To Beard or Not to Beard, That is The Question

[Ehud]

Thank you for the response! If you don't mind sticking with me, I have a few follow-up questions for you.

Originally Posted by n david

Scenario:
A born again, baptized in Jesus Name and filled with the HG, bearded man desires to be used in church ministry. He has no personal conviction against facial hair and sees nothing in scripture which prohibit such. In fact, a review of Pentecostal history favors facial hair. So he goes to the Pastor with his desire to be used. The Pastor tells him he would love to let him minister on the platform, with just one condition: the man needs to shave his beard.

I'm with ya here. This is the exact type of situation I had in mind.

Originally Posted by n david

The man asks the Pastor for scripture and explanation and the Pastor says, I don't have Bible for it, it's just my preference. The man leaves the meeting discouraged and disappointed, but continues to attend church.

In making his preference and the rule known, do you believe the pastor has done anything to be held accountable for? If the member turns from God at this point, do you believe the pastor will be held accountable. It's hard to imagine the man was ready for ministry if such an innocuous statement of fact would cause his demise, right? (This is actually as far as my original question was intended to go, but since you provided much more detail, I'll roll with it.)

Originally Posted by n david

The Pastor meets again with the man and asks why the man hasn't shaved. The man explains that since there is no scripture against facial hair and the man has no conviction against it, he will keep it. The Pastor then tells the man he is in rebellion. The man leaves even more discourage and even upset over being accused of rebellion.

I would ask why the pastor went to meet with him again. In this part of the scenario, it would seem that the pastor has already overstepped a mere "enforcing of rules," and ventured over into meddling. I would be very interested to hear a pastor's rationale for claiming the man is in rebellion if the man simply declined to shave and wasn't pursuing any further ministry role.

Originally Posted by n david

After the meetings, the Pastor preached a message on standards and strongly pointed out that those who don't follow the standards set by the church are in rebellion against God.

The man is crushed and leaves that church.

You will get no argument out of me that the pastor very well shouldn't have done this, but what is there to be held accountable for? At worst, shouldn't the man simply think the pastor is a wacko? What is it about this part of the scenario that would cause a born-again, baptized, full of the Holy Ghost saint to backslide and forsake God?