't know, maybe it's just me what do you think? Serious answer only please!
2006-11-11 22:27:56 · 19 answers · asked by tracy211968 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, Southern Baptist are Christians, but what I'm saying is that I think everybody should be treated the same in the church.
2006-11-11 22:36:02 · update #1
The problem with going to the deacons and elders of the church is that, they are mostly the ones with the 6 figure incomes. How do I get around that?
2006-11-11 22:54:48 · update #2
We vote on new deacons in the church, but for some reason they end up being the same ones. They rotate, but their always the same ones.
2006-11-11 23:09:46 · update #3
Tracy, unfortunately it sounds as if you have gotten a preacher who has other things on his mind than ministering to the whole flock. A good pastor shouldn't care about the financial or social standing of his congregation. He should love,honor,respect,guide, and comfort every member of his church regardless of their social standing or financial wealth. The fact that he failed to lend comfort and support to the church members who had deaths in their families is unacceptable. Perhaps the deacons and the other church elders need to get together and decide what must be done about him. Good luck and God bless.
2006-11-11 22:41:45 · answer #1 · answered by Only hell mama ever raised 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have seen this happen before. We had a pastor that buddied up with the rich folks in the church and started getting money on the side because he was complaining about it being tough to make ends meet (on $45,000 per year). Sounds like you have it figured out. The new testament actually doesn't have a position of pastor. Pastor is a spiritual gift, not an office. In the southern Baptist church, there is the pastor who is above a board of deacons (who essentially function as Biblical elders).
The primary problem is with the structure of the churches. No member of the body has all the spiritual gifts, and people expect that since we pay pastors, they should have them all. Members in the church are not participating and using their gifts, and may pastors are just in it as a job. But since you hired him to do a job, he is obviously neglecting it. He is not "shepherding the flock" under his care. He sounds like a failure though to neglect people that are so important in their time of need. I would bring your complaint to the leadership of the church and let them deal with him, but be prepared for backlash, because functionally, many people are pastor worshippers.
2006-11-11 22:43:59 · answer #2 · answered by Kevin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a Baptist as well. My fiance just surrendered to become a pastor and since then I have become more aware of what is required of pastors in general. Being in the ministry is all about people! If your pastor is not comforting, leading, convicting, helping his flock... then maybe it's time to look for another pastor.
If I were you I would express my thoughts to other members of the church, but be careful not to talk bad about him. The Bible does speak about not "bashing" those who have been ordained.. whether he deserves it or not is between him and God.
Then someone like a deacon or elder in the church should talk to the pastor about it. Maybe he doesn't realize he is hurting the congregation.
Above all, pray for the church as a whole that it won't be divided, and pray for your pastor that he will open his eyes to the real needs of the people.
God Bless!
2006-11-11 22:37:24 · answer #3 · answered by ? 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Tracy I think you should approach the pastor about it. His job is to lead his flock to the word, not to be a saint. We are all sinners, drawn to our own vices, greed, etc. if he is genuine then he will appreciate you approaching him. First ,compliment him on the good things he does, his preaching etc, then explain that he is making an impression that he only cares about the rich folk in the Church, by what he has been doing. The church size should be irrelevant.
God puts human responses inside you to tell you when something is wrong. if you feel uneasy, chances are something is not straight. Go and talk to him with authority and confidence. We are the blood washed, the holy ghost filled. If he is genuine then you will know, if he is not then you will also know.
ask him, why would he leave if the church has not grown?
why does it seem that you are hanging round with the rich people
why did he leave his last church?
try contacting his old church about him to see if his story stacks up.
good luck.
2006-11-11 22:48:28 · answer #4 · answered by Simon W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mav say first off PRAY! Pray that God show you what to do.
Would the church counsel be able to help? Have you spoken with your preacher?
Remember when Paul rebukes Peter in Galations 2? Peter was by a hypocrit for eating with the gentiles ONLY when certain other Jews weren't around.
If your Preacher is following the money, then he isn't being a good pastor to the flock.
Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep - not just the biggest sheep, not the ones with the most wool, but ALL His sheep.
Please send Mav and email and she'll talk with you about it!
.
2006-11-11 22:42:54 · answer #5 · answered by Mav here! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would make up a petition and pass it around and get signatures to get rid of this preacher. From what you say, it sounds as though he only cares about himself and what he can gain and profit from. If a petition is not possible, quit going to his church. You don't have to be in a church to worship God. Just getting together with a group from your church and going to one persons home and everyone taking turns reading out of the Bible and then discussing the verses, and all of you praying together and singing songs of praise is really all you have to do. This is what our family and friends do. It is better than being in a church with a preacher that really doesn't care, and besides God does not require you to have a preacher, as he wants to hear the prayers from you, and he hears every one of them. God Bless
2006-11-11 22:42:05 · answer #6 · answered by love my Lord 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not only did Jesus eschew the wealthy, he warned them of consequences of attending solely to their wealth. "Sell everything you have and give to the poor," he told the rich man (Luke 18:22). And again, he states "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)
But here's the problem: we're human, and we're too often anchored to human desires, and that certainly includes wealth and materialism.
Perhaps the preacher is trying to align himself with those who might give the church more money, or increase their donations; perhaps he's trying to attract others who would help to financially support your church.
In any case, I would pray for him. I'm not a Southern Baptist (I'm a Lutheran who was raised Roman Catholic -- and I was going to become a priest, at one point -- ack!), but I think it's shameful for any preacher to ignore any one of his flock.
Best wishes.
2006-11-11 22:42:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that it is better to follow Jesus, than Southern Baptist. And I am very serious since I am a former Southern Baptist and no longer attend there because of the sensless bickering and fixation on money.
2006-11-11 22:46:27 · answer #8 · answered by martha d 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi, not an uncommon incident this, some Ministers are guilty of believing in their own press at times and forget that they are only servants of the Lord and as such have no right to make demands on His flock,some others however may feel that they are making little headway in bringing about spiritual success in the community and can feel downhearted about this.
and then there are those who want what they want and Christ is not at the forefront of their mission.
whenever a Minister falls into one of these categories he needs prayer and a gentle nudge to remind him that it`s about Christ and not him.
has this man an unhealthy concern for money/ if so then he needs to be told and to change his ways or really he will not be good for the community.
2006-11-11 22:41:23 · answer #9 · answered by Sentinel 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe he's in for the money! What would all true Christians do? Pray for him
Maybe the pastor was also in it for the social levels! I think you should get another one or just take someone out of the congregation and let them be pastor
2006-11-11 22:34:15 · answer #10 · answered by paTROLLer 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