Would You Ever Challenge Your Pastor?

Dante · #1 11-23-2011, 05:31 PM

Assume you are listening to your pastor preach, and then suddenly he makes a statement that you believe is contrary to the actual meaning of scripture (though he uses scripture to justify his position and you have scripture to justify the position you have, which is completely opposite of his/hers). You may be just as well informed of a position in which your pastor is taking a completely opposite stand on, but you feel he is in error.

1. Do you politely schedule a meeting with the pastor and discuss the disagreement over the teaching and try to come to a mutual understanding without trying to convert one another to each others' position?

2. Do you ignore it, and let it go, and pray that God would correct him/her assuming you yourself are not the one truly in error?

3. Do you leave the church without any explanation, because you can't believe that someone would be so ignorant as to make non-biblical remarks from the pulpit?

4. Or option #4 (fill in the blank how you would hand it if the aforementioned options are not feasible to you)

Dante · #2 11-23-2011, 05:39 PM

Keep in mind, as a human, a pastor is subject to error just as much as anyone else. To think that a pastor is infallible is a doctrine that carries over from Catholicism where the Pope is believed to be exempt from making mistakes, and even if he does then he is just in his mistakes, because he is the vicar of Christ.

With that in mind, how would you handle dealing with a pastor you believe to be in error?

(For the record, I have no qualms with my pastor. I'm very satisfied. This is a thread just to stir discussion.)

SRM · #3 11-23-2011, 05:47 PM

I did that one day..told him after service in his office..time to be moving on..no need to cause a scene

RandyWayne · #4 11-23-2011, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dante

Assume you are listening to your pastor preach, and then suddenly he makes a statement that you believe is contrary to the actual meaning of scripture (though he uses scripture to justify his position and you have scripture to justify the position you have, which is completely opposite of his/hers). You may be just as well informed of a position in which your pastor is taking a completely opposite stand on, but you feel he is in error.

1. Do you politely schedule a meeting with the pastor and discuss the disagreement over the teaching and try to come to a mutual understanding without trying to convert one another to each others' position?

2. Do you ignore it, and let it go, and pray that God would correct him/her assuming you yourself are not the one truly in error?

3. Do you leave the church without any explanation, because you can't believe that someone would be so ignorant as to make non-biblical remarks from the pulpit?

4. Or option #4 (fill in the blank how you would hand it if the aforementioned options are not feasible to you)

This is what we did when our pastor got into the whole "sex for procreation ONLY" and "NO sex on Sundays!" during a special class for married couples before the normal Sunday service.

We should have went to him and told him why we were leaving (a few other who left as well DID tell him) but we didn't want to sit through a pointless morning service just to talk to have afterwards when we could have been doing better things, like having sex.

jfrog · #5 11-23-2011, 06:22 PM

It depends on a number of factors.

Sherri · #6 11-23-2011, 06:34 PM

When I disagree with my pastor, I confront him in the car on the way to go eat dinner. Or sometimes after we get home.

RandyWayne · #7 11-23-2011, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherri

When I disagree with my pastor, I confront him in the car on the way to go eat dinner. Or sometimes after we get home.

Do you actually tell him what you disagree with? Or do you just give the silent treatment and make him figure it out? LOL

houston · #8 11-23-2011, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Do you actually tell him what you disagree with? Or do you just give the silent treatment and make him figure it out? LOL

Phoenix · #9 11-23-2011, 06:40 PM

Yes, I would. I'd probably just email him. He'd probably be the one to set up a face to face meeting to talk about it. But, I know my pastor wouldn't be threatened if I were to challenge something he says. He'd also be able to back it up not only with Bible, but with other theologians and authors and be able to provide dissenting opinions as well, to balance it out.

AreYouReady? · #10 11-23-2011, 06:49 PM

The last UPC church I was in, the Pastor has, several times, misquoted scripture and preached his interpretation on that misquote.

None of the men in that church, not even the Assistant Pastor had the guts to correct him. As a female in the church system, I did not feel it was my place to correct the Pastor in his teaching. Had I took a notion to do so, I would have been ostracized.

Maybe I should have corrected him on that, because I ended up being ostracized anyway concerning something that was of far less importance.