William Swinimer, the 19-year-old Nova Scotia grade 12 high school student, who had been suspended showed up at school today wearing his Jesus t-shirt.
Then his dad showed up waving a bible and yanked him out, with some choice words for the public school system, the government and education. Background on the Forest Heights Community School kerfuffle here.
I think the 19-year-old stood up for the right things, and when his minister got involved I wondered if there was more going on than a student finding his way.
The school board had mentioned in prior news reports that attempts to negotiate with Swinimer had been difficult, and it appears it wasn’t the 19-year-old putting his foot down. There are family dynamics here that appear to have nothing to do with freedoms under the Charter. William Swinimer had told media Friday he was nervous about going back to school, I’m left wondering if his nervousness had little to do with facing his peers and discussing what has occurred. The Halifax Chronicle Herald:
William Swinimer showed up at school this morning wearing the yellow T-shirt that has garnered him national attention, but moments later his father angrily strode across the school parking lot, waved his copy of The New Testament at the media, and told them he’s pulling his son out of school.
John Swinimer accused the school district and the province of being anti-Christian, and said his three children have been bullied at the school because of their beliefs.
When asked what’s wrong with having his son take part in the debate, John Swinimer said, “It is time that we rise up. I am not taking questions right now. I am making statements.”
When another reporter asked him if he intends to pull William out of school permanently, or just while the discussions are being held, he said, “I’m making a statement here, I’m not answering questions. … If you overstep my boundaries I’m going to get in the car and leave,” which he did a short time later with his son in the front passenger seat.
The 19-year-old, who has done national media interviews and whose story has been broadcast across North America, had no comment.
“As a parent, I’m making this decision,” John Swinimer said.
While I think the school went too far in the suspensions, they self-corrected and attempted to do what was best for the small community of about 400 students. However, giving dad and Pastor Day attention now, does not help this guy graduate, does nothing for the school or the students. You can see the pastor in the clip with father John Swinimer.
Perhaps media can back off and not give the adults their 15 minutes of fame. It’s possible the 19-year-old (who is technically an adult) knew his dad would be by to wave a bible at media, but I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. Whatever is going on in this family doesn’t need the glare of the media spotlight. This isn’t about dad or his persecution complex, but you won’t know that from what he said to media today. This isn’t about ‘law in the land’ or ‘government’ or dads bible or Christianity. The anger shown by the dad seems to hide a primary emotion of fear. The forum for the students was about respect of beliefs and rights. If there has been bullying, the school has made attempts to address the problem by going directly to students. The rest of the approximately 400 students at Forest Heights Community School need to move forward, and are attempting to do so.
Transcript of ATV clip – John Swinimer:
“And this is who I am, you cannot separate me from this book because this book is in me, it’s part of me, I have this book in my heart and no law in the land, no government in this world anywhere will separate me from this book. I will be a Christian til the day that I die, that’s who I am and I have the freedom in this country to express who I am, to speak who I am and to be who I am,
I walk in love, but today I am angry, today I am going to pull my son out of this school. He has arrived here, yes, and he is going to sign out and he is going to come out and he is going to come home with me. He will not attend this school.”
Talking Pentecostalism is a resource site which explains the movement, history and beliefs.
Update: William Swinimer went back to school later in the week. He has some misconceptions about the volunteer forum (attended by about 100 students) and he was scared, nursing a persecution complex, but he survived. Interview on 100 Huntley Street. He doesn’t get the ‘in your face’ mentality his dad exhibited with media, but I suspect that is part of his upbringing. Does anyone know the medals hanging on the wall behind him with the Jesus Junk?
May be my name should be switched to The Lord Elijah Chung.
I totally agree with dew with his/her ideas about god. I think these ideas are biased to his/her slant of this Christian religion. I also know that most folks here believe that they have the true faith, and the final reality, and that they do not have the religion. I disagree. Call it what it is, it is a set of beliefs, and practices: they believe that Jesus of their faith is the son of god, born of a virgin (very questionable, every time a beautiful girl says that, we smirk), suffered and died on a cross, and supposedly raised from death, and will come again to usher in the Kingdom, and eternal life, and judgement/punishment, reality of satan, and the supremacy and inerrancy of the Bible as the words of god. They do not practice premarital sex (again we smirk), smoke pot or dance (too much lust/flash), no drinking, and some of them do not eat pork or blood. They meet regularly on a day (the pagan day of the sun god), and take tenth of their earning, etc. Tell which part of this is not a religious experience? None of this stuff is verifiable or subjected to a critical mind.
