Church Suddenly Loses Pastor of 35 Years - Page 2

Jay · #11 04-10-2012, 08:55 AM

That is a very rough situation to be in, and I that from having spent most of my life in or around small churches. Hopefully they will be given a pastor to lead them soon.

Titus2woman · #12 04-10-2012, 01:41 PM

OK... I'm just going to say it...

Is there not a single person in that church, that after being 'pastored' 35 years (which in my opinion should mean mentored) who can not get behind the pulpit and teach or preach until a replacement can be found?

In our Baptist church our pastor got esophogeal cancer. He was in the hospital over a year before he passed away. A young man with a family still at home and a wife who did not work and needed to be at his side they coudl not afford to lose his check. Because of the size of the church it could not pay another pastor and pay Bro Robert... so... We paid Bro Robert until his death and the deacons, the elders, and many of the mature men took turns preaching and teaching.

There is a local Church of God that has been without a pastor for 2 or 3 years now. Many of the elders and several of the young men who feel called to ministry take turns leading service. The church has organized a group who make hospital visits and somebody pays the bills... It's working great... so good in fact that I get the feeling that they are not really in a hurry to find one now.

I am not familiar with the term pulpit supply but I guess it mean interm preacher or temp?

Jay · #13 04-10-2012, 01:55 PM

This has been done in the past when there is not a man who is available or willing to take the church. I have heard of it being done in the past. Eventually, I believe that one man will come into the pastorate of the church. It will take some time to work out.

RandyWayne · #14 04-10-2012, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

OK... I'm just going to say it...

Is there not a single person in that church, that after being 'pastored' 35 years (which in my opinion should mean mentored) who can not get behind the pulpit and teach or preach until a replacement can be found?

In our Baptist church our pastor got esophogeal cancer. He was in the hospital over a year before he passed away. A young man with a family still at home and a wife who did not work and needed to be at his side they coudl not afford to lose his check. Because of the size of the church it could not pay another pastor and pay Bro Robert... so... We paid Bro Robert until his death and the deacons, the elders, and many of the mature men took turns preaching and teaching.

There is a local Church of God that has been without a pastor for 2 or 3 years now. Many of the elders and several of the young men who feel called to ministry take turns leading service. The church has organized a group who make hospital visits and somebody pays the bills... It's working great... so good in fact that I get the feeling that they are not really in a hurry to find one now.

I am not familiar with the term pulpit supply but I guess it mean interm preacher or temp?

I just assumed it meant how many spare pulpits you have in the back room.

Bro. Robbins · #15 04-10-2012, 02:24 PM

Pulpit Supply is a term, especially used in the denominal churches. It's referring to those that are scheduled to come preach, but are not serving in an Interim Pastor position. An Interim Pastor position can go beyond just preaching, and actually assist in management duties like a Pastor would, but of course is there temporarily.

The Bishop in this case is serving as the Interim, but has many duties, and may not be able to be there every Sunday, so there will need to be pulpit supply on some days.

Also, the very fact that there is no one in this tiny little congregation to step up shows why the congregation is struggling anyway. The pastor probably stayed 10 years beyond what she should have, there were some Sundays that they did well to have 15 people there, and the Bishop really couldn't step in, because there was no one to place there.

When you add to it that the organization is struggling, and has almost no young ministers at all that can step up and begin to take the reigns, it presents this to be a challenging situation. Just within the last month, there have been some of us ministers from other organizations that are starting to come in and consider moving our credentials to this org... and will hopefully be able to come in and help and make these situations a thing of the past soon. Our hope is to help the bishop, and provide some support and energy to these struggling congregations, especially this one since they don't have a pastor.

OneAccord · #16 04-11-2012, 06:50 AM

Very sorry to hear about the loss of this pastor. The Emmanuel Church of Christ, I believe, was founded in 1932 by the late E.J. Allen. The "headquarters" church was in Tullahoma, Tn... just accross, and down the street from Bishop H.E. Honeas "First Church of Jesus Christ". The Emmanuel Chrch of Christ is now in Donelson, TN

Nitehawk013 · #17 04-11-2012, 07:20 AM

When a man holds the reins too long, it tends to cause the able younger ministers to move on and find other places to work because it becomes clear they will never "get the call" to the next level. Happens in hundreds of churches across the country. Then you see churches that used to hrive turn into dead little churches full of usually the very old saints who are diehard faithful to the man who has been their pastor for sometimes 50 years.

What is the remedy? I wish I knew so I could write the book and retire a milliomnaire.

Steve Epley · #18 04-11-2012, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneAccord

Very sorry to hear about the loss of this pastor. The Emmanuel Church of Christ, I believe, was founded in 1932 by the late E.J. Allen. The "headquarters" church was in Tullahoma, Tn... just accross, and down the street from Bishop H.E. Honeas "First Church of Jesus Christ". The Emmanuel Chrch of Christ is now in Donelson, TN

Was this the lady who was over this group for years? By the way this is the only Oneness group I know who teaches sanctification as the second work of grace like the Church of God. They had a rather large church in Nashville proper for years that had that horrid incident with the pastor in which the church was burned and they rebuilt out on Lebanon Road.

Bro. Robbins · #19 04-11-2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

Was this the lady who was over this group for years? By the way this is the only Oneness group I know who teaches sanctification as the second work of grace like the Church of God. They had a rather large church in Nashville proper for years that had that horrid incident with the pastor in which the church was burned and they rebuilt out on Lebanon Road.

Brother Epley, not sure about who was the originator, but Bishop Banks has been Presiding Bishop for at least 30 years now. He pastors the church in Donelson on Lebanon Pike, beautiful campus, nice good sized facility, runs about 20 on Sundays right now.

Also, though there may be within the church that teaches Sancitification as a second work of grace, that is not an official teaching within the Articles of Faith. Looking at the church doctrine book in front of me, not an official teaching.

Sidebar, it's no longer the official teaching of the COG either, I was COG for 18 years. There are now some within the COG that believe second work of grace, but many will teach progressive Sanctification, and then some in the COG preach a mixture of both. It's not even in their Articles of Faith anymore, but is in their Doctrinal Commitment, but was re-worded in the 80's so that it doesn't push second work of grace or progressive. Now as a Doctrinal Commitment it just says, Sanctification subsequent to justification. Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 13:12.

Steve Epley · #20 04-11-2012, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bro. Robbins

Brother Epley, not sure about who was the originator, but Bishop Banks has been Presiding Bishop for at least 30 years now. He pastors the church in Donelson on Lebanon Pike, beautiful campus, nice good sized facility, runs about 20 on Sundays right now.

Also, though there may be within the church that teaches Sancitification as a second work of grace, that is not an official teaching within the Articles of Faith. Looking at the church doctrine book in front of me, not an official teaching.

Sidebar, it's no longer the official teaching of the COG either, I was COG for 18 years. There are now some within the COG that believe second work of grace, but many will teach progressive Sanctification, and then some in the COG preach a mixture of both. It's not even in their Articles of Faith anymore, but is in their Doctrinal Commitment, but was re-worded in the 80's so that it doesn't push second work of grace or progressive. Now as a Doctrinal Commitment it just says, Sanctification subsequent to justification. Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 13:12.

They had a rather large congregation before the horrid incident that preceeded Bishop Banks. I forget the lady's name who lead the group for years? They must have revised their teaching since they most certainly did teach sanctification as the second definite work of grace. It was really a cardinal teaching among them. Their church in Donelson is indeed beautiful as was the Nashville church. There was a rather large split on the Northside of Nashville I forget the name of that church it was something Church of Christ Oneness?