Pastor's problems

jaxfam6 · #1 03-29-2008, 09:10 PM

How many of you have been in a church where the preacher seems to get on one subject and

?
From personal experience I have seen my father harp on adultery and low and behold that was exactly what he was having problems with. I have seen them harp on money and it seems they would do everything in their power to get more money for themselves. Every stupid get rich quick scam that came along they would jump on board. I have see preachers who do nothing but preach against one subject only to find out that they had an issue with that sin themselves.

Just curious if others have seen similar.

I know one that preachers against homosexuality about every service, or at least he used to, and now that I look back at it I am starting to worry about him. I pray very much that he doesn't have that issue himself but if he did it would not surprise me from my experiences.

BTW not for the purpose of telling who preached what and what their problem was. Just curious if others have had similar experiences.

Cindy · #2 03-29-2008, 10:27 PM

How about one that preached on gossip? Did ya know one like that?

Moe · #3 03-30-2008, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxfam6

How many of you have been in a church where the preacher seems to get on one subject and

?
From personal experience I have seen my father harp on adultery and low and behold that was exactly what he was having problems with. I have seen them harp on money and it seems they would do everything in their power to get more money for themselves. Every stupid get rich quick scam that came along they would jump on board. I have see preachers who do nothing but preach against one subject only to find out that they had an issue with that sin themselves.

Just curious if others have seen similar.

I know one that preachers against homosexuality about every service, or at least he used to, and now that I look back at it I am starting to worry about him. I pray very much that he doesn't have that issue himself but if he did it would not surprise me from my experiences.

BTW not for the purpose of telling who preached what and what their problem was. Just curious if others have had similar experiences.

I am sooooo sorry you have experienced this. I remember my father (who was in ministry for over 50 years) tell me the same thing. We have dealt with many ministers whom have fallen and have noticed (for the most part)
this to be true. What we noticed that most of these men were "hard clothesline preachers" While we stood for holiness, it was not railed on every single service and with harsh tones. It is almost like "misplaced blame" as they could not take responsibility for their own failures so the gender they found themselves entangled with became the enemy as a whole and they all had to pay for the sins of 1.

But I must point out this is just not a problem with ministers. It is a human issue that has manefested in one that just had the power and the platform to mis-use it. Sad, but they are to be pitied and prayed for. Seems like when they fall, they fall hard and it is hard for them to hold up their head afterward and most never make their way back. Most pastors fear helping these men after they fall. What a shame. Blood is the Blood is the Blood is the Blood!!!!!

How great it would be to have a hotline they could call that would honor confidentiality laws and allow these men and women to get help before it gets out of hand and actually keep them from a fall from grace. I know there is such a hotline in another Charismatic group. Great ministry! But.... to have one would mean that our leaders would have to acknowledge that there is a problem and not sure that would ever happen.

I hope and pray that you have not become bitter at your father and other men that have fallen. For every one that fell, there are 100 who are true and love righteousness and adhere to the moral law.

I will be praying for you.

Regards,

Moe

jaxfam6 · #4 03-30-2008, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moe

I am sooooo sorry you have experienced this. I remember my father (who was in ministry for over 50 years) tell me the same thing. We have dealt with many ministers whom have fallen and have noticed (for the most part)
this to be true. What we noticed that most of these men were "hard clothesline preachers" While we stood for holiness, it was not railed on every single service and with harsh tones. It is almost like "misplaced blame" as they could not take responsibility for their own failures so the gender they found themselves entangled with became the enemy as a whole and they all had to pay for the sins of 1.

But I must point out this is just not a problem with ministers. It is a human issue that has manefested in one that just had the power and the platform to mis-use it. Sad, but they are to be pitied and prayed for. Seems like when they fall, they fall hard and it is hard for them to hold up their head afterward and most never make their way back. Most pastors fear helping these men after they fall. What a shame. Blood is the Blood is the Blood is the Blood!!!!!

How great it would be to have a hotline they could call that would honor confidentiality laws and allow these men and women to get help before it gets out of hand and actually keep them from a fall from grace. I know there is such a hotline in another Charismatic group. Great ministry! But.... to have one would mean that our leaders would have to acknowledge that there is a problem and not sure that would ever happen.

