Title Usage In The UPC: Brother & Sister So and So - Page 3

PraiseHymn · #21 11-12-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherri

Outside of Pentecostalism, calling someone Sister So & So is looked upon as strange. I am just Sherri and I like it that way. Most everyone here calls my husband Pastor Eddie or just Pastor. Some just call him Eddie, but that's mostly new people.

WOW. Outside of Pentecostalism? Not so..........Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist and even Jehova Witness call one another Brother and Sister So and So. All my life thats all I have ever heard growing up in church. I am starting to think its a cultural thing because accross all black denominational circles, Brother and Sister is what we call one another............

SoCaliUPC · #22 11-12-2008, 01:11 PM

I reserve Bro and Sis for ministerial staff and the older saints in our church. Everyone else we ate on a first name basis with. I always introduce myself by my name. One if my pet peeves is when minister spouses refer to their spouse as Bro so n so.

A_PoMo · #23 11-12-2008, 01:12 PM

I've always wondered at the proclivity of ministers to refer to each other by their initials, i.e. N.A.Urshan, or T.F. Tenney, and that sort of thing. What's up w/that?

I realize that in academia this is done to remove sex from a person's name to avoid gender bias, thus A.M. Johnson could be a man or woman. But why do preachers do it? I've always thought that was a little pompous.

I refer to elders as Bro. So-and-so, but not peers when I'm around UPC folk. In my evangelical circles it's first name basis only, even w/pastors about half the time. Sometimes it's Pastor Mark, others times it's just Mark. So far I haven't run into a pastor that cared either way.

But I do remember when I was UPC that I'd get a little offended (very slightly) when someone would refer to my pastor by his first name, especially from the pulpit. It was usually his Bible school buddies and such that did that. I'd always have to remind myself that I was stupid for not liking it because it's just tradition. But it sounded strange at the time. Which could be a topic of discussion cuz I wonder if doing so somehow impersonalizes that person and makes them less 'normal' than us.

Funny thing, it's been awhile since I was refered to as "Pastor Pomo". So when somebody called me that the other night it sounded kinda weird to me. When somebody calls me "Bro. Pomo" I look behind me to see if my Dad is in the room cuz it feels really weird to be called that now. It's REALLY weird when I'm in conversation w/my Mom and she'll refer to my Dad as "Bro. Pomo" or "Pastor". She does it w/out thinking and then she'll catch herself and apologize and say "You know, DAD!".

ILG · #24 11-12-2008, 01:44 PM

I never could get used to the brother/sister thing. To me, it was just a way of excluding or including people. I did do it when I was in the UPC, but I never liked it. My husband and I just recently started calling people we used to know in the UPC by their first names when we talk to each other. Well....that's who they ARE!!

MrsMcD · #25 11-12-2008, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PraiseHymn

WOW. Outside of Pentecostalism? Not so..........Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist and even Jehova Witness call one another Brother and Sister So and So. All my life thats all I have ever heard growing up in church. I am starting to think its a cultural thing because accross all black denominational circles, Brother and Sister is what we call one another............

No one at the Baptist church I attend sometime say Brother and/or Sister. They don't even call the pastor "pastor". They call him his first name Michael and that's it.

PraiseHymn · #26 11-12-2008, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsMcD

No one at the Baptist church I attend sometime say Brother and/or Sister. They don't even call the pastor "pastor". They call him his first name Michael and that's it.

I am most sure that was NOT a black church............its almost appeared rude to call a black pastor of any denomination by his first name...trust me on that........again, I think its a cultural thing.....

nahkoe · #27 11-12-2008, 02:03 PM

I really seriously think my pastor's wife would do a double, even triple take, if I ever called her Sister D. lol I *do* however, refer to her as Miss D to my children.

I rarely call my pastor, pastor. I call him by his first name most of the time. But, he's my friend, my mentor, my teacher, and becoming more and more my adopted dad as time goes on.

Whole Hearted · #28 11-12-2008, 02:05 PM

IN the circles that I travel in it is Brother or Sister so and so. The pastor and his wife are always referred to by brother or sister last name, no first names here, very, very, very disrespectful.

If I am introducing myself to someone new and it has to do with the church I introduce myself as brother or pastor last name. If is is personal business I introduce myself as Mr. last name.

My first name is for family and close friends. And even they don't use my first name at church or in front of church people. My wife call me Brother last name in front of church people and I call her sister last name in front of them.

Ron · #29 11-12-2008, 02:06 PM

We sometimes use the Brother Sister designation, & we sometimes use the first name-only with peers.

I would never call my Pastor, another Minister, or an Elder by his/her first name.

I guess I am old fashioned!

Whole Hearted · #30 11-12-2008, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PraiseHymn

WOW. Outside of Pentecostalism? Not so..........Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist and even Jehova Witness call one another Brother and Sister So and So. All my life thats all I have ever heard growing up in church. I am starting to think its a cultural thing because accross all black denominational circles, Brother and Sister is what we call one another............

This is true I have a cousin who is a Baptist preacher and they still use brother and sister.