Badge of Honor? Trash talking other churches - Page 2

Praxeas · #11 07-20-2012, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

Our closest UPCI churches do not fellowship each other at all.

The pastor from the bigger church calls the smaller church weak and says mean things about the pastor over the pulpit... members buy the tapes for the purpose of giving them to family who attend the smaller church who then give them to the pastor... He is a sweet and sensitive man and I know it has to really hurt his feelings. These are not young men... the pastor of the big church is in his late 70s and the other pastor is 60ish and grew up with the older pastors kids who are all preachers.

The kids from the smaller church can not even go to school at the bigger church because they are constantly pressured to 'come to a good church'... The whole thing had the net effect of totally disgusting me.

Biggest difference in standards... the pastor from the small church allows wedding rings and hair bows... everything else is the same.

Sad

Praxeas · #12 07-20-2012, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dagwood

Hmm, sounds similar to things I've heard years ago about the church I'm now part of. "They're loose as a goose and don't have holiness standards." Etc, etc when in fact the retired pastor and his wife are far more genuine and whole than the very people I heard make those comments.

Are all UCs like that? No. And it's those who can keep their opinions to themselves that I have more respect for.

Oh, the drama!

I think someone here once said UCs are those churches that have these attitudes and others are just conservative

AreYouReady? · #13 07-20-2012, 03:08 PM

Sometimes I think that many of the "fellowships" are the worst enemies to the cause of Christ.

P.S. Perhaps money is at the root of the trashing rather than looser standards.

Praxeas · #14 07-20-2012, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay

There are a few that I have heard spoken of in this fashion, however, facts were verified first rather than just taking one or two people's word for the situation. There are those that I will happily call loose, but I am actually speaking from personal knowledge and not hearsay. However, I still love and am friendly with the people that I see from those churches, and I do not talk of them constantly (why should I when there are much better things to do with my mouth...like eat).

My youngest brother and I do not agree on certain standards even if we agree on the principles. However, we both love and enjoy being around one another, and in general will refrain from antagonizing one another (although there has been...'intense fellowship' on occasion).

The whole issue revolves around treating people with respect, whether or not we actually respect that person.

So does this happen in you church? Does your Pastor talk about other churches from the pulpit?

Amanah · #15 07-20-2012, 03:15 PM

The exclusive attitudes are so hurtful and harmful as they keep brothers and sisters in Christ from fellowshipping one another, possibly meeting a future best friend or spouse. The division in the church over differing "standards" among OPs must be grievous to the heart of God.

I spent my young adulthood in an UC, OP church that was independent and then in and out of the UPC, and is now does not exist anymore. I wonder if many of our young people would have fared much better if we had not insisted that most other OP churches that we knew were unacceptable for fellowshipping because of differences of standards, expressiveness of worship, and other things. Many of them left the church altogether as the standards and exclusion from others was impossible to continue.

Along with the awesome memories of many good things and many great moves of God we had at this time, I have heavy regrets about the attitude towards other Christians that I embraced back then.

Jay · #16 07-20-2012, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Praxeas

So does this happen in you church? Does your Pastor talk about other churches from the pulpit?

I have heard him occasionally reference churches in his preaching, but that is generally from the time that he was growing up, and he does not comment on their standards or lack thereof. In private, we have discussed churches and pastors, but even then he generally keeps such conversations to a minimal. We are not big on bashing as it does no good and only plants bitterness within the heart. We acknowledge and then move on.

Hesetmefree238 · #17 07-20-2012, 09:26 PM

My church is UPC and thank God my pastor does not bash other pastors and churches.

acerrak · #18 07-20-2012, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Praxeas

My friend recently left his very conservative church to attend mine. He has been told for years how bad it is at my church. He has been told we don't have the Spirit and we are backslidden.

His pastor has said things like, you'd be better off backsliding than to go there or you might as well pitch a tent in sodom.

But he has been to my church and he knows the Spirit moves here. In fact it DOESN'T move like that in his former church. His words are, it's like campmeeting every day here

So, he runs into this Pentecostal lady in a nearby city and informs her he now goes to my church. She got disgusted and walked away. He has hjad conversations with her before (she is on his route) and she has warned him against going to my church. She goes to a different church than his former church but they are all x UPCs and mine still is UPC.

This isn't isolated. I have heard from others that go to his former church the were taught that from the Pastor over the pulpit.

Is this common in UC churches?

What are these churches saying about other churches? What are they being told by their pastors?

i have heard some stories of such. back when i attended a upci, one of my mentors was not attending a upci church but was a liscensed preacher with them. He did attend a ultra holy apostolic church.

I eventually had to brake away from him cause, he was so over board on standards that it became foolishness to me, practically everything was labeled pagan. no wedding rings, i believe plain watches with the leather? Not for sure, But many of the concepts was just to over board. It became a do and dont religion.

So i can see why this can cause a issue even with other apostolic churches in the area.

hometown guy · #19 07-20-2012, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Praxeas

My friend recently left his very conservative church to attend mine. He has been told for years how bad it is at my church. He has been told we don't have the Spirit and we are backslidden.

His pastor has said things like, you'd be better off backsliding than to go there or you might as well pitch a tent in sodom.

But he has been to my church and he knows the Spirit moves here. In fact it DOESN'T move like that in his former church. His words are, it's like campmeeting every day here

So, he runs into this Pentecostal lady in a nearby city and informs her he now goes to my church. She got disgusted and walked away. He has hjad conversations with her before (she is on his route) and she has warned him against going to my church. She goes to a different church than his former church but they are all x UPCs and mine still is UPC.

This isn't isolated. I have heard from others that go to his former church the were taught that from the Pastor over the pulpit.

Is this common in UC churches?

What are these churches saying about other churches? What are they being told by their pastors?

I think it must be common in all churches cause there is a more liberal church in my area and I have heard from their people that are church is legalistic and controlling and that is far from the truth...so if I were you I would just let it go in one ear and out the other...

Praxeas · #20 07-20-2012, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hometown guy

I think it must be common in all churches cause there is a more liberal church in my area and I have heard from their people that are church is legalistic and controlling and that is far from the truth...so if I were you I would just let it go in one ear and out the other...

So you heard that churches pastor preaches from the pulpit that other churches nearby are legalistic and controlling and the are all backsliden? Really?

BTW if you read through this thread you'd see it's not all that common and we distinguished between churches that are Conservative with strict beliefs and don't preach that from the pulpit and churches that are the same but do the talking from the pulpit as Ultra Con.