Quote:
Originally Posted by BeenThinkin
I am shocked at the responses and attitudes of some of you. Why it shouldn't be any problem understanding that that guy called a pastor should sit with you and your family into the wee hours of the morning at the hospital as your loved one is dying and then get his tired ____ out of bed in an hour or so, and go on to his job, working at the steel mill, plumbing shop, carpentry or what ever else he does to pay his bills and making a living for his family. And if he should be too tired to come to the hospital, why it would be time then to elect a new pastor.
And by the way, when it's time to bury your loved one be sure you set the funeral after the pastor's working hours. He can't afford to take off time from his job to conduct a funeral service. Why I'm sure you wouldn't expect that.
Now I'm not for a pastor getting rich from the church. But I do believe that a pastor that is called of God is worthy of being taken care of as a church is capable of doing.
And when your son or daughter is in jail I hope that there is time for the pastor, after he gets off from work, to go and see them. Some folks don't deserve a pastor.
I am and have been a pastor for many years and some of this talk that goes on by some of you makes a preacher ask "why?" why should I care about them, they don't care anything about me, or the work of the Gospel. Why should I spend sleepless nights over a congregation that doesn't appreciate the time I spend.
In some things attitude sure plays a major role, (and that includes the pastors, too) and some folks "attitudes stink!" Well thanks for giving me a chance to have my say. And by the way I don't and have never got rich working for the church. And another thing, I have given folks money out of my own pocket and then when they get their "burr under their saddle" they simply walk off without saying a word.
Let me say this in closing. There are some greedy, self-serving, only thinking of themselves pastors..... and there are some stingy, selfish conniving church members who don't deserve a good pastor, who cares.
Been Thinkin (about this for a long time!)
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Some things to think about... Maybe I jaded from living in Texas... So tell me what do you think about
Joel Olsteen
Ed Young
TD Jakes
Ed Young Jr
Kerry Shook
Jack Graham
Ira Hillard
Cause several of those fellows are almost in my backyard. And then we have televangelists and circuit preachers like Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar... oh heck, you get the point! How is that different? Many of them started out just like you describe. When does it become a problem exactly? Can a man really pastor 50 people... 100... 200...500...1,000... 5,000? It seems that everyone decides that 'just bigger than I am' is too big... yet everyone is trying to grow and no one ever voluntarily divides.
I don't doubt that you are sincere and that you are doing your best but do you see what is wrong with the system? My kid is in jail right now and I buried my mother in March. Managing to handle both of those life situations without a 'hired man' and so could anyone else. Many people have just been convinced that they can not... and that they can not 'make it' without a 'man of God'... nuts.
I mean if money is the measure of a pastor... This is the best we've got!
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