A distant friend of mine recently passed away after a brief bout with cancer. She attended sparingly the church I grew up in. Her mother has been a member of said church for over 40 years. The pastor denied the request for funeral service to be held at the church. His reason was the deceased was not a member in good standing! I have never heard of this happening! And personally I think it's a sorry act as a human much less as someone who is a pastor!! Any opinions out there??!
A distant friend of mine recently passed away after a brief bout with cancer. She attended sparingly the church I grew up in. Her mother has been a member of said church for over 40 years. The pastor denied the request for funeral service to be held at the church. His reason was the deceased was not a member in good standing! I have never heard of this happening! And personally I think it's a sorry act as a human much less as someone who is a pastor!! Any opinions out there??!
Sounds absurd.
Glad he is not my Pastor
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A friend of mine attends a UPC church and did so prior to moving to her current state. When her father, who was Roman Catholic, recently passed away, there was nobody Catholic to perform services, as he didn't attend anything but Latin mass church services. His wife attends an AOG church but the pastor refused to do the service, even though he offered to have the service at his church.
My friend called her former UPC pastor, who lives about 4 hours from where her dad lived and told him the situation. He didn't hesitate to answer the need to perform the service. Him and his wife, who had been very sick and hospitalized almost all summer, both came and were hospitable.
Her mother's pastor, who did attend the funeral service but not the graveside service (which was an additional hour away that the UPC pastor also attended, even though it was further west), wasn't cordial at all. He spoke to her mother but addressed nobody else nor did he ask about any of the other family present.
It's an act of compassion I will never forget, and I'm sure she won't either. Her mother was so honored as well.
A friend of mine attends a UPC church and did so prior to moving to her current state. When her father, who was Roman Catholic, recently passed away, there was nobody Catholic to perform services, as he didn't attend anything but Latin mass church services. His wife attends an AOG church but the pastor refused to do the service, even though he offered to have the service at his church.
My friend called her former UPC pastor, who lives about 4 hours from where her dad lived and told him the situation. He didn't hesitate to answer the need to perform the service. Him and his wife, who had been very sick and hospitalized almost all summer, both came and were hospitable.
Her mother's pastor, who did attend the funeral service but not the graveside service (which was an additional hour away that the UPC pastor also attended, even though it was further west), wasn't cordial at all. He spoke to her mother but addressed nobody else nor did he ask about any of the other family present.
It's an act of compassion I will never forget, and I'm sure she won't either. Her mother was so honored as well.
Great story. I have witnessed similar acts of compassion by UPCI ministers to total strangers who are not of the Apostolic faith.
Last edited by Originalist; 10-21-2013 at 10:37 AM.
A distant friend of mine recently passed away after a brief bout with cancer. She attended sparingly the church I grew up in. Her mother has been a member of said church for over 40 years. The pastor denied the request for funeral service to be held at the church. His reason was the deceased was not a member in good standing! I have never heard of this happening! And personally I think it's a sorry act as a human much less as someone who is a pastor!! Any opinions out there??!
Hopefully his church will shrink after this.
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