Christians: What do you do when a Pastor you love is fired due to church politics? Please read the details.?

Question

I'm not part of the congregation. I'm over 5 hours away. I'm in another state. The pastor has been a friend for 21 of my 41 years of life. Is it okay to write the group and say that they did he and his family dirty and wrong? I am very upset!

Answer 1

Yep. Its okay.

Generally speaking most pastors who can be fired by a church are the ones hired by the church and can't preach the word because the word would condemn the board or trustees and they will vote to fire him.

This is the problem with having hirelings as ministers. Think about it folks. Why is there so much error in your church? Because the men you hire to preach have to preach what they are told or they get fired.

What a system. No wonder the truth is not taught. Repent! The Kingdom of God is at Hand.

I know what I'm talking about I've sat on one of those boards and watched them tear down a good man who was teaching the word of God from his heart and from the book and not the mamby pamby feel good religion the Board wanted.

Answer 2

You haven't told us the details, but maybe you don't know the entire story. The church board must have had their reasons to do this and, of course, the pastor isn't going to talk much about that.

Think of Rev. Ted Haggard and how he was fired ... you know how he adamantly denied any wrong-doing at the beginning of the scandal, and then as the evidence was undeniable, he finally had to admit the truth and face the termination process.

I'm not saying anything like that happened to your pastor, but since there is always more than meets the eye, you can bet that there is more to the story than what he has told you.

So, the answer is "no" -- don't get involved. If you're a friend, support him, but don't bother getting involved. Besides, the decision was made by a group of people. Obviously, they agreed on the action that was taken, and the pastor was out-numbered.

Answer 3

What ForeverSet said about churches hiring is true, but how it's done I think is also dependant on the denomination. The Evengelical Lutheran Church in America practices Full Communion with the Moravian, Episcopal, Presybyterian, Reformed Church, and the United Church of Christ. Full Communion means that a pastor or priest of one of those faiths can go to another church of the list (i.e., an Episcopal priest going to an ELCA church) to preach and preside over communion. I know that the ELCA does not fully agree with some of the theology of the Pentecostal church, for instance. And I doubt I would see or hear of a Pentecostal pastor even preaching at an ELCA church. Although, even in the ELCA, some churches do go for the student fresh from seminary because of the lower salary, but then, some churches also help pay for student loans. (To be an ELCA pastor one has to go to seminary, which is graduate school and probably just as expensive, or almost as expensive as any other grad school.)

Anyway...

I don't think it's your place to say anything to the church, especially if you're not a part of it.

Five years ago, my father left the church of which he was pastor for 15 years. A woman misconstured a comment my father made to her son. My father meant the comment to be in a jocular manner, while the mother took it as negetive. The son seemed to be a mama's boy anyway, so that probably didn't help. So the mother ran to her father who was on the church council and the matter was discussed. Well, somehow that was the beginning of the end. My father hung around a few more months (overall, people still liked him, but after 15 years, it was time to move on, both for my father and the congregation) so that I could marry there, as I pretty much grew up there.

I wasn't happy about how the situation played out. Even though my father was the pastor with whom people had issues and I was a member of that church for fourteen years, it was not my place to say anything. Things worked out, though. My father found a position where he is a good fit (he's the pastor of two churches now) and my parents are close enough to my mother's office where she has been able to keep her job. (She works in the same building as part of a family from our old church and another member and they still get along good, not just because they work together in some areas, either.)

During the first year and a half of our marriage, my husband worked as a lay minister for youth and Christian education at a church. In a nutshell, it was time for him to go as well. People started to have problems with him and he was tired of trying to do things and nobody showing up. Well, soon after that, he was able to start seminary, which is what he wanted to do anyway, but was kinda biding his time so I could finish school (which I have not done) and because he wasn't sure if he wanted to go yet. Even though I was (and am) the wife, I still didn't say anything, and not just because I was working as the church secretary. It wasn't my place. Now, he's almost done with his internship year, he has one more year of classroom work and I'm pregnant with our first child.

