Extremely overweight pastors

At one point in my life, I remember being in a doctor's office looking at a height/weight chart. As I found my height and ran my finger across the chart searching for my weight, I realized I had to loose 50 lbs.... before I would be on the chart as morbidly obese.

That said, the question cannot be about personal preference. Do you believe the qualifications for pastors found in scriptures would prohibit a morbidly obese person from serving in that capacity?

Understanding that those qualifications aren't just for "super" Christians, but apply to all Christians (with the exception of the ability to teach), should a morbidly obese Christian member of your congregation cause you to initiate church discipline?

 

Oh my! What sort of hypocrite would I be if I voted against an overweight pastor when I'm probably bigger than he is? :smilewinkgrin:

Some of us are just big and we struggle mightily with this. I try to eat healthy. I try to exercise but have medical problems that limit this. I'm fighting an uphill battle. Am I not still a Christian? Should I not be accepted to seminary based on my weight?

 

Some people (mostly thin people) over-simplify the issue. If you're overweight, they say, you are guilty of gluttony. Gluttony is sinful, therefore the overweight person is living a life of sin.

It is much more complicated than that.

 

Your husband's foot stinks? You know you can get spray for that?

It might be a consideration in considering fitness for ministry (set a good example, body temple to Holy Spirit,etc) in the same way that smoking or excessive drinking might play a part - if due to gluttony or some other form of addiction. But if it's purely a health problem in causation, then no.

[ETA - Matt, BMI 26 and, thanks to a diet, falling - down 10lbs in 8 weeks]

 

There are a number of skinny people who eat too much. But their metabolism is rather fast, so they don't retain the weight. They could actually be gluttons without looking the part.

In my case at a shrunken-down 5'10", I now weigh around 215. A colon resection last August helped me lose some weight. But I don't recommend the surgery unless there is a suspicion of cancer!

 

Really good advice. I know a guy that was well over 300 lbs., and had gastric bypass... lost down to about 175 lbs.

I saw him the other day and he had gained every pound back.

 

That's exactly why I haven't had that surgery. My mom had it too but is still overweight.