Before you read this I ask you get a copy of Dr. Paul Tripp's Dangerous Calling and I want you to know that before I read it I concluded exactly what He exposes as what is happening in the Church Clubs today. https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Calling-Confronting-Challenges-Pastoral-ebook/dp/B008DXFBCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519852247&sr=8-1&keywords=dangerous+calling+by+paul+tripp
This Title might Be completely Shocking, but I fear it is closer to the truth than we might want to believe!
We have been literally Coast To Coast More than 6 times since 2011, and you would be surprised in how many Churches we were tempted to grab the Kleenex as the Pastor told us about His Work Load.
For the record, I was a Moderator of the Deacons at a Church in New Jersey, and when we asked the Pastor to tell us how many Hours a week He worked, REMEMBER, this is a week, He replied put out at us even questioning, "Well, a , 80 hours!"
We then asked Him to provide us His Scheduled, He Glared at us and it started a War, that saw the two of us who asked leaving the Church after being attacked by the Pastor and his Henchmen, my Fellow Deacon first in January 2007.
My situation even digressed into Him lying about me, and us having an arbitrator of His Choosing as mine was frozen out for manipulative reasons (But wait till you hear the answer from a Stacked Deck) and yet I was the only one in this multi leveled investigation as it also included other Session members "who was forthright" (of a person or their manner or speech, direct and outspoken; straightforward and honest. ) in the investigation.
His blowhard investigator could not even say "Paul They Lied about You and You are owed an Apology" No it was "You are the Only One Who Has Been Forthright".
My Wife and I left the Church one step ahead of their normal "Church Discipline" Process December 2007 (I knew their NOP), that I saw them use like a club on trouble makers, and when we left, the Pastor forged a Letter from the Session that held us as "Members not in good Standing", That is right, He was caught lying, wrote a letter that claimed it was from the Clerk of Session, and WE ARE THE ONES NOT IN GOOD STANDING!"
Oh How did we know the Pastor forged the letter?
The LORD has a cool way of telling you HE is still in charge, as The Meeting this Letter was written was a Thursday Night, and Friday in our 10:30 AM Mail delivery we got the letter that was only written the night before, and allegedly by the Clerk of Session. It gets even better, The Clerk of Session called us to ask us about a different letter a one page letter that was an answer to a letter we sent, so while we were on the phone I asked Him to address the 5 page letter he must have gone home and written that very night.
Let's be honest, if you wrote a 5 page nasty letter to someone, less than 24 hours previous, do you think you could recall any of it????
Well, He had NO IDEA what I was talking about, and suggested we stick to the one pager.
This Background is imperative to what we have experienced and what we have seen in the last 10 years and YES It is heartbreaking!
I want you to first think about the Church You are attending, got in focus?
Good, now let's also take a moment to think about your personal work week, and please include your 40 minute plus commute and include you lunch as time away from your family.
I then want you to take another moment to add in all of your other responsibilities, like Board Meetings, Coaching Kids teams or taking them to Sports, I don't want you to include true recreation, just all of the duties.
Now that we have that in focus I want you to read this from a real Pastor, and He is believe me typical;
Since the Beginning of 2017, this 33 year old Pastor, with now 6 Children has been burned out and in need of "refreshment".
This was his THIRD Call to Ministry, and from the Beginning of 2017 He was the Pastor leaving the third work, and by end of April able to take his "First two week trip to Michigan".
The Timeline is actually shocking as it clearly tells us he is telling two stories, one of finding a refreshment spot at XYZ Church that "Just Happened to Have a Senior Pastor Opening" for the first time in 17 years. Hi claims to be "A Full time Student for the first time in years" while somehow "A friend" applied His Ministry Packet for a Church out of His Denomination (Baptist to Presbyterian), He would Suggest both that He Taught Sunday School, and Yet also that He would be teaching in the Fall.
He would preach His Final Baptist Sermon June 25, 2017, and His Family would become members of a Presbyterian Church in late July.
Next He was off to Scotland for two weeks to work on his Doctorate, and while He was away His two friends on the Pulpit Committee at XYZ Church got Him to be the Pick.
You are not missing anything, the Guy became the Candidate presented to the Congregation the DAY He Preached his one and only Sermon.
I am not going to belabor you any longer on this guy, but safe to say He this Baptist got preferential treatment in the PCA as some how He was ordained in ONE MONTH!!!
For the record as a Presbyterian It will take me months if not 1/2 a year to be ordained!
But what is coming next is what I have heard from Pastors mouths for years, are you ready, remember it is why I told you to think about your average week;
"If you think about it, I’d appreciate your prayers. The work at XYZ begins in earnest today. I’m still working on my "PHD" dissertation for SBTS; I’m through six chapters and have four left. I take my comprehensive exams for the Ph.D. December 4–7, and it requires no small amount of study. Our six child and fifth son is due on New Year’s Eve. Our plate is rather full, but God’s grace is superabundant. All glory be to Christ our King!
This Guy like EVERYONE of them is "Overwhelmed" and fresh off being "Burned Out".
HIS Plate is Full.
This takes us to our Pastor who claims to work 80 Hours a week, given that He Has Mondays off, and can't be reached, it leaves 144 hours a week, or after his work claim gives him exactly 10.667 hours a day to sleep, shower, dress, have Breakfast, Lunch, dinner and commute to the office.
Also since He went to His Sons and Daughters games, suggest He operates on a Metric Clock, a nice way of saying He is a Liar!
More to Follow