It happened again.
Another pastor has been forced out of a church. The "presenting problem" is so laughable, so ludicrous that I won't even dignify it with saying what it is. The truth is that a vocal, powerful minority took over the leadership of a church and decided that the pastor, who was much beloved by the majority (young families with energy and imagination, but not a lot of money) was whatever (read: what. ever.) they thought was wrong with the church.
They kicked, and they punched, and they kicked some more. Finally somebody cried "Uncle."
I know that this happens and that sometimes something must die for there to be resurrection, but for today I'm going to allow myself to feel shocked, sad, and sickened by this.
Friday, July 18, 2008
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12 comments:
Why is it that good people get forced out and total jerks get fawned over? I will never understand.
Joan,
I suspect it is because jerks are feared and good people get jerked around.
Makes me think of Jesus, a good guy, did a lot to build the church, hung out with the 'wrong people', ended up on a cross. This world is messed up.
Saddened & sickened with you. Praying for this pastor and others going through this, whoever and wherever they are.
And it continues to happen again and again. All too often the big play word is "money" and those who ahve it are in control and thsoe who don't lose out.
I still say that one of my favorites (though we aren''t suppossed to ahve them) was a young mother of two who was a waitress at a chain estab. in town.
She would often come directly from work and help with crafts on Wednesday Night Live. Anyhow, I had more than one stay at home mom who said they could not help out because Wednesday was their date night and only time she and hubby had alone.
Okay, first I don't have anythign against moms who aren't workign outside home, but they can do this b/c hubby pulls in enough for them...and teh idea of having a "free" sitter is jsut too tempting...yet over and over again this one lone person showed up each night ready to do crafts with the other ladies bratty kids and always with a smille on her face.
So, yes, I knwo I have issues here..
but the notion of the all too pwerful money gets my goat everytime.
I was forced out mostly by the money jerks and it angers and saddens me to see more of it.
Saddened and sickened right there with you, especially if I'm reading the "what.ever." correctly.
Jesus is either curled up in fetal position crying somewhere, or off having shots with the disposed-of clergy.
When are congregations going to understand that these power-plays within churches are deadly, toxic endeavours?
As the kid of a pastor to whom this happened not once but *twice,* it's amazing to me that I'm in the church at all.
Cheesehead my dearest friend had the same exact thing happen to her. Do these people have any idea the hurt it does?
Good article in the current Presbyterian Outlook suggesting that Presbytery stop this kind of nonsense and suppor the pastor.
There are churches who chew up pastors generation after generation.
Makes me sick for the pastors and churches.
St. Casserole, not her Catz
The Outlook article suggests Presbytery step up and be suppor but SUPPORT the pastor.
Sorry,
I'm blogging under a kitty cat's name.
People who use power in an evil way in the church are rampant. It's often that they don't have power in other corners of their life, and church is a vulnerable place.
The irony of this is that when a pastor is forced out this way, it isn't like his or her replacement will be loved by the power-hungry who caused the last departure...often they will do the same thing to the next pastor, since what they're in love with is the power, not the church.
It's a situation where a good and firm interim pastor might do so real good, but boy is it hard!
This stinks. It happens way too much.
It does happen way too much. And COM becomes convinced that the best they can do is try to negotiate a severance package, which will then get debated contentiously on the floor of Presbytery. I saw that one happen once, as the pastor in question slunk out of the room, humiliated and alone.
I wonder why our sisters and brothers are leaving the ministry?
I'm just surprised that the majority let this happen.
I'm guessing a congregational meeting was not held on this.
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