My experience as a travelling minister for over 25 years to
hundreds of churches all over the world has been overall very negative. The
Bible speaks about many of the exact same wrong things I have encountered in
the churches.
Here are some examples:
Pastors, who in their greed make up
clever lies of sowing seeds in exchange for financial breakthroughs and healing,
only to get hold of people’s money. (See 2. Peter 2:3)
Pastors, who instead of caring for the
congregation that God has entrusted them and making sure to be a good example
of a true humble follower of Jesus Christ to them, instead control every aspect
of the members’ lives - including their finances, by obligating them to pay
tithes (10% of their income) and special offerings. Those who don’t tithe will
be excluded from any ministering function in the church, because they are not
seen as “faithful.” (See 1. Peter 5:2-3)
Pastors, who are preaching with deceit,
impure motives, and trickery. They try to win you with flattery, pretending to
be your friend just to get your money! (See 1. Thessalonians 2:3+5)
Pastors, who give special attention and a
good seat to the rich person who comes into their church dressed in fancy
clothes and expensive jewelry, while to the poor person, who is dressed in
dirty clothes, they say, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor.” (See
James 2:2-4)
Women pastors, who teach men and have authority
over them, contrary to what the Apostle Paul instructed the church: “I
do not let women teach men or have authority over them.” 1. Timothy 2:12 NLT
On several painful occasions, I have also
experienced pastors, who love to be the leader, refusing to have anything to do
with me and my wife and instead make up evil accusations against us for no reason at all. Not only do they
refuse to welcome us, they also tell others not to help us! And if they do help
us, these pastors kick them right out of the church! (See 3. John 1:9-10)
Sadly, most of the pastors I have dealt with
do not have the gift, the calling, or the qualifications to be a shepherd - a
true pastor! Many, who call themselves pastors, have no business shepherding
people because their actual gift is that of a teacher, prophet, evangelist or
other! Only those whose gift is to be a pastor (including the apostle, who operates
in all the gifts) should be shepherding. If a man is pastoring without the
specific gift of a pastor or apostle, he will not be able to lovingly shepherd/care
for the people, but will instead end up wounding them! It is no wonder there
are so many dysfunctional churches out there.
Here are the qualifications a pastor (also
called a bishop) must have:
“He must be
faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a
good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able
to teach. He must not be
a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love
money. He must manage his own family well, having
children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot
manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?
He must not be a new believer, because he
might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also,
people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be
disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.” 1. Timothy 3:2-7 NLT
A pastor must care for the flock that God
has entrusted to him. He must watch over the people willingly, not
grudgingly—not for what he will get out of it, but because he is eager to serve
God. He should never lord it over the people assigned to his care, but lead
them by his own good example. (See 1. Peter 5:2-3)