So, there is it, it is all religious experience, or theological. Call it what you will, ‘a relationship with god and jesus’ most people out of this, call it religion.
Now, as being labeled as those who have left the faith. I am not in that category, I left the evangelical religion of faith, but I do the same practice you do, minus the serial polygamy, and pots smoking. I pay taxes and do not cheat my neighbour, basically observe the ten commandments, except the tenth, where it treats women, children and slaves as properties. I do not treat others as slaves.
But here is the central commandment that you missed: love others, almost as yourself. If you do not want to be heckled when you speak about your faith, try not to mock others in their faith. This kid here do just that, as a self – righteous youngster, he preaches to this school on regular basis whether they care to hear it or not, scared others about the ‘reality’ of hell, and now openly mocks others with his American bought T shirt. Which part of this conversation do you not understand, people??
Can I take a vote here to switch my name from The Lord Ben Chung to The Lord Elijah Chung? This would honour my prophetical calling. Thanks.
Tim:
“These men (or women) are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
These are the men (or women) who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
Keep yourselves in GOD’s love as you wait for the mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” Jude 11: 16,19,21.
There are many other verses in the NT that state how we are to deal with those who come in sheep’s clothing. After we see who and what they really are, we are to stay away from them.
Those who have killed in the ‘name of all that is holy’ are full of themselves. They kill for their own gains and they are not acting in accordance to GOD’s Word. Throughout history and even now those who ‘act’ on behalf of GOD are to be weighed and measured as to their goals. We are always weary as Christians, as we should be.
@”The Lord Ben Chung”….you piffle,drivel and false sense of importance, is pathetic
Maybe god can bless Brano. I always bless when reviled. Is this not Christianity? Thanks. It says bless but curse not. Amen. I think I have the spirit of the Lord, I mean the Lord Ben Chung
…the constant mockery is most sickening!
The earliest Christians were atheists. That is, they do not believe in the gods of the Romans, nor made sacrifices to them. I stand accused to mock a deity put forth by the evangelicals, where they believe that magically he appears and intervenes in human history. This idea is laughable in the face of the sufferings and non-sense we have encountered so far: namely sexual abuses by the men of god, Whites, and now this father who poses in the name of God and as his follower. I find these men laughable, a joke, like Gingrich who runs for the biblical family value, but having had a few women and flings on the side. That is laughable, just like a god who claims that no one should kill, but kill a whole bunch himself. Who claims almightiness, but powerless to lift a finger to help the abuse. If there is a god, his absence so far is embarrassing.
So, help yourself, with this thought:
“Let this mind be in you as it was in Christ Jesus
Who in the image of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
But made himself of no reputation, and took on the image of a servant
and was made in the likeness of God
And being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself.”
I see no humility of these followers who claim to know the “truths” and I see the arrogance and the intolerance of them. I see why every time there is a ‘truly born agains’ people run from them. Because, we have already stocked with craziness, sell your foolishness some where else.
If this book, the New Testament, tells about love, there is no place for anger. If there is a witness to be, there is no use to pull the kid out of school, and separating him from his natural environment, makes this kid a second class citizen, all his life. He will not mount to much in this life, never mind the next.
Why not stand and be counted as a man? Why not use your head and intellect, brains are not decorations. They are meant to be used. If the mockery of others drive them far from your faith, is a life style with humility and poverty something to imitate the ancient Pauline text above?
Show me your life before your preaching about a god we have no interests in. That is my answer. In the end, this kid is going to be a second class citizen, like my own Christian school teachers from Glad Tidings who told me never to attend college. What a bunch of fools, these people are seriously think about putting every child under poverty line. That is why they cannot wait but to wait for rapture. They cannot live in this one. I wonder, if their god want these lunatics in his own domain in the next.
I mock this type of god openly. Here I am, come and get me. oh god!
