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Would you mind if your pastor left and. . . .

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by abcgrad94, Aug 14, 2010.

  1. abcgrad94

    abcgrad94 Active Member

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    Would you mind if your pastor left your church and already called another man to come take the pastorate without the church's knowledge or approval?

    A pastor's wife friend of mine is moving to another state where her husband is to take over an IFB church they've never even visited. (Yes, the term "take over" was used.) It seems the pastor there feels called elsewhere and hand-picked his friend to take the church. This church was not told ANYTHING until the pastor got up to resign, when he announced who the new pastor would be and that he'd be there in time for the next service.

    My friend says it's not scriptural to have a pulpit committee to "reject" man after man while the church sits without a shepherd, and the current pastor consulted a few other pastor's (no one in his church) about making this decision.

    The only time I've ever heard of a pastor hand-picking his successor is when a father retires and his son takes the role of pastor. Is this a generally acceptable practice for IFB churches? Or any other Independent Baptist churches?
     
  2. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    Our church would refuse to pay the new man and would also not offer the leaving man a severance package.

    We might run both of them out of town on a rail.

    Guess that means we'd mind.

    Now if the new guy was presented as a possible interim, that might change things a bit, but in that case, we'd expect notice of resignation (our pastor's contract specifies 30 days I believe).
     
  3. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    A friend of mine had that happen to him. He was the new man and did not know that once he showed up the pastor was leaving. The church approved the new man coming but knew nothing about the pastor leaving. Some think it was a railroad job but it wasn't. The new man is left holding the bag with some bad blood in the congregation. It has been very tough on my friend.
     
  4. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    It certainly isn't common practice, but I don't see anything unscriptural about it.

    It actually sounds like a pretty good idea to me.
     
  5. abcgrad94

    abcgrad94 Active Member

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    Care to elaborate on why you think this is a good idea? I have a host of reasons for thinking it is a terrible idea, so I'd like to see some viewpoints from the other side.
     
  6. Trotter

    Trotter <img src =/6412.jpg>

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    The new guy would be out on his ear, especially if the pastor was leaving without so much as a word beforehand. That's called being disonest and there is no way we would accept it.

    While a pulpit committee may not be found in the bible, it does talk about having a man of the Spirit as a shepherd. Using a committee, a group of selected godly individuals, is better than trusting the judgment of the dude who is skipping out on you without any warning.
     
  7. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

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    Not common, and not ethical...
     
  8. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

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    I have been in a number of churches, and never heard of this happening.
     
  9. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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    Hope they didn't sell their house.

    I actually don't think this is wise at all. It's one thing to feel the call of the Spirit, but I don't think the pastor should have the authority to choose his own replacement. That's a recipe for disaster.
     
  10. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    This is Strange!

    Yes, I'd object, and like the one comment, I'd not pay him. If you have not already done this, that old pastor needs to be reported to the association.

    Pastor Paul :type:
     
  11. Ruiz

    Ruiz New Member

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    I would not only object, I would even question the wisdom of both men.

    Secondly, I would also read the Constitution. I suspect that the church has a Constitutional process and if this was violated then this becomes a legal matter that should be taken to mediation. The man may not have only done an unwise act, he may have broken the laws of the Constitution and thus violated the law.

    I am not a fan of the modern way of searching for pastors, but it is a vast improvement of this way. #1 rule of leadership, "People will not follow you because you hold a position... they follow you because they respect you." I think this new Pastor may have already lost any hope of respect.
     
  12. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Most IFB churches I see put the pastor in a very strong position of authority. Therefore, why not follow who he chooses? That's my opinion.

    However, I don't believe it's wise for this type of pastoral authority to exist in a church in the first place. It's better if everyone works together.

    I am still amazed at the one church I was a member of, after my previous IFB dealings. (which weren't pleasant) In the one that turned out to be where I grew most, the pastor had the final authority, but didn't use it unless the church couldn't come to an agreement. Other men in the church knew they had permission to ask to take on a message. We were taught, and everyone met together to make decisions and pretty much didn't stop if there was any disagreement until it was resolved.

    I doubt I'll ever find that again. I'm amazed I found it once. May God bless and keep them.

    But if a church is already the type that gives the pastor pretty much all authority, then why would it bother them to trust in a decision he makes just because they don't like it? That's a problem in a lot of IFB churches...they love hellfire and damnation preaching that convicts them and they'd stand in front of a moving train if the preacher said to, but once he's not there, that loyalty shifts and suddenly there's a power struggle...usually from a deacon who has "invested" a lot of money and enjoys having his opinion listened to. That comes from experience...it happened in our church and the deacon with the most money, in a church so small that his tithe was pretty depended on, threatened the church into doing his bidding rather than follow the advice of the pastor who had left abruptly. (with relatively good cause).

    Nutty thing when a church becomes more of a problem in life than a blessing. I'm PRETTY sure God intended things to work otherwise.

    But I'm guessing you won't find an answer on here. Independent means just that...they kinda end up making their own rules and definitions of things, hopefully based on scripture, but it is a risk the members of any independent church run when joining...some things are interpreted in some interestingly unique ways!
     
  13. FR7 Baptist

    FR7 Baptist Active Member

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    My church's Bylaws require the pastor to give sixty days notice if he resigns, unless the church votes to waive the notice. The Bylaws also require a pulpit committee recommend a selection for a new pastor who will tend be voted upon by the church.
     
  14. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    I attended a church several years ago where the pastor intentionally talked with the church about bringing on his replacement a few years before he retired. They agreed and he brought on the person he thought was best. That was about 12 years ago. The man was there for about six years before he finally became the senior pastor. The day that happened the senior pastor stood up and told the congregation who their new senior pastor was. The current pastor was blessed by the previous pastor. Nobody knew what would happen within a few months later. The pastor died. The pastor's entire family still attends and works in that same church. The current pastor at times talks about how the previous pastor blessed him and made the things possible they see today. The church was about 300 at the time. Today it runs about 2200. Everyone can now see God's hand in that decision.
     
  15. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    A pastor is to lead the congregation. Who better to choose the next pastor? Do you think sheep get to vote on who there next shepherd will be?
     
  16. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Actually, yes - ever since the union got control! :smilewinkgrin:

    Seriously, though, the congregation should decide (active members -[not those who come out of the woodwork from 10 years previously] ) with advice of the pastor, DOM or other respected leader
     
  17. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    I haven't read the whole thing, but YES I would mind. In the Reformed movement from which I come that would never have happened!
     
  18. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Now there is the perfect relational statement! I hope it was sarcastic.
     
  19. Berean

    Berean Member
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    Haven't you heard "The Lord calls the Pastor" usually to higer paying assignment?
     
  20. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    When a pastor leaves a church, it is like a divorce. This would be like "Honey, I'm leaving you for another woman but i've brought in another man to be your husband."

    Only the local congregation can vote to call a pastor. It's not an appointed position by either a chosen few or by one.
     
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