No class in seminary could have prepared the pastor for what he would face in his first senior pastorate.
The committee treated him and his family so well. Even an employee of the state board wrote a glowing recommendation letter about the church to the candidate. The salary was competitive. There was the promise of tuition for his children in a private school and assistance for him to finish the few classes he needed at the seminary. A large, well-kept parsonage was also part of the agreement. He and his family were excited about the prospect of ministry in the town. During the interview process the committee asked theological questions. It was clearly communicated that the church wanted a conservative Southern Baptist pastor with conservative values. It seemed like a dream position. He and his family felt blessed and to this day are still sure that God called them to this particular church.
All seemed well as they acclimated themselves to the community. They were given a "lifetime" membership to the town's swimming club. Their children were enrolled in a private school, and the tuition was magically paid. All appeared to be going so well... Then the strong suggestions on sermon material and subject matter began to come. The statement, "There's no such thing as a bad short sermon" began to be voiced. Comments from church leaders regarding the social use of alcohol began to be reiterated in ridiculing fashion in public places. One deacon bragged about an open bar in his house and laughed about rumors of his extramarital affair. This same deacon led the charge to discipline another member who was removed from any meaningful church participation without ever gaining information about the facts of the situation. Universalist views regarding salvation were expressed from other church leaders, and the pastor was warned not preach on the exclusivity of Christ. Doubts were cast on Baptist doctrine and polity. The deacon "board" spent over thirty thousand dollars of the church's money without ever consulting the church.
One of the deacons decided that it would be a good idea to survey the church. He told another one of the deacons and another staff member that they could use this survey to "train" their new pastor. An ill-conceived and unprepared survey went out against the pastor's wishes. He only wanted the questions edited to better fit the demographics of the congregation. This survey was the tipping point for some church members. They used it as an opportunity to anonymously express their concern about the control and direction of the church by particular individuals. One survey even called for a total dissolution of the current deacon body because they could not be trusted to serve the church.
Many church members confided in the pastor their distrust and lack of respect for the deacon body. It rapidly became evident that the deacons did not serve the church... they controlled it. A deeper look into the history of the church revealed that the pastorate had been a rotating door of pastors who left beaten up and discouraged for at least the last forty years. Some of their pastorates barely lasted a year. A few of the deacons told the new pastor of how they had "run off" previous pastors. They even boasted about the methods they had used. The new pastor was screamed at by every adult member of one deacon family save the grandmother. On more than one occasion, he was even threatened bodily harm.
This search into the church's history also revealed that a new constitution had been enacted just a few years before. This document proved to be a source of continual conflict as it was used to control, manipulate, and beat down any opposition to the controlling deacons. The pastor also discovered that it was a plagiarized copy of another church's constitution with the exception of one phrase. The statement regarding the abstention from alcohol in the "old Pendelton" Covenant had been removed and a grammatically incorrect, ambiguous, liberal sounding fragment was inserted. When asked about the change, several deacons seemed to become infuriated.
The pastor led a series of lessons on the Baptist Faith and Message. Many in the church revealed their pride in being Southern Baptists. They relished the history and traditions of their faith and wondered what had happened. They expressed their gratefulness to the pastor for bringing their roots to light. Others were angry over issues as simple as baptism by immersion and regenerate church membership.
The attacks on the pastor and his family continued. A watershed moment occurred when the pastor refused to attend a golden anniversary celebration because it featured an open bar at a local country club. The pastor would not participate in an event where deacons from his congregation were paying for and serving alcoholic beverages to their guests. It became evident to him that the control clique of the deacon board began to plot. Secret meetings were held. Tithes were withheld. Lies were told. Misinformation was given on church financial reports. When the pastor, secretary, and a bank employee corrected and validated the reports the pastor delivered them to the treasurer on a Tuesday night. He was greeted by an angry, cussing, half-inebriated deacon/treasurer. The pastor called the chairman of deacons and asked him to meet him at the church office. To the pastor's shock, the chairman was not even the least bit surprised. The following Sunday, all of the women and children of one of the deacon families were visibly absent. After the morning service one of the members of that family attacked and verbally assaulted the pastor.
A "deacon's" meeting was called for Tuesday night to discuss what was going on in the church. On Monday night, the chairman met with the pastor and told him that the meeting would be about "finding out where the deacon's hearts were in service to the church." The pastor suggested that if the deacon's were going to discuss their heart's condition, then he would not attend but would make himself available for them if they needed him. He was assured that this would be the agenda for the meeting.
