A question for pastors

Welcome questions about doctrine? I pray for them, given the drivel most people want to talk about :smilewinkgrin:

My practice was to have a Q & A night on a Wed or Sun nite once a quarter where any question could be asked. Cards were available and a drop box where people could ask them and I could prepare my answers. I also took questions from the floor.

PastorSBC is giving you some good pearls about how to handle all this. Heed them.

 

I don't mind questions at all unless its the same person waiting for me after ever sermon then I begin to think he is not happy in our church.
I will answer this way, many times I have thought a preacher said something but after giving him some time like more sermons, I find that I misunderstood him. We older Pastors are not easily moved but a young one probably go home and worry himself to death, so I say make sure he is really leaning in the direction that you question before asking him. You may interfere with his self confidence if he is a young pastor.
We have a saying, let the rooster learn to "crow" before you jump on him.

 

I like this also but make sure you take your Bible with you. I don't mind theological questions but I prefer you bring your Bible because I will ask you to show me your position. I also suggest going with an open mind, like Bro Bob said, you may have misunderstood or when you give him a chance, he may prove his point well. As SBC said, the doctrine of election is very biblical and is found in the book.

Lastly, does he teach any classes? That is a great time to hear his views and I love questions during class. If I don't know, I will usually write the question down and answer it at the next class. I never pretend I know everything.

 

I love questions...
And If a preacher is watching the congregation you can tell sometimes when a person has a question even when you are preaching....That's feedback.. I have seen that before, and realized that I need to clarify a statement, or define a word before I move on.

I don't mind a bit explaining my theological stance on anything I preach.. I rather enjoy it. I imagine he would too. Most preachers do...

I do feel the first meeting should be in person... offer to take him out to coffee or something if you feel uncomfortable in the office.

 

That's always fun.

The one I like best is when one person walks up to me and complains that my lessons are not indepth enough. Then, within a minute, another person walks up and complains that my lessons are too tough. (One man actually told me that he didn't want to have to think; that's not why he came to church.) Then, as I'm walking out the door, a couple walks up and compliments me because I balanced the lesson well by making it indepth, without being too indepth.

 

No, it's Arminian, after the name of the titular founder of the free-will position, Jacob Arminius.

Armenian is a nationality, a person from the country called Armenia.

 

Thank you!

-StefanM, great-grandson of an Armenian immigrant

 

I've got a pastor friend (non-baptist) who has actually been interrupted during his message for a question. I'd be real uncomfortable if that happened, not to mention I'd loose my place and have to start all over again!

 

Start again . . . preach twice . . . that would be great!

But, your sermon might go long.

 

But, that will teach 'em!

 

Happens to me occasionally. Usually to clarify something. Twice, it was to argue something from the KJVO viewpoint.

 

Somewhere Harvey Cox once wrote that the sermon is the only form of public discourse at which it is still socially unacceptable to talk back!

Of course he wrote that, probably, in the 70's, and public manners have changed since then.

And then reactions like yawning, fidgeting, or getting up allegedly to go to the bathroom may be talking back in another way.

One of my pet peeves with Easter services was that the latecomers, who did not arrive until after all the music and other things, but who came in after I had started preaching, were escorted by the ushers to our overflow space via a door at the front of the sanctuary. I could watch every eye turning to look at them make that long march. Only thing to do was to repeat what I had just said and hope I didn't lose the emotional cadence. That only happened one or two Easters though; thereafter I asked our ushers to take them via another route, which involved going back outside! Wonder if we lost anybody that way?

 

He never went to our Church, I expect them to speak back at me. An AMEN or something??? Let's me know when my point is hitting home.

 

Naw, that's when you get the long version of the sermon. And if the short version is 1 hour, you ought to speak up. :laugh: