Why I left my last church
The poll is from a well-know fundamental forum. The poll question is: "Do you think the rapture of the church will be..... ". I answered "pre-trib". My former Pastor answered "post".
I've tried (I think successfully) to obliterate the names in the graphic.
My Pastor said one thing and believed another. Our church's doctrinal statement said that we believed in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. I believe in the pre-trib rapture of the church. Our Pastor did not!
There's a lesson on Pastoral ethics in this story. I hope some take it to heart. I've forgiven the Pastor for this! But I'm still angry!
This brings up a very difficult issue: How should a pastor broach doctrinal issues that he is beginning to vacillate on? In my discussions with a certain seminary president, he said the ethical thing to do is leave. If the issue was as simple as you being the only one wavering on the issue, I definitely agree. But what do you do when others in the congregation are also in different areas doctrinally? Here are the pastoral options as I have thought about it: 1) Leave; 2) Split the church intentionally by saying we have deviated from the statement of faith that this church was founded on--those who believe the same way-stay, otherwise come with me; 3) Widen your doctrinal statement to accomodate both positions (this may result in an unintentional split); 4) Cognitively force yourself to teach something that you don't agree with; 5) Continue to wrestle with understanding the doctrinal position biblically until a compromise can be achieved which has complete unanimity on it (this may result in you and others eventually leaving or you coming back to the original position of the church or the whole church going to the new position.)
ReplyDeleteI'm inclined towards #5 if I was the pastor...
I think the Pastor should have left. Option # 1.
ReplyDelete