When a UPC pastor leans towards the WPF...

[KarenJo]

A Pastor IS NOT A KING OR DICTATOR!!!!!! So in my opinion he does not have the right to dictate a decision like leaving an organization. He has the responsibility to pray, discuss, and allow ALL Church Members to have a voice in making this type of a decision. If they leave the organization that helped the church to grow then they need to pay back what was given to establish that UPC Church. If a Pastor wants to leave then they should go. God Bless Them! But leave the congregation, the land and the money behind. Why should we care who “founded” the church, IT ISN”T THEIR PERSONAL PRIVATE PROPERTY! The purpose of ministry is to serve the people and not the other way around. We have too many churches now days that think of the church as the Family Business. For hundreds of years the church belonged to the community and the Pastor served those in that community. Most didn’t even have a right to vote for things so the decisions were made by the membership. I love the ministry and have such respect for them but good pastors know that it’s not their church, its Gods church and belongs to the congregation and that they have been called to serve the members of that congregation. I was with one of my best buddies Kevin and the Mangun’s along with the POA staff one Sunday Morning in their devotions and Bro. Anthony said to his staff, “We are here only because of those people sitting in the pews, without them, there would be no need for us. Let’s ask God meet the needs of those who are here this morning and pray that we are sensitive to the leading of the spirit.” This impressed me so much! I think that for something like this, God can talk to many people in the congregation about the same things. I know I’ve seen this many times. If God is in it, then he will confirm it! Just my thoughts on this matter!!!!