It’s more about living in harmony. Those that are in the Messiah Jesus. Though he was in the form of God, Jesus emptied himself of His own equality, thus became a servant, when he became a man. Here is the life of Jesus as the man. It was the man who humbled himself, even to death. There is your humility.
I wish people would demonstrate as much faith in god as they say they have, and stop indoctrinating their children into their own belief system and let them make that decision when their fully able to comprehend what they are signing up for.
We all know that children are the easiest converts, most unfairly, that is. It seems so irrational that parents teach their children how to believe in Jesus. They must not believe the “Holy Spirit” god isn’t able to draw their children to Jesus, that he needs the parents to do all the brainwashing and programing for him. Jesus said you don’t choose him, he chooses you. No one comes to the Father unless the spirit draw him. So why do parents feel they have to do Jesus’ work for him to get their kids in the club? Maybe he doesn’t even want them. Maybe the parents are creating bastards in the kingdom. Maybe this gospel-preaching young man is doing so lawlessly against the Spirit. Ever think of that?
That is what I have saying. These folks are a-theists when it comes to indoctrination. They are hateful of their society, because thy have been left behind. (why not study a bit harder, and get a regular college education, find a partner and get some life?). They hate people without knowing them. They can only say, people are ‘hateful to their god(s)’ but they themselves are hateful, abusive, and they cannot lead a life that is so full of life and abundant life. I have seen that, every time I have a born again person, they are not able to live the life and walk the walk, they are usually the worst form of clients in my place. Maybe people who turn to a god for help, really do need help.
There are no gods and angels to save us. We need to save ourselves. Ain’t that the truth?
In defense of ‘traditional marriages’ the proponent all have multiple wives, lots of extra marital affairs: Gingrich, Limbaugh, and a lot of them are divorced (Pailin). Tell me about Jesus and his power to save people, and I will show you my life, full of life, love and joy. I have a beautiful family, community and friends. Why should believe these losers? Thanks.
When in doubt:
‘Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it’. Proverbs 22:6
And all of GOD’s people said, Amen.
Ben, I would suggest that you google Sarah Palin and you will find that the talk of her being divorced were just jokes in e-mails. Although maybe not the best thing to joke about when in public office, you do need to get your facts straight.
Can you just stop the mud slinging – people, whether Christians or not, make mistakes, and are human. That is exactly why we need God’s saving grace and mercy to forgive us our sins and to help us to live our lives. The Bible says that we all have sinned, and that there is only one way for forgiveness and to have peace with God. Without Him, there is no true peace. I think deep down in your heart, you know that. But I also know that if you say that this is not true, that is understandable. For God also tells us that Satan blinds the eyes of people so that they cannot see the truth.
Benjamin, this was profound what you said:
“These folks are a-theists when it comes to indoctrination. They are hateful of their society, because thy have been left behind. (why not study a bit harder, and get a regular college education, find a partner and get some life?). They hate people without knowing them. They can only say, people are ‘hateful to their god(s)’ but they themselves are hateful, abusive, and they cannot lead a life that is so full of life and abundant life. I have seen that, every time I have a born again person, they are not able to live the life and walk the walk, they are usually the worst form of clients in my place. Maybe people who turn to a god for help, really do need help.”
Some of the most hateful people I know call themselves Christian. I wonder why this is? You would think they would be the most loving, kind and caring people on the planet. How is it that they are so different from the Christ they claim to be following?
Look at the father in this story – where is the love? All I see is an angry man who thinks he is right and everyone else is wrong. He is on his way to heaven and to hell with everyone else. Why would anyone want what he is dishing out?
Dew:
It is funny how the mud-slinging by an athiest and a so-called Christian continues.
“Boo-Hoo! Christians don’t act like Christians. Why don’t they do this, or that, or the other thing… booo hooo hoooo!”
Those who sling mud are those who live in the mire they believe they have freedom from. I guess these would be the ‘wolves’ in sheep’s clothing trying to ……. to tell the truth, I have no idea as to what their ‘agenda’ is!
But I wanted to show you support. Unfortunately, you are singing to the choir.
thank you Wanda. He who slings mud loses ground.
