Yesterday evening we had Town Hall Meeting in our church. Everything was going smoothly, when all of a sudden Rev. JM wanted to be designated on the spot as the main church pastor. He was obviously trying to force the issue. I counseled caution, saying that this needed some prayerful consideration, even while I was sympathetic to the Rev’s desire. For saying this I was vilified, accused of being a heretic, of engaging in political maneuvering, and of having some dark motivations, all of this while he was pointing his finger at me. To put the icing in the cake, he resigned on the spot. Witness hysteria. Ladies crying, people concerned… and yes, Rev. JM got his designation as the main church pastor with the vote of 30 or so people.
I feel sick for my church. Today I took the day off, so I am blogging from home using dialup.
On a completely different side, Happy Thanksgiving to all you Americans! Please pass some turkey down here…
I have an ocean of empathy and sympathy for you, Eduardo. Cronyism is the death of many churches. It’s also known as “the Good Ol’ Boy” Syndrome: so-n-so is a good ol’ boy, so opposing him on any point is inherently evil. I’ve been there many times, Brother.
This is a good example of why I haven’t stepped foot in a church since 1992!
Eduardo, after his accusations against you, the congregation made him the main pastor? Wow, I’m sorry to hear that Eduardo. Is this the same pastor you’ve talked about before? He always sounded pretty good. I’ll be praying for you, brother, that must be really discouraging (to make an understatement).
I’d have to echo Ed’s message. I haven’t been in as bad of situation as you have, but in lesser ways I’ve run into the same thing.
David: One thing to keep in mind is that the church is just like the rest of the world — it has corruption. I think anyone who has spent some time in a church has probably been burnt at times… but at the same time, I think, by and large, most of the people at a given church mean well. If not, there are many other churches where they do. Of course, Eduardo’s case is doubly bad since he works there… its those kind of situations where your hands are tied.
Ed: Thanks for that. David: remember Hebrews 10:25.
Tim: In fact, the congregation did so, but mostly because it was pressured. A lot of people is what Ed would call ‘sheeple’. They do as told. I would like to make clear it is not the same pastor I’ve talked about before (that’s Rev S, my direct superior). He also distanced himself from Rev JM.
Well, the situation is complex; please pray for our church.