Our church has been alive and growing for the last 2 years. We are a small church. Our membership is around 100 or so. In the last few years we have had several new young families start attending. Our Youth group went from 6-8 to 12 in the last few months.
Last Wednesday all of this changed. There was a board meeting. Voices were raised, Opinions were made, People stormed out. Taking there membership and families with them.
I am truely saddened by this. One of the families I am very close to. I have talked to them. There is no going back. No one is really talking about what happened, just generalized statements. Our church is very secretive about their board meetings.
I am concerned about what is right and wrong. Where is our church headed? What would cause several families that have gone there for over 30 years to leave?
This week in church there were a lot of families absent.
The best thing that those of us caught in the middle can do is Pray. Give Satan the message that he can not have our church.
If any of you know of a verse I can use and share with others at this time, please let me know.
Stacy
8 comments:
Our church has gone/is going through the same thing. Several years back there was a major falling out with the pastor, several members left, followed the pastor to a new church started by the pastor, we got a new pastor, but some people still can't get over the hurts. It's tough. Good luck and I will pray for you & your church.
Uncertain times, that's for sure. Not sure how I feel about the secret Board meetings....the Board is for the church and it's congregation and, in my mind, be very open in sharing. Our church's weekly attendence is now over 1100/week for the three services on Sunday. Had to build a new church 2y ago. It's strange how some churches flourish and others falter.
It's sad, but many churches go through this. I remember going to a church as a kid and one Sunday morning the entire congregation got up and stormed out when an unpopular member stood up to lead prayer. I never knew what that was about, but we started attending another church soon after. Good luck...I hope your members come back.
I know of a couple of scriptures that would be appropriate.. I'll just have to find them!!LOL I'll come back and leave them.. I'm so sorry about this.. secrets have no place in the church.. neither does "taking offense" belong there.. I'll pray too..
hugs,
Jean
I would think that congregation should know what direction the church is going in. Is this all over a personality conflict or difference in the churches best interest. They should have an open meeting to discuss what happened.
I am studing James right now, it is short and easy to read. Check it out.
I don't have any scripture for you - but I've seen or heard of this happening in our area churches. It's sad, very sad.
But - secrets aren't good in any other setting, so it seems odd that they would be allowed in a church. The Board is meant to represent the congregation, I thought.
I think that a board that is secret seems to have something to hide. I thought that churches were open and honest with their congregants. I wonder if the people who left might have had just cause to leave, especially if the board is not forthcoming with the information. I would definitely be asking more indepth questions. Something seems amiss. I will keep you all in my thoughts.
Our church had a personnel change I found shocking about a year ago. While I think in the initial changes the problems were kept private, when the pastor decided that the music director was leaving it was explained to the church. Had he not been open and honest about the issues, I would have been confused and severely shaken. I hope your pastor decides to do the same.
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