Respect For The Ministry
 

How do you feel about ministers? Are they special people called of God who deserve special treatment and respect or are they equals to brethren? I'm thinking of the time when there were kings. People had to bow and say your majesty or your eminence to the priests. How would you treat royalty? I'm also thinking of someone like Lee Stoneking. Does he deserve to be treated with respect because he is a minister? Do we have the right to criticize his beliefs if we don't agree?

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

If any of us have any respect coming our way then we should be respected for what we do. Not for the titles we have garnered.

If we gain any respect let it be because we ministered to someone. Not because we called ourselves a minister.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

There most certainly is a respect worthy of those who especially labor in pastoring and feeding the flock.

However, respect does not mean an iron curtain, or that they become an Untouchable from accountability, feedback, criticism, etc. They are serving the flocking of God. Part of serving is listening.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

:thumbsup

Respect must be earned before it can be given.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

All people deserve respect, but not built up so much that they (ministers) are revered in a higher manner than those who support him. Too many times, minsters are built up and molded into a figure closely portraying God. Until recently, I was priveleged to be pastored by a gentleman who shunned (for lack of a better word) the thought of him being better, acting better, living better, etc than those he pastored. And he actually got out and did the dirty work too. Someone in ministry that gets just as dirty as the flock earns my respect from the get-go.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

Any position of authority should be respected such a minister or the president of the local 4-H chapter. Having said that the self-important reverence bestowed on so many pastors absolutely sickens me. We've been out of the UPC for decades so seeing recent web casts of various sermons brings back a flood of emotions after seeing all the black suit wearing preachers sitting like supreme court judges on the platform while the message is being given.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

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DM, maybe you should word this different. We should treat everyone with respect, if we are a Christian.

Luke 6:31 (MSG)
"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

I think LS deserves our respect he has reached thousands for Christ.

I won't discredit anyone I'll let God do that. If you want to point out facts and errors fine, but do it in love and concern, not in bitterness. If we succeed in discrediting someone and tearing them down, the viewers may acknowledge your victory but fear you for the way you achieved it.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

:thumbsup

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

Jesus said for us to "give honor to whom honor is due". A minister who serves as a shepherd to the sheep is, IMO,"'worthy of his hire". Those who make themselves "lords over God's heritage"... well, lets just say I'll respect them... but at a distance.

I had a pastor once who was very good, had the qualities of a shepherd. Caring, compassionate. But, as the church grew, his ego grew and he began ruling the church with an iron fist. I had a lot of repect for the brother, and, though no way, no how would I sit under his ministry, I still find it hard to say anything disrespectful of him.

Respect is earned... not demanded.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

WOW!

My Pastor just spoke about this on Sunday morning.


A point he made that I think often too many people forget is that our respect for our Pastors, Prophets, etc is not to be oriented towards the person, but towards the office itself.

"Do you have a man of God in your life? Really?"


The words and advice of my Pastor are not to be taken lightly, and not to be taken on the same level as my friends. It's called respect for the office and the offices that God has ordained are actually referred to as "gifts" from God.

We should "mark those who labor among us" and respect the office that they hold.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

Your Pastor basically preached a message about how he needs to get more respect? :heeheehee

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

His point is that it is dangerous to live your life as a Christian without a "man of God" in your life.

He gave an anecdote of parents who run the preacher down in their homes behind closed doors, in front of their children-- eliminating the possibility of there being a positive influence of the man of God on the children when the time comes for someone other than the parents to reach them (crisis, rebellion, etc).

That was only one anecdote.


We all need a "man of God" in our lives and we should respect him a little higher than the masses of others who are in our lives.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

But should we run anyone down behind closed doors with our children? What does that teach them about the Body of Christ?

The elevated view of elders that teach/preach goes beyond the Scripture. This idea of everyone having a "man of God" in their life is a little skewed, and it's always built on the premise of a single-pastor system. "Your Moses"

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All true ministers should be treated with honor. All that a minister teaches should be squared with Scripture. Phonies and quacks who are just out to use religion to get rich should be rejected.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

I disagree.

I think it is scripturally sound to have and show more respect to the OFFICE of the Pastor, Prophet, and etc.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

It's interesting that you refer to the "office" of the pastor, more than the gifting.

Read my original post on here. I think it says ministers, and those who labor in preaching/teaching, are worthy of a special honoring and respect. But it's most beautiful when the minister is wearing a towel, serving the flock, not perched atop the ol' wall, but right among the sheep. When that happens, a minister rarely has to sermonize an argument for people to give them know respect (hearing Rodney Dangerfield here for some reason).

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

You said:

There most certainly is a respect worthy of those who especially labor in pastoring and feeding the flock.

However, respect does not mean an iron curtain, or that they become an Untouchable from accountability, feedback, criticism, etc. They are serving the flocking of God. Part of serving is listening.

I agree with this, 100%



You also said:

The elevated view of elders that teach/preach goes beyond the Scripture.

I disagree with this.



I referred to the office of the Pastor as a gift from God.

My emphasis on the office is an attempt to steer away from emphasizing on the person who holds that office.