I hope and pray that you have not become bitter at your father and other men that have fallen. For every one that fell, there are 100 who are true and love righteousness and adhere to the moral law.

I will be praying for you.

Regards,

Moe

You know when I was younger I did start to become bitter because of the exact thing you talked about. Ministers and their wives and kids shunned my mom and I and my brother who was a fantastic minister in his own right had to live down the sins of my father. Then when his wife had her problems those same men and women shunned him also. It was hard. No I am not bitter. I actually believe that what does not kill us can only make us stronger.
From all these things I have learned balance in my walk with God and learned that preachers are human too. I understand how to be a better saint in a church because of it also.

jaxfam6 · #5 03-30-2008, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cneasttx

How about one that preached on gossip? Did ya know one like that?

actually yes. know of a church where the preacher and his wife wanted everyone to come to them with problems and then they would tell everyone else about who had what problem. of course it was all supposed to be so the others could pray for that person.

Cindy · #6 03-30-2008, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxfam6

actually yes. know of a church where the preacher and his wife wanted everyone to come to them with problems and then they would tell everyone else about who had what problem. of course it was all supposed to be so the others could pray for that person.

That's sad. I hate gossip. It can get in your spirit if you listen to someone gossip long enough. It's horrible. I think people over look things like gossip compared to other more immoral sins I guess. But it can do so much damage.

gloryseeker · #7 03-30-2008, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxfam6

How many of you have been in a church where the preacher seems to get on one subject and

?
From personal experience I have seen my father harp on adultery and low and behold that was exactly what he was having problems with. I have seen them harp on money and it seems they would do everything in their power to get more money for themselves. Every stupid get rich quick scam that came along they would jump on board. I have see preachers who do nothing but preach against one subject only to find out that they had an issue with that sin themselves.

Just curious if others have seen similar.

I know one that preachers against homosexuality about every service, or at least he used to, and now that I look back at it I am starting to worry about him. I pray very much that he doesn't have that issue himself but if he did it would not surprise me from my experiences.

BTW not for the purpose of telling who preached what and what their problem was. Just curious if others have had similar experiences.

I just wonder how many Pastors have failed because the people in their congregations didn't hold them up in prayer, because they were too focused on what they disagreed with?

Not only does the Pastor hold a great responsibility for the people they have been given, but the saints have a great responsibility for the gift that is in their life.

I would be careful how you talk about those of whom have greater authority in the Kingdom than yourself:

2 Pet 2:9-11
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,
11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. (NKJ)

bethola · #8 03-30-2008, 08:21 AM

Yep! Been through it a couple of times. One of my pastors battled sexual sin; one battled gossip and one battled greed. It IS sad and causes a "Trust" issue with church congregants. However, jaxfam6, I agree with you that these issues (IF we learn from them) can help US be better balanced in OUR lives.

mfblume · #9 03-30-2008, 01:27 PM

It is true that a pastor's hobby horse, or dead horse, is indication he is trying to beat the same sin out of his own life by preaching against it, unconsciously, in more cases than not.

OneAccord · #10 03-30-2008, 01:30 PM

I remember some months before a certain minister was caught with prostitutes, his sermons became focused on "the sins of the felsh", (i.e., adultery, fornication, etc). He became very outspoken on these issues and, when another preacher was caught in imorality, this preacher led the mob to ostracize the other. Then...his sins came to light.

This is often the case. I knew a minister whose preaching againt sex, drugs and alcohol became a vitual obsession. Ever semon he preached, every tract he distributed dealt with these vices. Then, he became trapped in the very things he spoke the loudest against. Before his sins became apparent (which I might add, stemmed from an apparent addiction to pain madication), I became concerned by his obessesive dwelling on the mentioned vices (some of the tracts he distributed had some quite graphic images on them) and I prayed about it. The Lord seemed to have revealed to me that he was fighting those urges within himself. Apparently this was so, for the things he obsessed on were the very things that brought him down.