Tuesday night as the meeting approached, the pastor and his wife settled their children so they could pray together for the deacons during the meeting. About an hour before the meeting, a couple of cars pulled up to one of the deacon's home office located directly across from the parsonage. The pastor knew something was amiss. He and his wife prayed for nearly four hours that night as the meeting continued. They wondered if revival could have broken out. The pastor called one of the deacons and discovered that the only thing that had been discussed was firing him.
"He has to go!" ... Those were the words used in regard to the pastor who had not missed a single hospital visit, had gone into the nursing homes, and been to nearly every home of the church roll. One senior adult had told the pastor that he was the most popular preacher that the church had called since the 1940's. When asked about "the problem," the one three deacons leading the charge said that the pastor was "too Baptist." Another said that "Baptist doctrine was not that important." When asked if they had a problem with the pastor's preaching, all stated that they had no problem with his preaching. They were also asked about the pastor's teaching. All agreed that the pastor's teaching was very biblical. Yet, the "He has to go" banter was espoused for three hours and forty-five minutes. No valid charges were made against the pastor. They just demanded that "He had to go!"
The following day, the pastor spent the entire day in prayer. He called the Deacon chairman and asked him to call all the deacons and have them present at the Wednesday night service. Then the pastor called the church secretary and asked her to call the church roll and let them know that the pastor would be reading a letter to the church that evening. It was a packed house with many expecting the pastor to resign as so many before him had done.At the close of the service, the pastor read the church's qualifications for the pastor and the qualifications for the deacons. He then read following letter:
God's Day, Wednesday, ‚-----ber 8, 200‚-
Dear ‚-------- Baptist Church,
It has been an honor to serve you over the last 17 months. It has never been my intention to be a source of division or strife in the life of the church. The last six or seven months have been so hard on my family and me that I am no longer willing to take it. I have forgiven, I have sought peace, I have prayed, but the threats and attacks of the pathological antagonisits have been relentless. My wife has been maliciously attacked. I have been publicly disrespected on several occasions.
Last night the deacon body met. The chairman and I spoke about the reason and purpose for the meeting. He told that the meeting was so that he could ask the deacon body where their hearts are in service to the church. I did not feel that my presence at that meeting would be conducive to that end. I therefore chose not to attend to give them an opportunity to deal with their own calling
The meeting turned into another attack on my ministry. There are three deacons who have given an ultimatum that I "have to go." The deacons have asked to meet with me privately to address these three deacons issues with my ministry. I do not believe that the godly business of the church is conducted in back rooms or off-site offices out of the congregation's sight. I am disappointed that the deacon body would even entertain accusations from men whose sole intent is to remove the pastor of the church for selfish reasons. If one is going to entertain an accusation against a pastor, it should be on the grounds of immorality, doctrinal error, or in not fulfilling his responsibilities as the leader of the body. The accusations made against me are warrantless. I will not even dignify them with a response.
I am however informing the church that at our next regularly scheduled business meeting, based on the grounds of conspiring to cause public division in the body and not fulfilling their duties and functions as duly elected servants of the church, that I will be asking for the resignations of ‚--- ------, ‚----- ------, and ‚----- ------ as deacons of -------- ------- Church. This church deserves a unity in its leadership that I cannot see occurring as long as these men continue in that capacity without repentance. I covet your prayers for the church and for the repentance of these men, as well as prayers for my family.
For His glory and the good of His Church,
------- ‚-. ‚-------
Pastor, -------- ------- Church
Following the service the deacons were confronted by many church members about their "activities." One of the three demanded to know who talked about the meeting because it was supposed to have been a "secret meeting."
The pastor did not have to formally ask for the resignations of the three deacons at the next business meeting because a majority of the remaining deacons asked them to step down. The meeting was not cordial with one of the three declining to attend. One resigned when asked if he knew what charges would be brought against him in a public business meeting. The second attending left stating, "I have to talk to ‚------!" ‚------ being the deacon who declined to attend and face the charges. A few minutes later he returned, opened the door to the meeting room, threw a set of keys on the table and said, "We quit!" The resignations were announced at the business meeting. The chairman also resigned at the end of the business meeting.
