McMinnville pastor accused in suit of Defamation

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Holy Ghost HH

Let's get facts right. It was the "pastor and son's" personal, for profit business. They used the children of non attending parents(mostly) as laborors to profit a "private" business. So pastor and son are unethical and use the "teach work ethic" excuse to profit. The best work ethic I get is every 2 weeks, my paycheck comes and if I mess up it stops. That's teaching work ethic. How funny the "pastor" can preach but doesn't practice. Pay a man worthy of his hire. That is scripture. So is it ok for a "pastor" to take advantage of their possition of influence to make a profit? This man has suffered a lot because of the pulpit pounding he got. Friends are now shunners, fellowship now gone. Where is the love of Christ in that? Can a man never be reinstated to the fellowship of God? Where in the Word does it say cast out and make no room for reconciliation? Even the man that was immoral in Cor. was able to come back. Not this brother tho. And for all of you wondering; I was there and I Got the B.O.L.I. Investigation and findings. Let's just say the "pastors" were a little forgetful on how much the kids worked. In my opinion they bold face lied on an investigation. I got proof and if anyone wants it just ask I am not ashamed of truth. I know these "pastors" are well known but that does not make exposing personal info right. I was there. So until they admit to BOLI the true hours those children worked how can they be saved? What a shame all of this is. To bad Christ has to endure all of this. I know preachers like to use backsliders and disfellowship meetings to set examples but to use a person by name and tell all his and her counseling session info is unethical and Christ will not deal kindly.
In the love of Jesus Christ and his absolute truth I pray for all. Maybe God uses this time to teach instead of judge. Remember, a man that restores a brother covers a multitude of sin.

I never heard of them. I have a question. Do you have any comment that they were working to pay for school tuition?

[Esaias]

I thought being part of a traditional church structure and denomination provided accountability so these types of events did not occur? Oh, wait...Is the pastor part of a denomination or wider fellowship?

If so, where's the accountability?

[n david]

If this was a business, and there was no arrangement as was claimed between the Pastor and the parents (kids working to pay their tuition), then I agree it's unethical and wrong of the Pastor to use free labor.

Of course, any debate is a moot point, since the courts have already made the Pastor pay these kids.

[n david]

Holy Ghost HH -- there are three sides to this story, the accusers side, the Pastor's side and the truth. I don't know which side you fall on, though your posts seem sympathetic to the accuser and not towards the Pastor. The comments attached to the articles were interesting. One comment stated they were there during the service in question and the Pastor did not do what the accuser claims he did. Another comment questioned how the accuser could claim the Pastor revealed private info, when the accuser was telling other people in the church the same information the Pastor gave that night. One of the comments which caught my eye was a claim that the accuser has previously filed lawsuits against 2 or 3 others, which (IF true) makes it appear the accuser has made a business of filing lawsuits against people.

Obviously I have no way of knowing whether any of the claims above are true or not, I just found them interesting. I have no dog in the fight, save that I don't believe a secular court should involve itself with internal church business.

[Servant's <3]

We are of a similar opinion.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Same faith? He was excommunicated and then slandered. You know how that stuff works? Pastor and saints tell their friends and so on and so on so that he can never attend another Oneness church because of the lies told...I say sue the man, because surely he is either not praying or not listening to God.

Who knows...maybe this is how God chose to deal with him

You're assuming the accusations against the Pastor are true. How do you know he slandered him; Because the accuser or his friend says the Pastor did? Again there are three sides to every story, each opposing side and the truth. No evidence has been presented, so how do you already know the Pastor slandered the accuser?

It could be there was good reason the accuser was excommunicated from the church.

My father had to excommunicate someone from the church he pastored. It was a man and his family who moved from out of state. They had recently resigned from pastoring a church a few states away and was looking to just be part of a church body. A few months after they moved, people started coming to my father, saying the man was trying to counsel people against my father. The man would take any disagreement he had with my father's message or direction for the church and would tell people how he'd do it if he were the pastor.

My father was disappointed to do it, but he sent him out. Then he told the people if anyone wanted to join the man, they were free to leave; however, if they chose to stay, there was to be no contact or fellowship with the man and his family.

IMO, a believer should never sue another believer. For any reason. The bible is quite clear against it.

Not only did Paul speak against it, but Jesus warned against this kind of action. In the parable of the man who was forgiven a debt he never could have repaid, this man turns around and throws a man who owed him barely anything into prison. When the lord heard about this, he brought back the man and delivered him to the tormentors 'til he could pay the debt in full. Jesus closed the parable with a warning: "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

IIRC, I read the accuser has been in the church for a while. God forgave the accuser all his sins and trespasses. But should he now take the role of the unforgiving servant and sue another believer -- Jesus said, not me, that all his sins and trespasses will be put back on him.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by n david

You're assuming the accusations against the Pastor are true..

Yes I am, for the sake of argument. If that happened to me, I'd sue.

So if this person is being honest and these things happened...I say go ahead and sue

[Walks_in_islam]

Originally Posted by n david

My father had to excommunicate someone from the church he pastored. It was a man and his family who moved from out of state.

My father was disappointed to do it, but he sent him out. Then he told the people if anyone wanted to join the man, they were free to leave; however, if they chose to stay, there was to be no contact or fellowship with the man and his family.

Jesus closed the parable with a warning: "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

Are you seriously offering a story about throwing someone out and prohibiting anyone from contact with him as a lesson about love and forgiveness?

Isn't treatment of someone like that exactly what Jesus warned against? I know you probably did not pick up logic from those PACEs I am guessing you were likely educated from but good grief.

smh

[Esaias]

Love and forgiveness does not mean sin is to be tolerated. Jesus Himself gave instructions for excommunication.

[Holy Ghost HH]

So, it is wrong to sue a brother for any reason? That is the exact thought the Catholic Church had about its child "indiscretion" didn't it? The church became independent from the UPCI. UPCI is in a backslider state if you hear the undertone of the reason this church left it. The 2 sides and the truth is a good one. Facts Are part of truth. This story has garnered a lot of attention in McMinnville and they will run a follow up I would assume. I am on the side of right not wrong. I would choose the facts over opinion that is why I read the file. Never take a mans word as fact without validation on something as important as this. Doing the right thing is no reason for disfellowship.