single pastors

There's no biblical requirement for a Pastor to be married. Some point to scripture such as the fames "husband of one wife" verse, but that is a matter of taking scripture out of context.

 

Lets suppose that for whatever reason a Pastor has been divorced. Then it is likely that on the basis of that a church may feel that the person is not suitable and be reluctant to hire them.

Not that I agree with that, that is just how I have seen churches operate and it may be the answer to the question.

Single Pastors by the way genrally do not seem to stay that way for a great deal of time.

 

"Single Pastors by the way genrally do not seem to stay that way for a great deal of time."
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I don't know about that, the largest church in the world uses single pastors exclusively.

 

The largest church on the world is a Full Gospel church in South Korea. Most of their pastors are married.

 

I think it is a good "rule of thumb" for a pastor to be married with children. There are exceptions. I think we would all take a "Paul" for our pastor whether or not he had a wife and/or children.

 

I think it is irrelevant whether one is married or not. Paul who was an Apostle was never married and in all probabilty Timothy was not married when 1 and 2 Timothy was written to him. The "husband of one wife" is a verse often taken out of context in that literally it means "one woman man". In other words a Pastor should not be a womanizer else Paul is disqualifying himself (which would be shocking) and possibLY Timothy.

There is an attitude by many that a Married person is supposely more mature than a Single person. Such an idea has no basis in scripture and both the married life and the single life has it's strengths and weaknesses. One of the failures of the Church today is ministry to Single people in their later 20's, 30's 40's and often because of the emphasis on marriage, the Church makes such people feel inferior.

 

Kiffiin - Would you help me understand how a single man who is a bishop (KJV) fits into your understanding of this verse as meaning "a one woman man"?

How can a single man be a "one woman man"?

Isn't a single man living in a monogamous relationship with a single woman without benefit of marriage, a "one woman man"?

Would that fella be qualified to be a bishop? According to your interpretation he would...

Your "one woman man" -

1. Is he devoted to his mother?

2. Is he devoted to his girlfriend - I Cor 7:36?

Is your interpretation that "IF" a bishop is married, THEN he must be a "one woman man"?

If you make the wife optional, then the children must also be optional - right?

Are the rest of the requirements in this passage also Optional?

blameless,

vigilant,

sober,

of good behavior,

given to hospitality,

apt to teach;

Not given to wine,

no striker,

not greedy of filthy lucre


How exactly does your idea of the "one woman man" enlighten our understanding of this passage?


Rick

 

Rick,

The qualification of the text is blameless. A one woman man is a man who is blameless in his relationshisp with the opposite sex. A man who is hte 'husband of one wife' can be a womanizer. He would be disqualified under the biblical understanding of this text. Under your understanding, he is not disqualified.

And yes, the children are optional. God has not chosen to bless all people with children.

The list of particulars are representative examples of what it means to be blameless.

 

Johnv
"The largest church on the world is a Full Gospel church in South Korea."
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Nooit van de Katholieke kerk gehoord?

 

And before I forget.

Pastor Larry

 

No, they do not. There are several hundred Roman Catholic Priests who were married pastors of other denominations who broke away from their original denomination and were subsequently ordained by the Roman Catholic Church as priests. And many of these are pastors of parishes even though they live at home with their wife and children. For obvious reasons, many Roman Catholic priests believe that their church has a double standard.

 

Even Jesus agreed that it is better for a man not to marry, and I believe that includes pastors. I have known several pastors whose wives were a curse rather than a blessing, but of courses I have known other pastors whose wives were a rich blessing. But most women are not happy without the pleasures of being a mother, and being both a husband to a wife and a father to children leaves precious little time for pastoral responsibilities. Although many Catholic churches have at least one church service everyday of the week, it is very unusual to find a Protestant church that has church services more than three times a week, and very many only once or twice.

I knew of one Protestant church, however, that kept its entire facility open seven days a week, including all holidays, till midnight, and had a Bible Study every night at 7:00, and a church service every night at 9:00, and also a Sunday morning service. Needless to say, the pastor was a single man. Was he as well qualified to counsel women and families as were most married pastors with children? Absolutely! He was better qualified! He had the time to spend with the congregation and thus the time to get to know the individuals and their needs. Each night at midnight, he politely asked the church members who were still there to leave, and then went to his study to pray for two hours before going home. Married pastors are denied such luxuries.

Being a pastor is a full time job, a job that has no time for a wife, children, sports, parties, and other concerns that are not essential to the calling. Our Lord is very forgiving, but there is a price to pay, and most unfortunately hundreds of thousands of Christian congregations around the world are paying the price.

 

Interestingly in Australia, we are getting on average all of one person a year electing to become a catholic priest. needless to say the priests in Australia are being brought in, in numbers from third world countries to keep the parishes open, that is those that have not been closed down or merged. All is not well in the RCC at present down here.

 

Paul was never a partor that we know of and how do you know that Timothy was not married when the letters were written to him?

 

Ik heb toch van de Katholieke kerk gehoord. I thought you were referring to a specific congregation, not a denomination. Sorry, 'bout that.

 

Huh??? There is an exception to the unmarried rule in Catholicism. If you're a widow, you can be a Catholic priest. The local RCC church near here recently ordained a man whose wife dies several years ago. He retired from a professional administrative position after 30 years, and, having already had the educational requirements, decided to persue the priesthood rather than retire.

But as for what your'e referring to, when was this? I know this is allowable in the Episcopal church, the Anglican Catholic Church and the Reformed Catholic Church, but not the Roman Catholic Church.

 

Huh??? There is an exception to the unmarried rule in Catholicism. If you're a widow, you can be a Catholic priest. The local RCC church near here recently ordained a man whose wife dies several years ago. He retired from a professional administrative position after 30 years, and, having already had the educational requirements, decided to persue the priesthood rather than retire.

But as for what your'e referring to, when was this? I know this is allowable in the Episcopal church, the Anglican Catholic Church and the Reformed Catholic Church, but not the Roman Catholic Church. </font>[/QUOTE]It is the current policy and practice of the Roman Catholic Church.

 

" All is not well in the RCC at present down here. "
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All is not well in the RCC at present all over the place.
I suspect that the RCC will allow married male priests in positions below the level of bishop before the year 2050.