For those who want to know...RULES at my church!

[dizzyde]

Originally Posted by Whole Hearted

Never every said that they should get a free pass at all. I do not believe that the pew runs the church either.

Some of the stuff I read I can hardly believe. If some preacher ask me for a house key, car key, checking account info and so on I would run not walk away for that place.

i am a firm believer in holiness standards and that anyone that is a member of the church MUST abide by them, with that said there are something that are left up to the individual.

I believe in tithing but if one doesn't they won't be used but neither will they be billed or questioned. Neither will it be preached on over and over.

I have had people leave before, not many, I think I have had 5 or 6 in 15 year of pastoring to leave. They were never talked about from the pulpit. If someone ask why they left I told them to talk to the one who left. With one exception, I had a woman (oh she dressed the part she was miss holy holy) who was a gossip and backbiter. She talked about the new converts, talked about the young people, all the while eating them up to their face. After she caused us to lose a new family she was asked (by me ) to find another place to attend.

I do not run down saints. I made the post I did to show how it feels to have people run down your group all the tme. Peopl here idi like it when I said thing about church member, notice I didn't say saint. But many peacher and their families have be deeply hurt by church members, does that make all church member bad? NO

Thank you for your response. I understand what you are saying, I guess that my only comment would be that in all my years as a pastors child, I have never seen anyone in my family treated in the way that some of these people have been treated by their pastors.

We were run down, talked about, criticized and generally treated badly by some of the saints, sure. But nothing remotely like some of the things that have been discussed here. And I don't think that being in the ministry excuses anyone from any kind of abuse of power. It would seem that you are saying that you agree with that?

I can see where things like this could happen, I am thinking now of several new converts that we have in our church. They are so happy, and thankful for the lives that God has brought them out of, and so in love with the church and the pastor, that if he were not an ethical man of God, he could probably get them to agree with and do a lot of things that they shouldn't. Because they respect and trust him. Just something to consider.