Anyway, regardless of the situation, God will work things for the good, if faith is to be had. (And maybe if faith is not to be had and God wants to help the person have faith.)

I hope this helps.

Answer 4

It's the risk every Pastor/Minister takes....

By the way....did you know that Churches can hire a Pastor/Minister OUTSIDE of their own Belief?

I went to a Pentacostal church for about a month, liking the fact that it was small, and thinking it would be nice....but, something just didn't "feel right" about how he presented himself and his sermons...I just figured it was ME since I never had a Pentacostal Ministor to compare him to....

One day, something he said made me ask about why he said such a thing when the Church's statement of belief said differently....

He replied he WASN'T a Pentacostal Minister, but was a Christ Scientist!

Then, he explained that it was a fairly regular procedure for Churches to hire outside of their faith!!!!

Later I looked into that, and it was TRUE! If a Church wants to learn Gifts of the Spirit they can hire somone for a yr whom is strong in that, if they want to learn Strict Biblical they can hire someone for that, or, if they want to pay as little as possible, they can put their church on a list at aplacment center for those leaving seminaries and get the very next Minister or whatever that becomes available whether they be their Faith or any of the other!!!!

LOL this was ONE reason I decided to remain WITHOUT a Church.....

Peace be with you :)

Answer 5

I don't think you should be writing a letter to the church considering that you don't know all the facts. Every story has two sides to it. Furthermore, since you're a good friend of the pastor, the letter would probably show bias towards him without taking the church into consideration. It's great that you're concerned for his well being, but just remember that the Lord plans everything for a reason. Who knows what opportunities may come out of your friend's termination.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
~ Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)~

Answer 6

Boy. Can I feel your pain.

I'm not Presbyterian. My boss was. When I first moved to a new town he invited me to a Christmas sing-along.

I'm Catholic. So for probably two years I did double duty. Attending services at both churches. Even singing in the Presbyterian choir.

Then the "elders" fired the pastor because he was "too conservative." The associate pastor left too. I'm told that's "just how it works."

Both men were (are) fantastic. I was absolutely aghast.

They lost half their congregation. I wrote. I squawked. I didn't care that I was Catholic and not exactly part of their Presbyterian family. We are all part of the family of Christ.

Answer 7

i understand you in simple terms asked for solutions from Atheist and Agnostics, yet i'm an Christian and that i could decide for to speak to that remark. between the main motives that adult males and females human beings come to God is by technique of the fact they are searching for excitement, convenience, love and acceptance that they won't be able to locate interior the organic worldwide no count what share drugs, how lots alcohol and how lots intercourse they have interaction in. they have nevertheless been left with an element of their hearts this is empty. some end, pass a different course and locate God. some end and proceed residing a particularly empty life yet giving up the medicine, alcohol and indiscriminate intercourse. some proceed with that life, declare to be Christians, yet do no longer walk the training of God of their lives, and a few do in simple terms no longer care and stay the place they are. that is not as much as me or every person else to allure to any conclusions approximately ideals or life varieties. i could in simple terms ask which you no longer make a judgment approximately Christians based on the habit of a few. Be blessed.

Answer 8

First to Nijg, a Pastor is a Protestant Minister (those terms are interchangeable) who is the same as a Catholic Priest known as "Father". My advise. Contact your Pastor friend and get the details from him before you do anything else. Then ask him if he wants your intercession. If not, drop it.

Answer 9

Please write the group and let them know your disappointment.
I can tell you from experience being a pastor is not the easiest job in the world. One of the main problems is always church politics and if you don't play nicey nice with certain people in the church you will lose your Job. Church politics always mean that the people are not in line with Scripture!

Answer 10

Since you're not a part of the congregation, I dare say you only have 1 side of the story.

But writing a hate letter will never solve anything.

Maybe this was God's plan to move him somewhere else.

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