“Elevating Pastors”

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by JamesGlen

I can understand why you would ask.

I asked her and what made her ask me that, if she had spoken w others after church about it(she said no), and she spent about 10 mins trying to explain her thoughts. In short she brought it up from that nights visiting minister, how he mentioned several times the term man of God, referring to our pastor....and recapping-here is kind of the just of what she said “how far do we go with that w him being like the voice if God in our lives...for example isn’t the pastors daughter a voice in our lives? Or people like sister Hosely(she’s an elderly lady in our church) she’s very wise....I don’t know, like people sometimes seem like they don’t think our pastor makes mistakes like us....aren’t we all prone to make mistakes now and then....and can’t other people like elders in the church be Gods voice in our lives?”
That wasn’t exactly verbatim, but that was the just of it. My wife and I listened to her try to explain her thoughts and why, for about ten minutes, and tried to discuss it w her.

She is 14, almost 15, this will be her 2nd year taking some college classes, (we homeschool), she has memorized over 3400 bible verses in her life(427 this past year). She is a thinker, and quite intelligent. She mentioned how there’s a few people that don’t seem to respect a pastors voice or wisdom, yet others seem to esteem him too highly as the only voice of God and like he’s practically flawless.

Anyway, that’s why she asked. Primarily from some of the content of a visiting minister. I had driven to the church house separately from working late, when we all got back home afterward, she brought it up.

The short of her thinking seemed to be, how far does it go with elevating pastors?

Sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders and has been raised well.
I would tell her that we serve God, not the pastor.
That pastors are people and are not perfect, but have been placed in our life by God.
They are worthy of honor and respect, but sometimes we as people will try to place them in a position where we regard them as perfect.
And this is not fair to them or to us.

[returnman]

I have never heard of any UPC, oneness church that practices the NT form of Deacons, elders. All, in similar form have the Pastor as head of everything in the church and the final vote on how everything operates. An elder is another name for Pastor or Bishop but it always comes back to the head man. Deacons? Not sure if I've ever met one. In most churches things run along just fine but the system lends itself to too much control without the proper checks and balances should someone of questionable character rise up. On a darker note, you can find yourself on the outside looking in a hurry should u fall into disfavor with certain pastors and in such no one in the church to confide. In summary I believe regardless of the title that the overseeing of the church in the NT refers to more than one. I attend a church where there are 4. The congregation is equally assigned to one of the 4 but we have the liberty to bring our need to any one of those we desire.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Anyone here a pastor?

[jediwill83]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Anyone here a pastor?

No. Just a "pester" here.

[TakingDominion]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Anyone here a pastor?

Elder Epley

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by TakingDominion

Elder Epley

I meant those who have posted.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Anyone here a pastor?

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

I meant those who have posted.

No, and that makes us the best and most knowledgeable to discuss and critique this important issue!

[JamesGlen]

I would very much like some pastors input on this.

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Anyone here a pastor?

EB - and your point is?
Are you falling into the line of reasoning that says you can't have an opinion on abortion unless you are a woman...
I have several friends and relatives who are pastors.
And I am in good graces with every pastor I ever had.
However, when I had one brother tell me that if the pastor every told him to kill someone, he would do it...
Well, that's when I knew he was serving the pastor and not God.
By the way, that guy is now a pastor...

[consapente89]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

eb - and your point is?
Are you falling into the line of reasoning that says you can't have an opinion on abortion unless you are a woman...
I have several friends and relatives who are pastors.
And i am in good graces with every pastor i ever had.
However, when i had one brother tell me that if the pastor every told him to kill someone, he would do it...
well, that's when i knew he was serving the pastor and not god.
By the way, that guy is now a pastor...

yikes!!!!!