By 3:30 pm that very afternoon, a sign appeared in front of a closed church building in town stating that services would be held there the following Sunday, even though the church had been closed for years and was now in the custody of a historical society.
The real politics began on the part of the former deacons.
Amazingly, after the sign for the new church went up, questions about "reconciliation" became louder. The pastor asked himself, "If one had really wanted to reconcile, would they start a new church? The same day?" He interpreted the calls for reconciliation as an attempt to make him out to be the culprit of the whole issue. One gentleman even pointed this aspect out to the pastor. He was told that if he did not go for some sort of arbitration.... interesting legal word..... that he would be viewed as unwilling to reconcile. One of the deacons had told the pastor that he was willing to reconcile if the pastor did not call for his resignation. This coming from one of the men who had unequivocally stated that he could "never" support the church as long as the current pastor was at the church and stated that the the pastor "Had to go!" It was not that the pastor was unwilling to reconcile, but that he had a firm belief in church discipline and that the church needed a unity in it's leadership. The pastor also did not see this as a genuine desire for reconciliation.
After the resignations of four deacons, the home visits began. One former deacon visited in every home that he thought he would get a hearing. He told people that, "We will see how long that church can last without our money." They demonized the pastor and the deacons who had called for the resignations. Several members that the pastor had faithfully ministered to left the church as well. One former member took it upon herself to slander the pastor on her web site. The ugly side of "church politics" began. They told people that they had been kicked out of their church. In reality, three men were asked to resign from leadership positions in the church, not to leave the church. The tuition for the pastor's children was no longer paid and the children experienced some persecution at the school. The lock was changed at swimming club and the pastor's family was not given a key. These are but a few of the events that effected the pastor's family. People were told to not conduct business with members of the church. The church was called a cult.
The pastor continued his historical research and discovered that his pastorate was not the first to come under attack by the controlling element of the deacon board. The pastor spoke with several former pastors to discover they had similar encounters. One pastor recounted how he had been offered alcoholic beverages by deacons. That former pastor went through the denominational ministry reconciliation team with this same group of deacons. They would call him at home and tell him it was time to leave and that they were sending a U-Haul truck that day. It is the pastor's understanding that he was offered a monetary encouragement to leave. It was at this point that the pastor decided to talk to the denominational ministry reconciliation office. He contacted that office and the remaining deacons to set up a meeting.
The remaining deacons met and a new chairman of deacons was elected. He immediately opened his heart to the remaining deacons about the need for the deacons to be servants of the church and not it's governors. The other deacons agreed. The deacons are now referred to as a "deacon body" and not a "deacon board." All business of the church is conducted by the church, not by the deacons. The number of deacons decreased from 10 to 4 due to political, family, and business ties to the former deacons. The remaining deacons fielded a few letters and calls from disgruntled and misinformed former members of the church.
The new chairman and the pastor drove to a neighboring city and met with the director of the denominational ministry reconciliation office. They were surprised to find out how familiar he was with their church and the former deacons. After a couple of hours with him, they left somewhat in shock, not really surprised, and further enlightened. They had discovered that there had indeed been a monetary agreement with a former pastor to leave and that it was all conducted by the same former deacons and without the church's knowledge or approval. That pastor left town quietly. They were also told that the current situation was intractable.
The church had a few question and answer sessions and a body meeting to discuss the situation and the future direction of the church. The pastor was sure of his call to the church. The church is sure of his call to the church. Things began to change.
The church has rallied around the pastor and his family. His children are now enrolled at a Christian school that is so much better for his kids. They love their new school. The church is now one of the most loving and unified bodies of Christian believers that the pastor has had the privilege to work with. New ministries have begun. New Sunday school classes have started. The offering is consistent and meets the budget and the needs of the church's ministry. The deacons are now actively involved in the pastoral care of the church. And even more telling.... The church has guests nearly every Sunday. The church fellowship is unbelievable. They can hardly wait for the next time they get together.
Everything that the church has tried has been blessed. The pastor is continually amazed at how much better everything turns out than he imagines. Men who have never had interest in Sunday School are present at Bible study every Sunday morning. One business man closed his business on Sundays so that he and his family could attend church. Members are talking about spiritual subjects in the halls at church. And they stay after church, sometimes for more than an hour, talking to one another on the church grounds. The membership of the church is ready to serve it's community and the world in the name of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The pastor is a blessed man.