IFB compared to Baptist churches

Well said, and I agree.

 

I am thinking that the pastor who I speak of and is highly legalistic (let alone being egotistical concerning all the work he does during the week because His work is God's work and everybody else is Secular work, so it doesn't seem to matter. I did mention that if you have a job that makes you work on a single Sunday that you are to quit that job immediately. Between that and the endorsement of beating children on a daily basis goes too far. As I mentioned he interrupted the church a few Sunday's back to have my 7 year old grandson who was quietly asleep on my shoulder; telling me (and calling me by the wrong name--he hasn't got my name right since I have been there.) to wake up the child, then he proceeds to chew out the child in front of the entire church. In my day it would have been a discussion with my parents after church, unless I was doing something to interrupt the church such as snoring very loud.

I told my daugher he had quit talking to me in the last couple of months and she said, "YOU ARE WRONG, I SAW HIM!" I explained that I was not talking about walking by me before church started and shaking hands and saying one word "hello". I was concerned about what sin I was committing that caused such a reaction, but she and her husband have bought into the cult so strongly if he were to want to move to Guyana, she would be packing her suit case. He is very convincing; but, looking at the church for the 8 years or so he has been there should be telling because there are about 60 in church on Sunday of which 2/3rds or more are over 65 and the rest are young and have children and run together as a group. Therefore, my middle age gets left out. Except for one family about my age that are a couple and I am divorced, so I don't get invited to anything except the monthly big dinners where they all work on their weight.

I was sick for a period of several weeks and the only call I received from the church to check on me was from my daughter and none from the pastor. Although I miss my grandchildren a LOT, I feel a lot less depressed due to my marital situation that is less than a year old than I did when I was going to the church and getting his tongue lashings three times weekly. The only way he knows how to preach is read one verse in the NT and one in the OT and tie them together as if the punishment of the Old Testament was written together with the NT and there is no consistency between the two, regarding either subject matter or who the audience is that he is talking to. I wish there were more IFB churches in the area, but as far as I know they are the only one. I would be afraid to go to any other church with less than 100 people because every time I have the pastor has had 100% control of those people's entire lives.

I guess my point is, 10% rotten apples can spoil the whole basket.

 

A complete egomaniac. Brother, I'm really sorry that you're in this situation. I'm going to pray for you. You must feel like you're between an anvil and a hammer.

 

What would be his approach to a bivocational pastor? I got started in business by my employer who was always reaching people and making disciples At his funeral were about 1200 people and the church held 600. We figured that only about 1/4 of the people he had influenced were at the service. The service lasted about 3 hours with person after person sharing how God had used him in their lives. There are many missionaries and pastors on the filed because of him.

I have friends from college who are in a church that does not have a recognized pastor. The church is about 300. Many of the people have been to theological school for the purpose of helping others to grow and plant churches. Some of those people have planted new churches. Each of the men I have heard preach are excellent. The older help the younger to grow and mature in their faith and practice.

So much for ignorant pastors who think that people in the congregation cannot reach others.

What will that pastor say when he quits pastoring. Will he be a corpse no longer useful for anything except fertilizer?

Only people who want to be controlled can be controlled. So often those who want to be controlled cannot make decisions, and/or their life is near exploding so they want external controls in place. It gives them a feeling of security.

 

Hey, Phillip - as I mentioned in our private messages, I'm trying to get over to your neck of the woods, but the Air Force is giving me a hard time about silly stuff.

Keep your head up; when I get there, I'll make it a point to come visit some Sunday morning. Only question is, I don't plan on wearing a tie; will I be allowed in the door?

 

Don....make sure your strapped.:laugh:

 

Strapped...strapped...nope, not getting it. Just dense tonight. Clarify for me?

 

Perhaps an M9....I prefer 1911! especially if your going in without a tie :smilewinkgrin:

 

Kids dont stay there though. Both my brothers kids were raised up in that type of environment, were obedient, shut up & did as they were told, groomed to be missionaries etc., & the 1st opportunity they got when they were of age they literally ran away & they are not looking back. Quite a wakeup call for my brother & his wife.

 

Heard, understood, accepted.

 

Well, if the guy bullies a 7 yo!

 

You would be amazed at how often that happens with that kind of discipling.

 

What discipling? That is indoctrination, not discipleship.

 

We have an IFB congregation meeting in the basement of our church during the times we are there for service. Last week the first of them made in-roads to our congregation. They are welcome as guests -- and with open arms -- until they begin sewing the seeds of discord among our body because we use various translations, fail to pay heed to their particular brand of legalism, etc. Then they may be looking for a new location rather suddenly.

The deal happened before I was called as pastor so I had no say in the matter, but inherited the situation. I am all good and will work to encourage any other body of believers who is witnessing for Christ in the world, but I simply will not tolerate a move to take over our congregation nor to, as I said above, sew seeds of discord among our members. We have a great mult-ethnic congregation with persons from almost every worldview in our midst, and so culturally we are not monergistic at all, and we intend to stay that way so as to reach others, whomever God will send our way!

 

Okay, now you're just speaking Northern, and I have no clue what that one meant. :laugh:

 

Sounds like you've condemned them before finding out if they actually fit your pre-conceived notion.

 

Exactly. I am not sure they are even indoctrinated because the children are using their ability to think to get away from something they know is not "it". Seems to me like what the children are experiencing is a cult environment in the home.

 

My first church had a misture of KJVO and peopel who were not. After being there awhile (after I began a discipleship group among the leaders) I gave a sermon on how Jesus led. I told the people that Jesus had followers. Leaders always have followers and if there are not any followers then they are just taking a walk. The proof of their leadership is found in the disciples they make. Discipleship is not done just through words but it is a hands on process. After that sermon it essentially killed the KJVO influence. The only influence they had earlier is by the noise they made but not one of them ever reached anyone. People who do not make disciples can only influence by the words. If their words and actions do not agree then they are nothing more than an empty bag with nothing in it. (An empty bag makes the most noise). If they have no followers then their deception of leadership is obvious. If they are not reaching people their efforts are nothing. When one of them confronted me about the translation I used I told him the Greek NT. He never said another word. Later when another confronted me about sharing my faith with something other than the KJV I told him that I was not against the KJV and to use it to win the community to Jesus. He never reach anyone while he was in the church. I made the issue about reaching people and making disciples rather than translations. After about one year all of them took a job several hundred miles away. God took care of the divisive.

We had a lady in the church who preferred her KJV and she reached many. She had memorized a lot scripture from her Bible and would use her Bible when she read. She was a godly woman who sought to reach people for Jesus. Quite a number of ladies came to Christ through her ministry.

 

I assumed that all the time I spent in the Carolina's would rub off, but I never got used to the "Yall's" & when I move South in retirement, it will probably be someplace where Northern transplants settle. Hopefully then I could get a pizza that's eatable.