When I think about slinging mud, I think of those who sling mud against other commenters — this has happened a lot within this blog. Mentioning the truth about Gingerich and Limbaugh is not slinging mud, in my opinion. Tearing down other commenters — that to me is slinging mud.
Well said, Elsa! Unfortunately, I know that you meant that to me and those like me… never to anyone else. Too bad too, because it is the truth to them as well.
Wanda, don’t assume that you know what I meant. I meant that we (all of us who are commenting on the blog) should not sling mud against the other individuals who are commenting on this blog. I think that we should talk about ideas, and not attack individuals for holding ideas that might be different from our own. Also, I’m not sure that I understand what you mean by “those like me.” One of the things that is really hard for me is the two-side mentality, the “us” vs. “them.” This has always bothered me. I don’t like being categorized. For example, when I read what you write there are things that I agree with and things that I disagree with. When I read things that the Lord Ben Chung writes, there are things that I agree with and things that I disagree with. I don’t like being put into a category because of who or what I’ve chosen to agree with. Does this make sense?
I do not watch TV, but I found this note, “The rumours, which have surfaced before and been furiously denied, were reported in the National Enquirer, which did not name its source,” from the Telegraph. The National Enquirer was correct about John Edwards, and many other people. The point is simple, whenever there is a crusader for morality, like Ted Haggard, or Dr Dobson, or Jerry Falwell, or Dr Schaeffer. They have all personal flaws. This includes Jesus of Nazareth. I am sure if you lived in the first century, you could find faults with him.
The point is, when you elevate these men or women (Paula White with a tryst with Benny Hinn), these are moral crusaders, they tell others how to behave and what to do. They transgress freely. So the point is simple, perhaps let others be, and let ‘god’ do his job. If you are not an atheist, you will have to force others to believe like you, and be ‘born again,’ why not be born once here and enjoy?
The point is simple, there is no rapture, no final show down with Armageddon, or angels or demons, nor gods. We are here, and we are responsible to treat others with the same standard we held for ourselves. You may not care about global climate change, but the poor people in Southeast Asia would be drowned if we do not change our life styles. You may not care about gays, but they cannot live their full life, unless we care and let the gays be gay. Dr Dobson can take a hike. You may not care about this crazy William, but his life is doomed, he is going to be an ignorant fool, a red neck if he does not get into some proper school, like the U of Toronto, or other reputable Canadian universities (assume he is poor and he cannot afford 50-60,000 US per year here in our lovely capitalist universities). Why force this young kid to be home schooled? That is a form of abuse, and it is wrong!! As for his T shirt, it is a joke, I doubt he believes in it in ten years. He will be wasted, then, without proper university or vocational training. I can see why these people stay religious…..it is because they ARE IGNORANT of modernity. I am sorry to say this, not because I have a decent college education, but these folks are religious because they are ignorant. In a way they are like our taliban friends in the middle east. I see no difference. It is not about god, or angels, or many wives (usually they are well adored in their party and friends circle, the more women the merrier, the younger the better). It is about living in a world that is here and now. You can forget about the pie in the sky. Thanks.
Every year our economy inches away from a manufacturing based economy to a knowledge based economy. That is where the jobs and the careers are and that is where they will be for the foreseeable future. It requires training, education, and proof that one has the stamina and ambition to complete the course of study or trade-whatever it may be.
So, misguided souls who for some reason think that going to a Christian University or a Bible College will prepare them for this new economy are either being tricked or they are delusional. Or something else altogether less complementary.
I have hired people in the past-for entry positions and for senior positions in the technology sector. I can assure you that only having a Bible College education on your resume or a non recognized university will not get you to the first interview. The resume will end up in the round file. Having things in Alberta such as NAIT, SAIT, BCIT, or any recognized university and university program will get you to that all important first interview. And if you don’t get to a first interview, the ball game is over and all of a sudden you are looking jobs that are much less attractive and do not have the same career and personal growth opportunities.
It is just one of the reason why so many of these out of the way one horse Bible colleges are closing or facing severe financial hardship. Students need to graduate with a skill, a trade, a future. Unless you plan to work in the church or are attending in order to find a spouse, then you may as well ‘write off’ you time spent here from a career launching perspective.