The elevated view of elders that teach/preach is codified by scripture.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

i like the way Jesus pastored

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Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

Don't forget the evangelist, teacher, prophet and apostle :)

While I understand the use of "office," and use it myself, we should steer clear of the idea that they are "elected" to this office by the Holy Spirit, and exempt from accountability to the Body who can remove this person from serving in that capacity.

There is an inflated view of pastoring ministers in Pentecostal circles. This isn't something new and unheard of. Most of this is why there are so many unbiblical practices and traditions. They rely on their "authority" to do these things.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

The Bible codifies the elevated view of the offices.

The offices are occupied by men.

Is it possible to respect the office your Pastor holds and still disrespect your Pastor as a person?

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(1) Why?

(2) Agreed that we should steer clear from any Pastor or any person who thinks they are exempt from accountability.

(3) In the very specific case of my Pastor, I am 100% confident that this man of God does not overstep, is not forceful, or abusive or anything like that. I have heard of abusive Pastors before, and my Pastor does not fit this bill at all.


He is a very good man.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

Double Honor.
Honor is related to being able to receive from ministry, no honor, no receiving, this leads to unbelief and ties the ability of God to minister.

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:thumbsup


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I agree! I think if we are gonna sit under a pastor we need to agree with what he's teaching and support him. The moment we can not we need to join another congregation. it's in the best interest of all parties involved. But upon leaving we should take the high road and not trash the man.

Yes, even if he trashs you (which happens to often) :thumbsup

However, The days of Moses is over, and I won't keep my family in a crazy situation for one minute.


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Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

:blink

No one should be "disrespected." What do we call "disrespect?"

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And in some cases, going silently is not the Christian thing, it's the cowardly thing. If there's something unethical, ungodly and unChrist-like going on, a person should take it to other elders. If no other elders (which there should be), people deserve to know.

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Stick around... and not sure how you've hung out in social settings, or even on AFF and have NEVER heard of an abusive pastor. "Testing, 1, 2, 3, 4?"

Glad you like your pastor and want to respect him. That's a good thing.

My pastor is also a servant, one who demands no titles or respect, who unselfishly serves and gives, one who holds himself accountable to ministering elders and one who doesn't seem himself as the "head cheese." Yet, we defer to him as the person with authority to lead in teaching and in vision casting.

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If the "man of God in my life" is doing something wrong, even demanding that I do something immoral, unethical, or unBiblical, I'd be better off without a "man of God", and will have no respect for him no matter what "office" he holds. Some men carry a card but they don't have God's stamp of approval... or mine.

I agree completely, except sometimes someone needs to speak up. If the man has molested children, speak. If the man is embezzling funds, speak. If the man is threatening or slandering people, speak. If the man is engaging in illegal activity of any sort-and you have the evidence to prove it, please speak up. Otherwise you become an accomplice.

Ummm... he said he'd heard, not that he'd never heard, Soc.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

:bow

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

As a Pastor, my approach towards believers I pastor should be one of serving and loving.

As a Pastor I have been teaching that the attitude and mindset of those under authority should be one of great honor.

Honor is a often overlooked key to receiving from Heaven.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

In our room at church where we have staff meetings our pastor has put a large picture of Jesus washing the feet of Peter. Anyone that wants to be part of leadership gets a lesson on this picture. It is expected that you will serve not be served in any position you may have in the church.

Pastor Morales models this perfectly. Never does he have to remind anyone of the respect he is due. I cannot imagine ever attending a church again where a pastor seeks to feed his ego by demanding respect.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

To me, there are two kinds of respect. There is the normal respect, being considerate of each other. Then there is "respect" as in honor. Not everyone who says they're called of God should be honored. That kind of "respect" is what must be earned.

Honor comes after duty is served. It can't be demanded or expected. It should never be coerced. And it can be done to the point of becoming people-worship, and that's sin.

Some things I've seen Apostolics do that were questionable displays of honor:
Putting a pastor in a sort of litter and carrying him around the church while he or someone else tells everyone how wonderful the man is.
Carrying the pastor around on a few men's shoulders and doing the same thing.
Refusing to question anything that a pastor said or did because of his "office".
Refusing to stop possibly illegal and definitely immoral behavior because "he's the pastor. If he's wrong, God will fix it."
Holding the pastor's words above God's.

1 Tim 5:17 is telling Timothy, the pastor, to hold church leaders and those who work for God in double honor. It was not telling members to doubly honor their pastor. Honor here in Strongs means value, worth, price, or deference, reverence.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

:thumbsup

There's a picture of Jesus on the wall? Not the pastor's portrait? And in the picture Jesus is doing a menial task? Heresy, surely!


Sounds like an absolutely wonderful church!

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I have been so fortunate in my life to have been led by wonderful pastor's. My first pastor was humble and loving, yet unafraid to hold himself or us accountable. He expected great things from his "kids". I would rather someone yell at me, than face his gentle rebuke.

Re: Respect For The Ministry
 

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:thumbsup

If something like that is going on, the people should demand he be held accountable!

They have to remember that they are "men of God"- not - "gods of men" . Hahaha

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