Pastoral Tales
Pastors have their tales to tell. Many of them are like big fish stories or tales of a war veteran. A while back, I was approached by a seminary student, who asked me to recount a few case studies for him to reference for a school project. Here are some case examples that posed problems for me, as a pastor, and that required resolutions.
The Elder’s Love Affair
In the cross-country journey to a new pastorate, I was telephoned, while en route, with the news that the lead elder at the church, where I had just accepted the call to pastor, had been having an ongoing affair with a woman in the church.
She had departed the church, in order to avoid church discipline. The man stayed and attempted a course of repentance, but he soon joined her in the fellowship of another congregation. The matter was hidden from our congregation by the elders, who at first agreed that the congregation should be notified, in our obedience to Matthew 18.
Division arose after much prayer and discussion. One elder built a caucus, to sweep the matter under the rug. The elders were divided, and although the matter remained hidden (another vote), and the departed elder escaped the restoration process, the rift among the elders poisoned many subsequent situations and decisions that needed resolution.
The division eventually proved to be the root cause of my later being fired from my position as senior pastor. The moral is that situations in church leadership can have no consequences for some people and be ruinous for others. Stand for truth, but do not be naïve about the politics you will face in attempting to do what is biblical and right.
The Moody Bible Dude
As the senior pastor, I was approached by a woman from a Bible study with a concern that the group’s leader was teaching the false doctrine of perfectionism. I sent a trusted associate pastor, who was the most astute, theologically, to monitor the group and its teacher, who was a graduate of Moody Bible Institute.
The presence of my associate did not dissuade the group’s teacher, who was indeed teaching that he and others were without sin, having attained perfection. When my associate queried the man, he was unashamed of his claims. My associate pastor then reported back to me that false teaching was indeed happening on our local church campus.
I called the Moody dude into my office to discuss the matter and confront the teaching. He refused to repent, after confessing that he believed what he was teaching others. I dismissed the man and found another teacher for the group. I lauded the woman, who knew her Bible and theology, for taking the appropriate measures. The lesson here is that false teachers do find their way into local churches. Pastors must study to show themselves approved, theologically, for this reason.
Firing Pastors
As a senior pastor, I was aware that our church had too many paid pastoral staff members. Weekly meetings with my executive pastor included much prayer and working through different revenue and cost cutting scenarios. We prayerfully lifted two seasoned pastors before God and made our decision.
Our plan was to keep the pastors on staff for six month but grant them time and resources to secure new pastoral positions, elsewhere. With an expensive lunch, I informed these two faithful and valuable servants of Christ that they must move on for fiscal reasons.
Next, I informed the congregation of the decision and the process we went through to arrive at the decision. I called the two men of God forward, at the end of a service. We laid hands on them and prayed for the Holy Spirit to direct their steps.
After my prayer for them was over and everyone was returning to their seats, an elder approached the pulpit with a piece of paper in his hand. It was a check made out to the church for $100,000, from a member in the back row. An attached note explained that the check was to cover the salaries of these two pastors for the next six months. I wept in the pulpit that day. The lesson here is to do hard things in the ministry, but take your time, and be gracious to those who faithfully serve. God just may amaze you with His grace…on the spot!
Being Fired
It is one thing to sack a fellow slave of Christ, but it may also visit you as a pastor. In fact, pastors should anticipate being fired, as a test of discipleship. One must count the cost for being a teller of truth.
A man of God serves Christ as Lord, and by association, Christ’s church. Church history is riddled by the dark tales of faithful men being cast out of congregations and denominations. Factions occur to help the church discern approved workmen. Faithful men press on with their labor of love…come what may and wherever God sends them next.
Just as the Reformers were expelled from Rome, so the Scottish Covenanters were tossed out by Anglican Bishops. The Puritans suffered excommunication and were banished. Even America’s foremost theologian/pastor, Jonathan Edwards, was thrown out. If removal-by-church-politics happened to such an esteemed man of God, the lesson is that it should not surprise you when it happens to you. God is faithful to the men of God He calls to proclaim the Gospel and sees them through their suffering in ministry and out of ministry, as they follow in the steps of Jesus and Paul.
In conclusion, in the church you will have trouble like these four case studies. As an elder/pastor, make sure of your first love, and your calling to suffer as a steward entrusted with great treasure (1 Cor 4, 9; 1 Thess 2; Phil 1:29). Press on toward the mark of the high calling. Fight the good fight and run the race to the finish line, for there is a crown that awaits you, by His grace.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
May 21, 2022