I only have to look at some of the members of my own extended family. The ones that went to Bible Colleges are all female. They have no marketable skills whatsoever should something untoward happen to their spouse. They are qualified to work in McDonald’s. Those that pursued a specific career in a vocational institute or recognized college or university have careers that are flourishing or they have careers and vocations that they can fall back on if need be.
fjc, I find it rather sad what you have just said, but it is becoming more and more true. Years ago, Christian kids went to Bible School and then if they were not going into the ministry, they did something else. Even then, sometimes pastors needed a trade to fall back on as smaller churches did not pay much, and sometimes a trade was needed for a visa to the mission field.
Nowadays, it is becoming too expensive for kids to do both routes – Bible training to deepen their foundations in the Scriptures + a trade, so many opt for the 2nd only. I believe that is why many are not truly grounded in their beliefs. Good points.
I would rather put it this way. It is not about money, people do not go to bible colleges or Bob Jones primarily because these teachings have no use in our modern society. In my Bible School Board meetings, they have tried to figure out the best way to present bible college education and make it attractive to others. So we have tirelessly tried the way of Ohlhauser, who tried to turn our Prairie Bible College into a community college. In the process, he destroyed the faith foundation he stood upon. He also destroyed faith. At that time, I did ask can the gospel be marketed? The answer is, the gospel has no marketable skills. Many parasites live with it, sucking blood and do nothing. But it is true that people are finding out about having an education that takes you no where. This is the case with these christian home schoolers. I do not think these kids are well prepare for modernity. This young William is destined for the life of poverty, and ignorance. I do not think he can rise about his circumstances, given the fact that he is going to be home schooled, and he has no outside contact other than this pastor and his dad (does he have a mom?).
Face it, dew, anyone can study theology, read and ponder these ideas. But if the evangelical ideas are false, it cannot stand up to the critical review of modernity. No one believes much of your stuff anymore. If you have any biblical knowledge, you need to updated with modern scholarship. Fact is, you can state much of your ‘stuff’ with certainty. And when you die, you can take that with you to the grace. Given the rate of the young evangelicals are deserting the church and their faiths, your brand of evangelicalism, will likely die with you. It died with me already. Ponder on this for me, will you?
Elsa,
I stand corrected. And happy to hear you say that! I have often wondered if you and I would be able to chat together as I would like to hear your opinions more often. I believe you to be a very smart and kind person. I am sorry for thinking you were ‘attacking’ me and those who ‘oppose’ some.
dew…I think it is something else. We live in an age of communication . I believe that many of today’s young people, who may have been potential students in the past, are no longer interested in attending colleges or institutions that seek to control every facet of their life. These potential students think for themselves and quickly learn from others about some of the school environments.
They reject these environments . Not perhaps because they reject Christianity but because they think for themselves and scan the web for data. They view the rules and controls at some of these institutions as having nothing whatsoever to do with faith or even a true learning environment. Censorship in any way-written, music, movies, television is simply not on their menu. Nor do they accept some of the ridiculous approaches to human sexuality that seem to permeate some of rules. I cannot blame them for this.
I am happy that PBI has courses that give you both the Christian base you need and a trait as well. It was implemented a few years back and many have succeeded quite well in their chosen professions.
fjc, maybe where you are from, but not here – in fact, in the last 10 years, a surprising number of youth from my church HAVE attended Bible School first – and in many cases it has been the smaller schools…we even have a family who is selling their house and will be attending Bible School soon in order to enter the ministry.
I disagree with dew and I do believe that there are better reasons from fjc, and they are real. Young people are deserting the churches at the phenomenal rates. It is no joke. By the age of 18, we have lost 3/4 of them, and if they graduated from regular college, more than 90 % would have left the church. It is not just moderate and liberal churches, the fundamentalists and evangelicals are experiencing the same. What does that mean, and what it is to those whose faith is so deep into themselves, they can not see past that. Faith in the American jesus is a a dead faith and a make believe. When it is subjected to modernity, people no longer see that slavery is fine, that god is in charge, and everything will be alright. It is wrong and false. Their worldview is also false, on humanity, sexuality, slavery, racial segregation, and women. Just look at the kids that have gone through a regular education, they will lose their faith. That is why, we have to keep them from taking the regular education and put them in a second rated institutions, with diplomas that no one recognizes. The days are coming that churches will be museums. Perhaps this is why this angry father is full of love and so angry. He has been left behind. His god is not real, and he is not certainly full of love. Just listen to him.
