Should the Church be Adept at Suppressing Negative Information?

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

It is misleading information.

Who is he, Bill Clinton?

This of course depends on how "is" is defined.

[Pragmatist]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

Just wondering....

13?

C'mon!

That is sooo insulting.

Well, the 13 was specifically stated as those who sent in their credentials to WEC. Now from reading on AFF, I am aware that most leaving will do so through nonpayment of dues, and others may turn in their credentials at the district level.

Is this really spin? Do you think he's trying to say only 13 are leaving?

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

What if it bills itself as "one of the fastest growing movements in the world" when, in fact, its attendance numbers have decreased steadily for over a decade?

Is that a lie?

We took up $7 Million Offering last year when only $2.2 was really received.....

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

Should the church be adept at suppressing negative information?

Is it wrong to withhold information that may paint an organization in a negative fashion?

For instance...

1. An organization misleads its constituents, and the public, by posting inflated attendance numbers.

2. An organization discloses faulty information knowingly.

3. An organization discloses financial records improperly.



Is that wrong?

Or has the church become an image conscious business?

I think that abused preacher's wives have remained silent and not reported domestic violence in their own homes to protect the image of their husband/pastorate as well as the church.

Board members are "yes" men because they are taught to fear the ministry as God incarnate. And they lean heavily on that scripture to "touch not God's anointed" not realizing that you don't have to be preacher/pastor to be anointed and the image of God is tainted in allowing others to abuse you.

God is a big God and he abhors liars, is more than able to protect his church, and does not need us being martyrs to protect something that is sinful and deceitful.

The true church is the true saints who worship Christ in spirit and in truth...not buildings, big bank accounts, and hypocrits.

Let God be God. Do what he would do...overthrow the money-changers tables and whip them out of the building.

Blessings, Rhoni

[FRINGE_NUTTER]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

I think that abused preacher's wives have remained silent and not reported domestic violence in their own homes to protect the image of their husband/pastorate as well as the church.

Board members are "yes" men because they are taught to fear the ministry as God incarnate. And they lean heavily on that scripture to "touch not God's anointed" not realizing that you don't have to be preacher/pastor to be anointed and the image of God is tainted in allowing others to abuse you.

God is a big God and he abhors liars, is more than able to protect his church, and does not need us being martyrs to protect something that is sinful and deceitful.

The true church is the true saints who worship Christ in spirit and in truth...not buildings, big bank accounts, and hypocrits.

Let God be God. Do what he would do...overthrow the money-changers tables and whip them out of the building.

Blessings, Rhoni

Little Rhoni, are you proposing that there be a slew of empty buidlings just taking up an acre of land?

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by FRINGE_NUTTER

Little Rhoni, are you proposing that there be a slew of empty buidlings just taking up an acre of land?

Maybe there is a lot to be said for church in homes and small groups that are self-sufficient. The business and politics of the church makes us look bad sometimes.

I have seen small churches that are family owned which refuse to have a business meeting or to discuss the finances of the church. My thoughts are...what do they have to hide?

I've seen moderate to large churches making 30 minutes sermons out of every offering taken and making you want to get up and walk out.

I've seen church numbers in attendance inflated to include cats, dogs, and the neighbors driving down the street...to impress who?

There has been many a church that split or was dissatisfied because Daddy intended to make his son or son-in-law Pastor regardless of the will of the church membership or even the will of God.

Makes me want to puke to come in or out of a sanctuary, before or after and main service to have people with tables of things for sale from tickets to baked goods making the visitors and membership uncomfortable when they don't want nor can they afford to give another dollar.

To get more personal: My mother hid the church woes from my unsaved father to the point of the Pastor's daughter getting a divorce because she fell in love with a handsome evangelist and obviously missed the will of God. My father learned about what was going on from the spouse she was divorcing in a bar.

People fool themselves by hiding sin. They need to call it out and handle it Biblically and practice forgiveness and restoration for the community to see...not lying, covering, and being hypocritical.

Just some of my thoughts on the matter.

[Rhoni]

Bro Benninghoff once told a Pastor and his wife that the troubled church they were pastoring had been warring for decades...best thing that could happen was for the church to burn to the ground so the people could come together to rebuild.

[RevDWW]

Originally Posted by ManOfWord

These are ALL wrong. If an organization has to lie to "save face" then it is already in serious trouble. I have always had a policy on our leadership team that we will share the truth at almost all costs. The only exception is confidentiality situations.

We had one of our Sunday School teachers get arrested for child molestation. I was upfront with our church, the police and due to us being truthful, our church never did get connected in the newspapers.

I believe that it is indeed true... "truth will set you free!"

A certain someone may find them self "set free" from a certain organization. A truthful but bad message can often have bad consequences for the messenger. This should not, however, deter the message or the messenger.

Would there have be an Apostle Paul without a martyred Steven?

Sometimes the emperor's "new clothes" are really nakedness and He refuses to admit it.

[PreacherV]

Originally Posted by BoredOutOfMyMind

We took up $7 Million Offering last year when only $2.2 was really received.....

I don't think the UPC was dishonest in reporting $7 million in pledges, but those who pledged the missing $4.8 million certainly were!

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by PreacherV

I don't think the UPC was dishonest in reporting $7 million in pledges, but those who pledged the missing $4.8 million certainly were!

Peopel

le are watching and they measure their success by the amount of offering they pledge...may can't afford the pledge..."vanity of vanities saith the preacher...all is vanity"

Rhoni