Posted on 08/19/2007 11:08:17 AM PDT by Terriergal
http://www.constantiacenter.com/
COME VISIT IF YOU’RE IN THE AREA,WE ARE A SOVEREIGN GRACE
COMMUNITY.
The Good Book warns about false prophets. The woods and pulpits are chock full of them. We have an ongoing one here.
Lew, in Ks
You really should get out more. Willow Creek, and Purpose Driven are destroying churches all across the country. Happening to a number of Baptist church right here in Memphis. Tenn.
Looks like a nice little fellowship, be proud and rejoice.
Is the pastor a part timer, and is his salary about - oh - $50,000.00 a year for maybe one day’s work total a week? Not to sound cynical nor criticize your church or pastor (as I don’t know anything about it); but I have come to the conclusion that a lot of pastors and their wives use their churches for cash cows or ATM machines. - I came out of a very controlling pastor/ church situation where this was the case. This preacher was making about $500.00 a week (plus bonus) for probably a total of five hours of “work” a week (including the occasional hospital visit that a very small congregation entailed). $100 an hour may not sound like much; but when it’s coming from people struggling to live on little more than minimum wage, it’s a lot. We were always having to take up “love offerings” and do fundraising to pay for the musical entertainment his wife demanded as song leader. (Note: We didn’t need a song leader when the congregation was sometimes less than 20 people.)
It’s my observation that generally people aren’t willing to look at the deal their preacher is getting with a realistic eye because they are given the impression that he has an inside track and a hotline to God and they aren’t going to risk their ticket to heaven by offending a “man of God”. Anyone who crosses these guys and gets off the reservation is punished by the enforcers in the core group that labels those who leave as inferior and blazes them with the icy hate stare ever after when they meet them on the street (no matter how much they GAVE and GAVE and GAVE when they were in that church).
Hmmm...
I attend a “purpose driven” church. Our purpose is to worship God, study His word to gain a better understanding of His purpose for us, accept and remember His grace in the gift of His son for our salvation, and to bring others to Christ by example and teaching.
I take it that the author is referring to some other meaning of “purpose driven” church.
Can you or anyone give me a brief explanation of what in the world their code-words are intended to mean in this bewildering new context?
The Elders, which I am one of, participate in discipleship, i.e. hospital visits, funerals, births, visiting the homebound including meal preparation and delivery, etc.
WE DO THAT AS PART OF CHRIST’S COMMUNITY.
5 SOLAS!
So I guess when a Pastor from a non purpose driven church steals that proves that all non purpose driven churches/people are wrong in their non purpose driven teaching?
Wow, that is a lot of pent up bitterness.
I’ve only followed our preacher a few days on the weekend. I don’t know how he does it. He is constantly being called by church members needing help. Friday, he was on a roof helping to fix a leak that one of our elderly members could not afford to fix. Yesterday, he was moving furniture for another member that had to move. He works at least 8 hours a day for the church members and does not get Sundays off.
The average Minister is laying up their treasure in heaven, not on Earth.
I thought according to MSM and some freepers it was only the Catholic church that had all these thugs.....
After the crime was discovered. Not much moral high ground there.
Suggestion for the church web site - add the address and directions.
I suspect there are more thieves, drunkards and adulterers in most churches than pedophiles.
ping
It can go both ways.
I totally agree.
Probably on song.
Bitterness? - The “power couple” which I describe are, I think, more prevalent than you might think in the churches today. I have suffered a lot as a result of their callous (whether planned or not) attitudes toward all those “Teflon People” who come to “their church” and then leave, I suspect for similar reasons to mine. - I do feel that I should open the eyes of anyone who is trapped in such a mess as I was in there and give them the help to REALLY LOOK at the fact that their preacher and his lovely wife may possibly be enjoying pedestal living way too much.
Good for you if your preacher works 24/7. The one to whom I refer did not. - Being accused of “bitterness” is easily employed by someone whose experience is good. Wait until you encounter one who drives a wedge between you and your mate while using them and raking in the dough from poor people’s pockets. (This guy’s main job was a car salesman. The church was apparently just a cash cow.) They were always ridiculing all the “Teflon People” who came there and left. I finally realized what was Teflon, and it wasn’t all the good people those two had driven off from there either.
Believe me, I have forgiven them - but that has not stopped me from commenting appropriately when this subject comes up.
If I were “bitter” as you say, I would not have left up there quietly two and a half years ago but would have stayed on and started a whispering campaign against them instead of GETTING OUT OF THE WAY! It is shameful how people like that use their position as a so-called “man of God” to intimidate people. I an NOT talking about your preacher, just what I have personally observed and experienced. - Christ is their judge ultimately, and so I leave it to His discretion, but will always comment upon these preachers who are abusing the pulpit for their own ends.
Twinkie
I hear lots of good things about the Sovereign Grace churches.
oh, my.
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