An abuse of authority????

[deltaguitar]

Originally Posted by kingdomapostle

As stated earlier, the Christian IS in fact in fellowship with the churches this Pastor fellowships with. In fact they share MANY mutual friends both of which are other Pastors and other members. The Pastor spoke specifically about the issue, but not about the individual.

Then the individual needs to be admonished by his or her own pastor. It honestly looks like the pastor in question was overstepping.

There could be something going on in that persons life. Maybe they just screwed up which is something people do all the time.

There is not a lot of respect for this pastor and the other pastor either. I think there is an attitude in holiness groups that are always concerned about what the other church down the road is doing.

Do us a favor and post what the pastor said, post the pics and the status, and then we can judge for ourselves.

[kingdomapostle]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

Then the individual needs to be admonished by his or her own pastor. It honestly looks like the pastor in question was overstepping.

There could be something going on in that persons life. Maybe they just screwed up which is something people do all the time.

There is not a lot of respect for this pastor and the other pastor either. I think there is an attitude in holiness groups that are always concerned about what the other church down the road is doing.

Do us a favor and post what the pastor said, post the pics and the status, and then we can judge for ourselves.

I hardly think that's necessary, but thanks anyway.

[trialedbyfire]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

Then the individual needs to be admonished by his or her own pastor. It honestly looks like the pastor in question was overstepping.

There could be something going on in that persons life. Maybe they just screwed up which is something people do all the time.

There is not a lot of respect for this pastor and the other pastor either. I think there is an attitude in holiness groups that are always concerned about what the other church down the road is doing.

Do us a favor and post what the pastor said, post the pics and the status, and then we can judge for ourselves.

There is a case for that argument. HOWEVER, I will say this in defense of the Pastor:

What I look for a pastor I look for a father figure. I think this is the Biblical criteria that was laid out for the office of a Pastor and why the Bible tells us that a Pastor should be the husband of one wife and a father with his house in order, even going so far as to say that if a man hasn't proven that he can keep his own home in order how can he be trusted with the house of God?

FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. As a father I can say this: if my children were playing in the middle of a busy highway and I wasn't there to correct them and get them the heck off that highway, I'd hope there was an adult sane enough to go over to my child get them off the highway for the sake of their lives. If I was a pastor, I would hope the same for the sheep God has placed under if for some reason they went astray and I had not known, someone would apprehend them and bring them back to the gospel.

As for "embarrassment", correction is not embarrassment. Calling yourself a Christian and engaging in obscene acts embarrasses our faith. Also the pastor gave instruction to the saints off of what he's seen. Just because you go to someone's church does not mean your pastor is the only one who can give you guidance or direction. If that be the case Paul writing to the Ephesians would offend the Elders of Ephesis. Pastors do not own their congregations, they are trusted to lead them and to act as a spiritual covering.

Personally, I don't know why Pastors mess around on Facebook anyway. Or why anyone does. I personally believe the better thing for the pastor to do would be message the individual and deal with them privately. I've have to do that before myself. I'm not a pastor. The pastor was within their rights to use an everyday situation and related it to his friends on Facebook. That's what a sermon is, real life situations. It wasn't a rebuke unless a name was posted. I also personally don't have a problem with open rebuke, especially if it was an open and public offense, but that's definitely moreso that pastor's job. If for nothing else to separate his ministry from that type of behavior.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by trialedbyfire

There is a case for that argument. HOWEVER, I will say this in defense of the Pastor:

What I look for a pastor I look for a father figure. I think this is the Biblical criteria that was laid out for the office of a Pastor and why the Bible tells us that a Pastor should be the husband of one wife and a father with his house in order, even going so far as to say that if a man hasn't proven that he can keep his own home in order how can he be trusted with the house of God?

But that is as far as that goes. It does not then say that the man is a father to us and we are just little children to be spanked publically

[trialedbyfire]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

But that is as far as that goes. It does not then say that the man is a father to us and we are just little children to be spanked publically

Of course not. We should submit ourselves to correction when we need to though, that's what I'm saying. I do believe that when Christ truly leads us to a man of God to shepherd us we should be obedient and take heed to correction.

Correction is there to better us not to restrict us or control us.

Public correction IS sometimes needed. Like I said if the offense is blatant, right out in front of the congregation and has the potential to harm the integrity of the ministry, there needs to be a public rebuke. You can't have Deacons smoking cigarettes in the church parking lot.