Pastor Appreciation Month
 

This is Pastor appreciation month. And I am aware that there are some on AFF that do not like us Pastors. The way some have posted, the following scripture should read like this ..... Eph 4:11 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, ......Oops ....... and teachers;"

But, may I say that I appreciate all of the Pastors who have been a part of my life. Some I have disagreed with over the years, but I still appreciate what they did give to me.

I am a Pastor, and sincerely love and appreciate my place in the Gospel work and the opportunity to love and serve some of God's children. And to all of the other Pastors on AFF, "thanks for your dedication and sacrifice in serving a congregation as their Pastor."

To all of us, can we take a moment and appreciate the Pastors that are serving each of us, and even if you feel like your "stuck with him" at least appreciate him for those times that he did please you and did in some way help you!

Could we put as much effort in appreciating the Pastors as we have, too often, in putting them down?

Thanks for hearing me out. May God bless all of our Pastors tomorrow as they labor for the Kingdom.

Been Thinkin

Re: Pastor Appreciation Month
 

Amen BT! I thank God for my Pastor!
May He bless each one!

Re: Pastor Appreciation Month
 

I hope that I have never given the appearance that I dislike pastors simply for their vocation. I believe that being a pastor can be an honorable calling. I dislike anyone who creates power for themselves and like even less those who then misuse or abuse that power... and lastly I have a very special place of extreme dislike for anyone who does the above in the name of God.

That being said, those who are true shepherds and love people deeply and sacrificially deserve appreciation... Now a whole month is a little weird... but whatever... :)

Re: Pastor Appreciation Month
 

Over my time in Pentecost I have had the following pastors:

1. Lester Thompson was pastor of Bethel Tabernacle UPC in Racine, Wisconsin where I attended from around December 1955 until I left for Bible School in St. Paul, MN in September 1956. Bro. Thompson was a good man and has since gone on to his reward.

2. S.G. Norris was pastor of Midway Pentecostal Church in St. Paul, MN and president of Apostolic Bible Institiute so he was may pastor for the one year that I went to ABI --from September 1956 till June 1957. He was a good man but I just could not agree with some of the stuff he taught.

3. from June 1957 until 1963 or 1964 I attended First Apostolic Church in Cincinnati. Frank Curts was the pastor and was Dist. Supt. of the Ohio District. Norman and Mary Alice Paslay were the assistant pastors. Bro. Curts was a Bible teacher and I learned a lot from him but do not agree with everything he taught. Bro. Curts and Bro. and Sis. Paslay were good people.

4. In 1963 or 1964 we left First Apostolic and started attending Carthage Apostolic Church. Bro. Sizemore was a good man. He belonged to the ALJC and I had an ALJC license and was district youth leader for several years. I resigned in December 1977 when I turned 40 years old and did not renew my license.

5. In 1978 we left the Carthage Apostolic Church because of a couple things. I could not agree with the "standards" (which were "loose" compared to some) and I could not agree with the "three-step" plan of salvation.

6. I went for several years not belonging to nor attending any church. I was part of a couple Bible Study groups which met at General Electric where I worked.

7. In 1992 I started attending The Vineyard Community Church. I remained there until the spring of 2006. While at the Vineyard I served as a small group leader, part of a couple prayer teams, and as a POC (Pastor on Call). We had good pastors at the Vineyard.

8. Since 2006 I have been part of The Hamilton Dream Center in Hamilton, OH. We do not have official elders but I am an elder and considered part of the pastoral team. Our pastor is Wendell Coning. He is a good man. I am an ordained minister in The Churches of Jesus Christ International. Their web site is http://thecojcint.net/Home.php It is a splinter group off of The Church of Jesus Christ which was chartered in 1927. I am also ordained in our local church. Our web site is http://www.hamiltondreamcenter.org/ So I am probably the only person in AFF who is ordained in both a oneness and trinity organization.

I have had good pastors all my life that I have been serving the Lord.

Re: Pastor Appreciation Month
 

Brother Been Thin King, I am perhaps not as eloquent as many here are. I will say this ...that is on my mind. There are many pastors I do like as Christian brothers in the Lord. These are the ones who recognize that they are not any more or any less loved by God than their fellow brother and sister.

It's the ones who glare at you because you disagree with some of his decrees from the pulpit. These types preach from the pulpit the sin of gossip, yet they will burn up the telephone lines fully with the intent to hurt you. And they will say things that are not exactly true.

I don't even know you Brother Been and I have a Christ-like love for you as my brother in Christ. You happen to be a pastor. I don't hold that against you. :)
I will say that I have a healthy respect for some pastors, however;

Respect and appreciation doesn't automatically come to a pastor (from me) just be cause he holds the title. Respect, admiration and appreciation comes to a pastor as a result of mutual reciprocation of these emotions.

I appreciate a pastor's fruits of the Spirit. I do not appreciate bullies.

Re: Pastor Appreciation Month
 

We are told to judge a tree by its fruit. The way to tell the real from the fake is to see if they walk in love. Jesus said that the world will know whether we are real or not by whether we have love for one another or not.

There are lots of "pastors" who have large churches, large homes, large cars, large expense accounts and large egos. Some have inherited this like a family business. There are others who live in obscurity and carry on their hearts a small portion of God's flock over which they have been placed as under shepherds. Some of these pastors plus their wives (or husband) have to work full time just to keep clothes on their backs and food on their tables and to pay the utilities and rent or mortgage payment on the church.

I just want to say that I really really appreciate the fact that I don't have a pastor!!! ;)

Re: Pastor Appreciation Month
 

I agree. That is where it should take all the members of the body of Christ to form a local body. (equal responsibility) No two people should hold all the responsibility of the church building. Gathering for a meeting together takes the hands and the feet, as well as the brain and the heart and soul of a meeting. I agree that there are many God-fearing people-loving pastors out there....I just have not seen any that are Jesus Name in my area as of late.

And...I don't have a problem going to a trinitarian church if the people all love one another. That is where Christ is.

It's just that as a saint, who sometimes has been treated like the excrement from the body to be flushed, I do not appreciate being told that I must conform to a look or style that I object to, then be told I must pay them 10% of my household budget to order me around when it comes to the "pentecostal' look and then disguise that 10% as being given to God, when I know that in some churches, it goes straight into the pastor's pocket.

Oh how I wish that I could find a little church who wants all of the body to labor together for the cause of Christ.

Re: Pastor Appreciation Month
 

I am aligned with such an assembly... :nod

Re: Pastor Appreciation Month
 

So, Houston, do you feel like Paul got it wrong? Eph 4:11 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" Should he have left out pastors? Just askin'

Been Thinkin