Baptist Pastor under Scruntiny

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/5053168.html

 

Here is a link to the story in today's (Thursday's) story in The Tennessean about the meeting that took place last night while regular church services were going on. http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/NEWS06/708160404 In the right hand column beside the article there is a link to yesterday's original article. Near the end of that article there is a link to the web site set up by the members trying to oust Sutton. This is starting to look a lot like the situation at Bellevue in Memphis although the particulars are different.

I am not a member of Two Rivers, and I am not a supporter of Jerry Sutton. However, I do feel for this church. They are going through a difficult time, and it is probably going to get worse before it gets better. I hope they will come out of this stronger. According to yesterday's article, they have allowed the church staff to run the church. They have even appointed all of the church committees. It sounds like the members are about ready to take control of their church. I'm praying that the church will come out of this stronger.

Tim Reynolds

 

I was baptized at Two Rivers Church before Jerry Sutton was pastor. I hate to see this happening in yet another church.

 

Kind of reminiscent of Numbers 16

16:3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

 

We have a very similar situation here in Washington, DC, where the historic Shiloh Baptist Church is in conflict over its pastor, Dr. Wallace Charles Smith. The allegations by a group of members, who tried to hold a congregational meeting this past Saturday, but were locked out, is that Dr. Smith sold some church properties on his own and used the proceeds for church expenses, because the offering income was not keeping up. But that is just part of the issue. These properties have become a public embarassment to Shiloh, as the city has threatened condemnation if some of the houses owned by the church are not repaired. And, on top of it all, old resentments about Dr. Smith taking on the presidency of Palmer Theological Seminary some while ago, though continuing to serve at Shiloh, are coming forward. It looks like a no-win to me.

 

I'm not throwing rocks, but please be careful, gang.

I made this same point in a thread regarding Bellevue Baptist in Memphis last year.

I'm sure we don't know the whole story. The impressions we have regarding what's wrong might be dead on--or dead wrong....and I don't want to be party to any more strife, division, etc., than what's already there.
Let's just commit to pray for the church.