Tweet
I need some real spiritual and encouraging words on this dilemma.
I joined a church 4 years ago. The Pastor had passed exactly a year before I started. I had visited this church in the late 80's and was looking for a new church home. There are not a lot of Sabbath keeping churches near me that are not 7th Day Adventist of which I am not.
There were 3 leaders in the church because no one had been appointed Pastor. I later learned that the widow of the 1st Pastor, stood and said she would stand in the gap until they got one. She, along with 2 male Elders, were the leaders. Some called it the 3 headed church. Through the years, there has been division and disorganization. People have left the church. There is disorder in the services. Nothing is done because there is no Head. Difference of opinions as to who should lead the church. The crux of it was, the deceased Pastor allowed the woman to preach, but the church doctrine does not believe in female Pastors. I do not believe in female Pastors or Preachers. My mate made the decision that we would join the church as they had started to call us "permanent visitors". I told him that I would leave IF the female were ever ordained as Pastor.
Over the last 2 years, the sister has brought in female Pastors to preach at the church. She has spear headed trips to out of state churches where females are Pastor. She constantly brings people to the front to tell dreams they've had that point to her being Pastor. Her sermons have become redundant. "You can't do me nothing!" "When you talk about me, people tell me". "I know people are waiting for a man to be in the pulpit". It is very depressing. I continued to go because no one was declared Pastor and we had a different speaker each Sabbath. People were tired of her defensive messages, but she carries a lot of clout in the church, specifically the Jamaican followers, and the members who bring more to the table financially.
All 3 leaders are Jamaican. Both men disagree with her stand because they never had such in Jamaica. Most of them say they never had that in Ja, but no one is strong enough to approach her. She asked me and I told her my position, so she's very standoffish with me. Mutual respect.
Well, 3 weeks ago, while the other 2 Elders are encouraging us to "pray about it", she stood and declared that she was taking on the role as Pastor and would be installed the end of this month. Once again, they say everybody listened and no one challenged it. I was not there both times she took her positions. This put the church at odds because it's a divided issue. The widow of the last Pastor is still the First Lady and she is definitely against it. This has made her miserable because her husband taught against this for 17 years and the sister was there all 17 years. She has never given a reason for herself other than she feels God is leading her this way.
We all love our church and no one wants to leave, but several of us are. This Saturday is my last, but I will attend Bibie Study because that is the only service that we have that is kept in order. It is ran by an ex-military man who is the only one who will stand up to the sister and has. He has no problem with her taking Pastorship.
I realize every church body has it's share of problems and we should pray together and ask God to intercede and give us directions. Our church is like one big family that has some differences, but we all love each other. We all have the same basic beliefs which is important, but this is a big schism in our body. I purposely did not fill this thread up with scriptures because there would have been too many to post.
Can someone identify with a great rift in their church and how was it handled? Also, pray for us.
Msgoody
I joined a church 4 years ago. The Pastor had passed exactly a year before I started. I had visited this church in the late 80's and was looking for a new church home. There are not a lot of Sabbath keeping churches near me that are not 7th Day Adventist of which I am not.
There were 3 leaders in the church because no one had been appointed Pastor. I later learned that the widow of the 1st Pastor, stood and said she would stand in the gap until they got one. She, along with 2 male Elders, were the leaders. Some called it the 3 headed church. Through the years, there has been division and disorganization. People have left the church. There is disorder in the services. Nothing is done because there is no Head. Difference of opinions as to who should lead the church. The crux of it was, the deceased Pastor allowed the woman to preach, but the church doctrine does not believe in female Pastors. I do not believe in female Pastors or Preachers. My mate made the decision that we would join the church as they had started to call us "permanent visitors". I told him that I would leave IF the female were ever ordained as Pastor.
Over the last 2 years, the sister has brought in female Pastors to preach at the church. She has spear headed trips to out of state churches where females are Pastor. She constantly brings people to the front to tell dreams they've had that point to her being Pastor. Her sermons have become redundant. "You can't do me nothing!" "When you talk about me, people tell me". "I know people are waiting for a man to be in the pulpit". It is very depressing. I continued to go because no one was declared Pastor and we had a different speaker each Sabbath. People were tired of her defensive messages, but she carries a lot of clout in the church, specifically the Jamaican followers, and the members who bring more to the table financially.
All 3 leaders are Jamaican. Both men disagree with her stand because they never had such in Jamaica. Most of them say they never had that in Ja, but no one is strong enough to approach her. She asked me and I told her my position, so she's very standoffish with me. Mutual respect.
Well, 3 weeks ago, while the other 2 Elders are encouraging us to "pray about it", she stood and declared that she was taking on the role as Pastor and would be installed the end of this month. Once again, they say everybody listened and no one challenged it. I was not there both times she took her positions. This put the church at odds because it's a divided issue. The widow of the last Pastor is still the First Lady and she is definitely against it. This has made her miserable because her husband taught against this for 17 years and the sister was there all 17 years. She has never given a reason for herself other than she feels God is leading her this way.
We all love our church and no one wants to leave, but several of us are. This Saturday is my last, but I will attend Bibie Study because that is the only service that we have that is kept in order. It is ran by an ex-military man who is the only one who will stand up to the sister and has. He has no problem with her taking Pastorship.
I realize every church body has it's share of problems and we should pray together and ask God to intercede and give us directions. Our church is like one big family that has some differences, but we all love each other. We all have the same basic beliefs which is important, but this is a big schism in our body. I purposely did not fill this thread up with scriptures because there would have been too many to post.
Can someone identify with a great rift in their church and how was it handled? Also, pray for us.
Msgoody
Comment