Quote:
Posted by: Enigmatically Ambiguous
The UPC has two sets of rules: one set for average, run of the mill, garden variety pastors whose daddy's weren't preachers, or aren't well connected among the "elite" of Pentecost. When they violate the manual, or if they have family issues or personal issues, then the letter of the law is adhered to, or there isn't a single call or letter of encouragement or anyone who says, "he needs a friend, I'm going to reach out to him, he must be hurting."
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Yes, absolutely. Spot on. The well-connected preachers use the manual and affirmation statement as weapons against those who deviate - even sightly - from the formal or informal rules. At the same time they flout their own liberties with no fear of reprisal.
For instance, well-connected pastors and officials have been known to show up at the affiliated churches of garden variety pastors who allow ladies to wear pants on the platform. After they verify (read "spy), they report their findings, replete with pictures, to the District Board. A few years ago, a District official threatened to remove a Texas pastor because he had posted a list of his favorite TV shows on his blog.
I have experienced this kind of bullying, personally. Presbyters have called places where I was scheduled to preach to report that I was "liberal" and that the host pastor may want to reconsider letting me preach. Meanwhile, both the host pastors and presbyters routinely violate the manual and the affirmation they sign by attending MLB games and owning full seasons of TV shows, not to mention a host of other violations too long to post.
I have learned that we have a problem with the liberties of our peers but expect everyone to tolerate our own.
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