Churches Like These . . .

Church discipline is corrective, not punitive in nature. One can quote verses all day out of context.[/B by saturneptune

Can you read? 90 posts, oh man, I'm sorry a fella sure can waste a lot of time can't he!

 

KJVKid,

I agree that some, no, many churches are soft on sin. Many heap up to themselves pastors that will tickle their ears and turn a blind eye to blatant sins.

Scripture declares this will happen.

But in this instance, Mrs Caskey did not sin. She was asking for the guidelines of the bylaws to be observed. That is not sin.

It was more of a sin on the part of the pastor to not allow her to declare what he agreed to when he was appointed as pastor. It was more of a sin for him to remove her from membership for such a request as appointing deacons which those bylaws demanded. It was more of a sin for him to have her arrested for trespassing when she went to the Church to worship.

Seems to me Burrick had a log in his own eye and complaining about a mote in hers.

 

Only AFTER the scripturally prescribed course of events has taken place. Talk to her one-on-one, then take a witness, then bring it to the whole church.

So, no, a pastor can't just kick somebody out when he feels like it.

 

The charge was trespassing, but Mrs. Caskey's real offense, in her pastor's view, was spiritual. Several months earlier, when she had questioned his authority, he'd charged her with spreading "a spirit of cancer and discord" and expelled her from the congregation. "I've been shunned," she says.


This is all I know about the whole situation. I am certainly not going to pass judgement with this information. I WILL ALWAYS lean toward the pastor until I know otherwise. I have been preaching for a long time and I know a lot of Baptist preachers that need "shooting" but I will still give credit to the pastor until know differently.

 

More negative press about Christianity. Seems the only thing accomplished with this whole debate is to make a martyr out of her. I mean, who kicks out little old ladies, anyway? The "bad guys" do.

love,

Sopranette

 

And to that I say, AMEN!

love,

Sopranette

 

Back to my point; the article does not say whether or not biblical discipline was followed.

Did he talk to her one on one? Then, did he take a witness? Then did he take it to the church? Either he didn't, or he did and the article fails to report it so it can paint a picture.

To be sure, there are pastors who are tyrants. And there are deacons who are tyrants. And there are congregants (some of which are old ladies) that are tyrants. That is why biblical discipline involves the steps mentioned above of hearing the issue out several times BEFORE terminating fellowship.

Here's my other question: is a church a public area in which she has every right to be? I mean, how does a preacher have the authority to tell her to leave, then call 911 for tresspass? Is the preacher considered the CEO of the church? I mean, I can tell someone to leave my house (which is a private area) but I cannot make someone leave the courthouse...... follow me?

Who here has legal-fu and can answer?

 

Just because you called the guy and he refused to talk to you, don't mean a thing. I don't blame him for not talking to an outsider, you could have been a reporter who would misquote him.


It's very interesting that you all are ready to believe the worst. Have any of you read the church by-laws? Just because some old woman says that they are in the by-laws don't mean that they are or for that matter that there are any by-laws at all.


To the poster who mentioned about what the lost people in the community think.... Have you considered that they could be thinking "wow, someone finally had the guts to do something about that...." haven't you ever haired a lost person say "If that .....is a Christian than....."? In any case, what you are proposing is that pragmatism should trump truth, I disagree.


The tone of some of the posts has me a little concerned as well, I wonder if this is how lynch mobs get started?


Now, could some of you set aside your preconceived notions and admit that the matter is best left up to the church involved. It's fun to set at a keyboard and play god, but it's not healthy for your soul.

 

Well, of course. But, still why is a woman telling a pastor what he should do. Doesn't the Bible say women are to be silent in the church?
:saint:

 

From what I read, she wasn't in church when she spoke up and critizied the Pastor. She made a suggestion outside of the congregation. And yes, women are to be silent while IN church. I've never said a single word that wasn't written down or sang a hymn out of the blue myself, never, but that's a hot topic all on it's own.

love,
Sopranette

 

The long and short of this issue is that we have no say at all in the issue. It is their problem, and newspaper reports or not, remains their problem.

No one on this board, or in another church, can dictate to them what they should do with the pastor, and certainly no pastor has any authority over that pastor to tell him how to do things.

With all due respects to the OP, nothing anyone does can alter whatever God had planned for any church that belongs to Him.

I never lose sleep over the misbehavior of any pastor, member, or professing Christian.

It is as pointless as trying to gather a million signatures against the dividing of Israel, which Jay Sekulow is making an issue of.

If national Israel is under God's plan, no man can do anything to alter that plan.

 

(Cara: As a Catholic, you are not allowed to post in Baptist Only Forums. Thank you.)

 

:laugh: As a family we just watched an episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" about "Those Cossipin Men" :laugh: They have nothing on the Baptist message Board! :laugh:

 

I don't hate women, but the scripture say what they say.

Aren't you the one that said you believe in evolution over the scriptures?