..... ever divorced before she married her present husband, would that fact therefore disqualify her husband from being a pastor?
(Since there's already a thread on whether a divorced man can be a pastor, I didn't want to derail that thread---thus I've started this new thread.)
Also, I'm wondering if her divorce took place before she was saved whether or not that would make a difference in disqualifying her current husband from being a pastor.
Your thoughts/comments would be appreciated on these questions.
IMHO, the only thing that disqualifies a man from being a pastor is the absence of God calling him to that position.
(BTW, I understand the passage in Timothy to be referring to having multiple wives.
A local church needs to establish their interpretation and present them in their bylaws but I do not see divorce…as bad as I view the practice…as disqualifying someone as pastor and I certainly don’t view it as an unpardonable sin).
Amen!!
It seemed to me that the baptists of yore looked at divorce in precisely that light! :BangHead:
Incidentally, I'm not divorced, nor is my wife, neither are any of my offspring and only one of my close friends is, so my perception is not colored by this problem touching my life in any way. The friend was divorced & remarried long before I ever met him, so----!
I agree - it really depends on the situation.
There was a pastor at another church who left his wife, married the church secretary and continued to pastor.
I don't think it was the wife thing that disqualifies the man - but the broken heart condition they both had.
God changes lives.
If a woman was divorced, later was saved, married a man and he wanted to become a pastor, I don't think that he is disqualified from ministry - unless she still has a heart that is against her husband, against God's leading and against obedience.
Then yes, I think the husband needs to spend time working on ministry to his wife and not worry about ministry to a church.
In my opinion, the context, background, and proper exegesis of the "husband of one wife" passages indicates the discussion was one wife at a time, thus it is addressing the issue of polygamy and not divorce.
Likewise, I'm sure how the life of a spouse can influence the calling of a pastor. I've never understood this.
So no, a pastor's wife, having been divorced, does not disqualify him from pastoring.
I don't believe so. Again, as I stated on another thread, this choice would be between those who would choose him to lead and his ABILITY to lead.
His wife's divorce shouldn't factor in unless the man wanting to pastor was involved in some way leading to the divorce.
.... than again, you may be wrong! I do think, and I say this from talking to pastors, that there is a sense of "calling" placed on the heart of those in the ministry!
If one doesn't have that calling, or heed the caling, things can be disasterous! I had a definite calling, and it was something I couldn't deny, and it was followed by some interesting supernatural acts of God to show me He really wanted me where He called me!
After all, we see throughout the OT, where prophets called out those to be Kings, and those who would be passed on the gifts of prophets. For instance, Elisha became the follower of Elijah, who tutored him and gave him a double portion of gifts. Then in the NT, we see God calling Paul, and Jesus calling all the disciples.
So, I think there is a supernatural calling, or tapping out, of those who will minister for the Kingdom! In fact, the topic abut a pastor that turned to atheism might be an example of a man who did not recieve a calling, but rather chose the profession for himself, and stumbled to the point of leaving the ministry and the faith!
All sins are blotted out by the blood. If a man or woman has been married 100 times prior to conversion, that doesn't disqualify him from the ministry, imo. We are new creatures and all things have become new.