Thankyou for opportunity to post. I found this through a link about church abuse. First let me say that if you are reading this you are proably my brother and sister in Christ. Koodos to the two researchers at Fuller that are initiating this. It is VERY MUCH NEEDED.
I became a christian in 1978. Post Jesus movement. It has now been 29 years and Jesus has kept me like His word says He will do. However why He has not protected me from bad theology I am not sure. I see it now but where was He in the midst of the abuse? I also wonder, if abusive theology is as damaging to the sheep as it appears to be , what does it do to the ones who are teaching it? In all honesty chances are pretty good there is delusional thinking involved. I mean how else can people keep teaching when discernment ministries,books and conferences are held about it and yet they remain in pulpits. WIERD hugh?
If I could change the way church leadership and gov’t and theology is taught I would do the following: ( I know this sounds crazy.. but knowing what I know now that I didn’t know 30 years ago I would say this )
1. All pastors and supportive staff must be seminary trained.
2. Pastors should only serve a maxium of 7-10 years in there present position. ( why.. ?…
this gives them wiggle room to leave if their theology changes like it does with most sheep but without all the drama of
church splits and divison.)
3. All pastoral staff must have comprehensive psych evals. ( I am NOT joking)
4. All pastoral staff must be able to pass FBI criminal background checks. If not they need forensic psych evals for approval.
5. I appreciate seperation of church and state and I feel sad saying this…, but I almost feel safer if the state would get involved in licensing pastors.
6. If married they need to have a marraige above reproach.
7. If their kids or wife are screwed up they CANNOT serve.
8. Pass credit checks.
9. Have a good reputation with community around them ( excluding genuine persecution which is unavoidable)
10. Along with number 5 in the same way doctors,nurses need their CEU’s and are constantly training and learning this should be MANDATORY with pastoral leadership. It should be required for licensure.
11. They should recieve performance evaluations by their congregation and governing boards.
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Please don’t be offended Brother/Sister,
But that is not scriptural, sorry to be blunt.
Jesus chose the lowest of society to follow Him into ministry. Liars, thieves, whores, those are the people he chose to be his disciples, these are the ones we hear about in the bible as being close to Him. Not the Educated, Certified, Super Religious people of the society.
IMO, you are suggesting to fix something that shouldn’t even exist as it does, let alone be fixed. The whole Institutional Church is not what it is all about, in fact, what we call church is just a western organized religion. It is no different then any business in Corporate America. Your suggestions would make it even more so.
I have to agree with Rosacola. Certainly by your list John Newton, author of Amazing Grace, would have been excluded along with countless lessor lights.
As to the state licensing pastors, you might find it useful to read some church history where that was present. The autobiography of George Fox, the biography of George Muller and Foxes Book of Martyrs would be a good place to start. Virtually every martyr who was burned the stake was sent there by a seminary trained religious leader who was licensed by the state. Hmmmm… come to think of it, so was our Lord and almost all of the original apostles. Paul, a religious leader licensed (with letters) by the state, persecuted Christ.
Whoops…!!
I guess I neglected to mention that during the 25 years of my church history the majority of churches and parachurches I have particpated in can be found on www.factnet.org
Maybe you both would like to join them. Sounds like you would be a perfect fit.