A Wrecked Church!
 

Some of you may be familiar with this situation involving a pastor who recently passed away. He was a strong leader and didn't have a board. All decisions and finances were handled by him and his family. His daughter handled the finances of the church, some of which were invested to buy rental homes for extra income.

The pastor didn't have a successor in place as he held all power until he passed, even though he could hardly speak or walk in his final months. When he became incapacitated, his daughter held full power.

Well...a church vote was held for the daughter's choice to be pastor, and he was voted down. Last week she sent certified letters to all the families that weren't in agreement with her (a majority), and told them they were no longer welcome and were no longer considered members of the church. She essentially kicked them out of the church!

IMO, her strategy is to have another vote with the remaining families that voted with her! How sad to manipulate a good group of people to get what you want!

Anyway, last week she decided to give herself a $200 a week raise as church manager. She didn't need to ask for permission as she has absolute power to do as she pleases.

I hate to see what was once a great influential Apostolic church decline to this type of behavior and power struggle! A truly sad story of how absolute power can absolutely corrupt! This happens even in an Acts 2:38, Oneness, strict standards type church.

The church is no longer tied to any Apostolic organization, so there in nobody to help them get thru this problem. Other pastors that were close friends to the church are afraid to get in the middle of this church fight!

Re: A Wrecked Church!
 

simply stop paying ties and offerings and that should brake the camels back

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Deleted.

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Sounds like maybe her Daddy told her who he wanted to pastor and she feels like she has to make that happen. Wouldn't surprise me.

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Wow, how sad.

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Dad didn't believe in woman preachers! :eek:

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Perhaps a lesson could be learned here concerning a pastor having ALL power and the eventual issues it creates, even if the current person doesn't abuse it.

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sad but wished it was not on the web...I deeply loved the family...is there not anything other family members can do?

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What I mean is, maybe he told her WHO he wanted to pastor, as in the man she is trying to get in.

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I agree whole heartedly. This is a subject for much prayer not internet fodder.

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I hate to say this, but situations like this need to be on the web and to be out in the open as a warning to all of God's people that things like this can and do happen to even the "best" of churches. The pastor knew that he was getting old and he should have gone before the church people to see what actions they wanted to take concerning the five-fold ministry.

I am both shocked and not at the same time because I have long recognized even the churches that appear to be strong may have a control issue. It was not the pastor's right to decide, along with his daughter who should succeed him. This is the makings of a "kingdom" and not the body of Christ.

I've said not long ago that many Oneness churches do not have the five-fold ministry operating in them. This appears to be one of them when there are no spiritual checks and balances within the body.

What is portrayed here is a true Jezebel spirit. She appears to be operating in the flesh on what she thinks may be her daddy's wishes instead of humbling herself down and asking God what to do.

If the monies come from the congregants tithe and offerings, then it is not hers to decide anything.

The people who were kicked out have some choices. They can go to court, which is not a biblical solution imo. The other pastors who were close and are afraid to get in the middle of the church fight are shirking their duties as men of God since it IS biblical for the saints to settle their own differences out of secular court.


The people who were kicked out should gather together in homes or a rented building and truly pray about their next move. This cannot be from God, but God can fix this problem if the people are given over to seeking His will through prayer.

The absolute worse thing that can happen for her is for the people to pray to God and let her fall into the hands of God. She should be more fearful of this than of any other remedy.

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Other members of the family are embarrassed of the situation (I'm told) and are powerless to do anything or don't want to touch it with a ten foot pole!

The people being kicked out of the church have faithfully attended the church for many years even when the pastor was in bad health. My intention was to give them a voice and let the truth be told.

Re: A Wrecked Church!
 

the power of the church is in the church not in some one who declares it.

I attend a non denominational church. the pastor is also the owner, however with out tithes and offerings the church would crumble. But he is not abusive in power cause he opens his Pullpit. While the deed may remain in his family its up to the church to move on after Him and find the Leader God wants. not what the owner dictates.

Cause what will happen will be a split and the building will be lost. The building needs the body of believers. It doesnt need some one trying to step up to be a dictator. That is why there needs to be a set of elders in place, but the former pastor failed at this and this is now the result. a church divided.

what needs to happen is first have the body elect godly men to step up and start running this church until God sends them some one into the role of pastor.

Just my thoughts

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Acerrak, you do not know just how much I agree with your post!

We are living in a time when people think more of property and material belongings. This is a dangerous thought process because all of this stuff is going to burn up or be stolen.

What is important is the unity of God's people in a local assembly. She simply will not stand. It is not in God's order of the church for anybody to act this way.

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It's a sad situation, and I don't want to put myself in the middle! Good and faithful saints are being bullied! Very sad!

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"good and faithful"???? They are witches!!!! They have rebelled against the daughter's choice of pastor. The daughter's power was at the direction of her father. Therefore those not toeing the line and voting for the daughter's choice are rebellious and we all know that the bible says that rebellion "is as the sin of witchcraft". Witches I say!!!

