Ministerial Ethics, a different perspective

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

Tonight my house has been overflowing with precious sheep praying and crying over Brother Alvear´s accident. My phone has been ringing off the hook....most of the time collect and them saying sorry missionary but we didn´t have minutes on our phone but we need to know about our pastor.

There must be a bond between the pastor and his people...One of the ways to form a bond is loving your people...anybody can see through a false person. People are not dumb they will know if their pastor loves them.

Absolutely! And that includes people who are living in foreign countries. They recognize and understand and are very perceptive if the missionary truly loves and accepts them. You can't fool them. They're way smarter and perceptive than many North Americans give them credit for.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by LadyChocolate

Sometimes they are crakjak...but more often than not, the sheep wander. Sometimes it really is time for people to move on... We were in a situation where it was time for us to move on and the pastor just would not let it happen... Pastors need to realize that. A real man of God told my hubby once, "sometimes, God sends a man to a city to make that city. Sometimes God sends a man to a city to make that man." That is how it was in our case. I honor the men of God who are willing to let their saints/ministry move on a do more for God.

Sometimes people just leave. They want more or want less. They always see greener grass on the other side. They are not being "proselyted," they are leaving. One thing you cannot do is "force" those people to stay. They will end up causing a whole lot of grief in a church.

When people leave, whether on a good note or not, God will always take care of that church.... as long as the pastor keeps walking with God! One man I know said that anytime saints left the church, God always sent new ones!!! Faith!

I agree, great post.

[commonsense]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

Honestly, I have always thought of pastors as gatherers. It amazes me that I need to get fifteen letters, three phone calls and an audience with the mayor just to talk to another saint of God thirty miles away - SIMPLY BECAUSE I AM A PASTOR!!!

What is it with this culture of fear we have created?

Folks, in my short seven years as a pastor I have learned that you can't keep people who want to leave, and you can't force people to come who don't want to. You also can't keep people out of your church that want to come.

It IS a public place.

Normally the guys that scream "sheep stealer!" the loudest are the worst offenders.

BTW, I do believe in ethics, I just think we go overboard sometimes.

It's as if we think we own people or something, and it's silliness.

I agree, it's just silliness. Many years ago we were called on the carpet because while visiting in another city we were invited to the home of one of the saints (friends of ours) and we did not call the local pastor first for permission. We lived 75 miles away, I doubt they were going to come to our church.

As adults we are free, white and 21...the idea that we can control people is at best entertaining.