Posted on 10/11/2014 9:11:03 PM PDT by servo1969
Last Thursday evening I had my pastor over to Casa de Giles to enjoy one of my fine cigars with the family and me. During the course of catching up, I found out that several new families from a local South Florida mega-church had left that zoo and had joined our church. The reason why they said they absconded had me gobsmacked – and I’m a hard critter to shock.
Having been in the ministry for twenty-five years, I’ve pretty much heard it all and have seen it all, but I wasn’t ready for this curve ball. This time it wasn’t because the “pastor” was an impenitent adulterer or heretic or because he was going all Rob Ford and stuff down on South Beach or that he was squat-humping altar boys.
No, the reason they fled Babylon was because they found out that their pastor had an elder-approved clothing budget of $60,000 a year built into his financial perks for pastoring. What a dandy. Sounds just like the lowly Nazarene, eh? Five grand a month? Really, dude? Oh, and I almost forgot, he also never wears the same clothes twice when he appears on stage on Sundays. Who does he think he is? Mariah Carey?
As I was listening to my brother line out what these refugees had told him was their reason for leaving, I couldn’t help but contrast that crap with another minister whom I had met with the week prior who runs a massive ministry providing the basics for Iraqi Christians being slaughtered by the Islamic State in northern Iraq. His ministry is a real front-line-life-or-death works in one of the most anti-Christian hot spots on the planet. Oh, by the way, he takes no salary for all the hard work he churns out helping thousands under Islam’s heel.
As a 51year-old I’ve had it with the Christian Glitterati obsessed with “success” using ministry as a means to get rich, wear Rolexes and play like they're Ryan Seacrest. Our world is going to hell and the last thing we need is a preening pastor with a histrionic personality disorder.
For what it’s worth, my brethren, here’s my advice to saints who might find themselves in a similar silly church situation.
Yep, folks, my time, talent and treasure will only go to ministers and ministries that stay true to the Verbum Dei and who do good works for those who’re truly in need. I suggest you do the same and flee the carnival-like mooks who’ve let their personal ambitions eclipse biblical principles and common sense.
Amen.
lol... I think we all know a Houston area "pastor" who fits that description
I think we can all come up with a good one.
I would always stop on the late-night channel to listen to his wife. She did the “teaching” type of sermons with lots of Hebrew and Greek language meanings thrown in.
And she made the point of saying that she did not want donations from the TV audience. That the TV show was paid for by the church members as their gift to get the message out.
Definitely an odd story with him and his wife - but I sure learned a lot from her.
People in sales know about this. Their saying is “never dress better than your customer, and never wear your best suit to go begging.” Be glad that these so-called pastors are relative pikers and easily spotted. Many know the game well enough to be inconspicuous about it.
It's probably just me but being a porn surfing EPA bureaucrat sounds like an easier gig
We used Dr. Scott for entertainment value. My family still talks about the time, probably 25 years ago, that Dr. Scott sat onscreen without talking for hours, until the donations got to a specific level. LOL!!
My Priest came over and I was surprised that He had holes in in his pants. Not big, just a tear. Great guy, I really love him, and he takes care of my family
Church boards are often composed of sock puppets. It is the pastor’s fault.
You do have a point. The pastor has a pride issue, imo. Making his looks more important than the fiscal well being of his church.
LOL!
Silly, but since it’s from your father, you get a pass.
My favorite TV preacher was a late 40’s, early 50’s white lady, who preached like she was black. She had the Call and Response, and everything.
If you closed your eyes, she was black.
I don't think there is a problem with a pastor and his family being provided with a livable salary. However, there is a problem when a "servant of the Lord" is living a christian version of a rock star income. It does not reflect well on the Master's message. There is indeed a problem. Just because the church is able to do so, does not mean they should do it.
Jesus preached to multitudes, He healed the sick and disabled. With that kind of "star power", He could have made nice tidy sum. However, He did not.
If a person went into the "ministry", they should also accept that it is not a get-rich scheme. Just because they can does not mean they should. They do reflect the Master.
We may argue, "Well, people cannot live like Jesus." True, that is why I think a livable income is just fine so they don't have to worry about taking care of their family. However, they need to remember that they are in the business of helping save lost souls and things not of worldliness.
If you worship mammon that is.
What reason do we have to don fancy attire and celebrate? We still have infant Auschwitz's in every major city?
I'm sure the Creator will be impressed with your shiny threads though.
His widow Mellisa Scott has taken over preaching duties and shows up on late night TV or satellite. She scribbles on a white board and walks around as she talks. If you try to follow what she is saying you end up playing with your lips and mumbling to yourself.
Come up with a good one? Why sure.
About twenty years ago I was regularly attending a Lutheran (ELCA) church until that one Sunday when.....
(Here’s where Paul Harvey would say “The rest of the story.”)
The pastor took as his text for the Sunday sermon not a passage from scripture but rather a chapter from the book “Jonathon Livingston Seagull.”
I was waiting for him on he church steps after the service, but he never showed. And he stopped returning my phone calls.
And of course, I took my young family elsewhere.
bttt
Amen.
Yep
Former porno gal.
Nice natural bod but no preacher
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3002157/posts
I find women preachers uninspiring....tks anyhow
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