(isn't good old time Pentecostal logic great. No end to the ways you can twist things!!!)

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:thumbsup

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A church got deleted?

Oh the humanity!!!!


:icecream

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i agree there shoudnt be any bullying. My point is if you cut off what powers the bully, which in this case is money, the bullying will stop.

the church doesnt need her directions. It needs to get biblical. Its very sad.

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A good deal of the income for the church comes from property rentals which the church owns IN THE FORMER PASTOR'S NAME! If the church is dissolved, she can inherit the property and the rental income.

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Well that's just a mess right there! How is that even legal?? Who does the taxes for these people? lol

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Haha.. Your still wrong... Cause true Pentecostals don't believe in women with authority :icecream

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Wow! So, she has a lot to gain if everyone gets mad and the church is dissolved. Interesting!

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Who do you think does the taxes? :girlytantrum

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It certainly appears that way! IMO, she's fighting for what she considers her rightful inheritance. If she has to destroy a church in the process....so be it!

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This pastor was a wonderful man and I am so sorry this is happening...I have a good friend that pastor's in Memphis.
Churches should be set up in a way that things will go on AFTER the pastor passes...It has been many years since I have been to Grey Road however I am deeply sorry...

This pastor and his wife were wonderful people....wish someone could have carried on...we all need to remember we are human and we will all pass off the scene...Moses needs Joshua...pass the mantel while you can don't wait until it is too late....

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ATTENTION ALL POSTERS ON THIS THREAD:

The person starting this thread has deleted the original post starting it that outlined the situation and included names and location.

Admin has gone through this thead and edited responses that included any of these names or locations to remove them. All posts were left intact other than removing these references to names and location.

Those of you who saw the original post before it was deleted please refrain from referring to the church, pastor, or persons involved by name. If you are aware of the situation and are able to deduce specifics, please refrain from posting them on the forum. A sanitized version of the original post has now been restored to allow clarity in the discussion.

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What about those of us who came in late and have no idea what the issue even is?? :heeheehee

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Praying for all involved.

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StillStanding, I know that you already know this, but never underestimate the power of prayer.

She does not want to fall into the hands of the Living God. It won't be pretty for her.

If he was one of those pastors who believe the entire tithe was his to keep and he bought rental homes in his name with it, then there is probably very little the people can do about it legally, except to get out of there. Maybe the eviction is a God-given blessing? They can gather together for fasting and prayer and have a new body of believers spring up. It is better that this happens than to stay in that situation. God can bring a five-fold ministry to that group.


But this is what happens when there is an independent church with a pastor who runs things his way without oversight from a board or five-fold ministry.

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This is the kind of thing that happens when district boards and churches ALLOW pastors to not run churches according to the law.

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Let me help you out, bro...

Apparently, a church got deleted. As a result, some deleted deleted redacted deleted redacted deleted, and then deleted redacted deleted for national security purposes deleted redacted BUT THEN deleted deleted deleted deleted redacted.

But now deleted deleted redacted deleted TOP SECRET!! deleted over in deleted by redacted.

Redacted deleted deleted redacted redacted shredded deleted redacted in deleted by redacted but deleted deleted redacted.

Got that?

Pass it on.

Re: A Wrecked Church!
 

To fill some of you in. There's a strict traditional Apostolic Oneness church that was founded and pastored for several years (50?) who had authoritarian type control. He didn't have a board and ran everything himself, including all of the finances. When he got older, he had his daughter do all of the finances, but he remained in total control of the church until his death a few weeks ago.

When he became incapacitated, his daughter was in full control doing whatever he wished.

When he died, it left a vacuum of power which the daughter gladly took to herself! She was being paid very well for her services to the church, and she politicked for a local preacher to be pastor who had agreed that she could keep her position. She is divorced and the local preacher is single, so there are rumors that they are romantically involved. Just a rumor.

Last week, the daughter gave herself a raise of $200 per week as there is nobody in power to oppose. If she keeps her position of office manager, she would remain at the "current" salary of $50,000. Keep in mind that the church runs less than 100 people!

Well, last week she sent out certified letters to many of the families that voted against her choice as pastor, telling them that they are no longer members of the church and are not invited back! The are saints that have been loyal members for many years!

It appears that she is doing "scorched earth" to the church to keep her position. You see, all of the church property is in the former pastor's name, since he never had a church board for legal matters. If the church is dissolved, she might claim the church property as an inheritance.

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Do you play a keyboard out on the west coast?

:foottap

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Lol - - no, he's not. That person would have made the title something like this:

********NEWS FLASH......A WRECKED CHURCH************

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I was just hoping he got hooked on phonics...

:happydance

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Good grief.

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What??? I'm just saying that IF it was who i SUSPECTED it might be, his spelling/typing had improved dramatically! I was going to congratulate him!!

:bigbaby

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:lol:lol:ursofunny:ursofunny

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I think she was responding to the Steinman post.

It's not always about you.