Celebrate the Liberating King. Come join us in firing our Pastor. Revival Coming.
I receive print and e-newsletters from various churches. Most often they come from friends and the churches they either attend or serve in some capacity. One of these recent print newsletters contained three stories all on the front page.
A group of people celebrated the liberating work of the Spirit of God as they worked through various addictions. Their group meets in a local church. An event was held to affirm, encourage, and cheer on those who experienced the freedom from their personal addictions.
Another group of people in this same local church called for the pastor’s resignation. Calling members to make the action a matter of prayer, the date was set for this impending vote and its consequent actions.
Beneath it all is the printed announcement of the upcoming revival dates for this local church.
I sincerely hope the local church that sent out this newsletter only made this one oversight – sending this newsletter to someone who is not a member of the local church – me. I fear they did not think that far.
If I ever had reservations about attending a local church, this kind of mixed message would give me pause to reconsider. What are we thinking when the outgoing Pastor celebrates the Liberating King, is under fire and threat of termination, and the church calls attention to an impending revival? I am guessing the Pastor will be liberated from such foolishness and in the oddest sort of way the church will hope for revival.
All of this and the Sunday that the Revival is planned to begin is none other than, “Back to Church Sunday.”
I fear they did not think that far.
I fear they did not think at all.
It would seem so.
I assume that is a pastor who doesn’t have to prepare the newsletter.
While this newsletter might give you pause if considering attending, for me any thoughts would come to a screeching halt.
The only scenario where I could see the pastor preparing this newsletter would be to offer a juxtaposition to the group running off the rails. That said, I would hope he would have had nothing to do with it.
Agreed that “my thoughts would come to a screeching halt.” The force of my intent was that this would be one of those things that would not just give me pause about “this” church – it would bring in to question most, if not all, local churches. We simply do not think that far in Baptist life. Local autonomy gives us the green light to practice our faith with impunity, if it can be called faith at all.
This headline would be cotton candy compared to some of the things I have read in our newsletter. Why are pastors so narsassistic? I am sick and tired of all the negative comments coming from newletters and pulpits. They wonder why their congregations are shrinking. They openly admit that they purposely forget people who are against them. If I was that miserable, I would go find something else to do.
CS
Chuck,
The newsletter I reference did not have anything narcissistic coming from the pastor. Instead, the pastor celebrated what God had done in the lives of people who confessed to captivity under the weight of addiction. A pastor should celebrate what others are doing – and this one did. I have not heard a pastor openly admit to purposefully forgetting people who are against them. Which by the way begs the question why a local community cannot live out reconciled lives but you seem a bit angry yourself.
As for misery – how have you helped work toward reconciliation in the place you seem to be coming from?
Glad you stopped by.