dew, you live in a small pocket of faithfuls. When you die, you willtake your form of faith to the grave, your pocket of young people cannot live in a bubble like this, when they live in a normal society, they will also desert your form of faith. That is a fact, and no matter how many young people are going to study in a bible school, at the end, if this faith is not real, it is not real. Facts are facts, and the decline has begun. This form of American evangelical-fundamentalist faith is dying. It is a matter of time, you will see. No revivals and spiritual awakening will do this time. People have too much knowledge, they are no longer scared or pressured to accept a faith that has no reality. god is dead, and we have killed him. This is what I learnt from my journey, that no matter how much we put into PBI/BJU, they are on a steep decline, and todays’ conservatives, were once liberals of yesterday. What does that mean about our religious right and conservatives? Unfortunately, American jesus and evangelical jesus are identifying with religious right. This won’t be long, before the church as we know it will have to radically shift its position, maybe the best thing is to re-write the bible, remove the offensive part, and treat it like the ancient literature, and myths. Put it down and start to live a life, full of life, and abundant life. Refuse to be hooked to a church, or a ‘relationship with god’ that has gone sour. I do not see the validity of believing in a jesus that was buried and his bones could be found in the Palestine. I also see n valid reasons to keep on translating the bible to window dress its out of date, ancient way of life concerning treatment of slaves, gays and women. Perhaps this is the real reason why this father is so angry. His faith has blinded him to the real world around him.
I truly feel sorry for Ben – if this is his true belief, he will end up in the lake of fire.
Yes, I know you are right in that many youth are leaving the church here in North America, and that is scary. Not because God is dead, but because God allows this to happen. At one time in history, Europe was alive for God, and that changed. Today, the Christian church is more alive in parts of Africa and Asia than North America. God works in ways we cannot understand, but He remains the same as ever, unchanging, full of love and mercy to those who call upon Him. Ben, Satan has blinded your eyes, and you refuse to have them opened. May God have mercy upon your soul.
Indeed, dew, if there is a God, may he have mercy on yours and mine, as I said before, I am a deist, I no longer see the evangelical god as real. For that matter, the literature that you’d cited, the book of Revelation, some of the history you should be aware is that no one in their right mind reads it literally. It belongs to the class of apocalypse literature of its time. None of these should be read literally, and certainly in the history of the Christian Church, it almost did not make it to the canonical status. Modern biblical scholarship could really help you, for you have lived in fear, not of life, and of love and of a sound mind, if you read these literature so literally. Why not also read Leviticus, where it demands gays be dead, or not to cross dress, or to sow with two types of seeds, or wear a cloth made with two types of fabric. Or pigs are unclean, that is none sense.
The church here is dying, and that is no news, and I predict as the churches in Asia and Africa catch up to the modern biblical scholarship and modernity, guess what, they too will do exactly the same as we are here. People are not stupid, and they cannot believe in none sense. That is why, the fundamentalists and evangelicals are in the minority and why their schools of higher learning is still regarded with suspicion. I agree with fjc, no one in the right mind should brain wash kids at such young age and subject him to a life long rejection and out of step of his peers. Look at these facts carefully before you suggest your own kids to go to a bible based school of higher learning. That is all I am saying, this young William is doomed.
One of the issues for the fall off is all of the nonsense that many faith leaders put around their ministry to differentiate it from others. Everything from dress, dating mores, odd behavior rules, and outright discriminatory statements about those of other denominations or faiths. Young people don’t swallow that nonsense any more.
fjc:
Right now my church is looking for a new pastor (the last one was not very relational, transparent, or humble). These are the criteria they are looking for in the new one. I would be very interested to know what you would do to ‘see’ these traits in someone. I am not versed in what a good pastor should look like (have been so very wrong in the past) and would honestly like your input if you would indulge me please. Thank you.
Sorry, I am the wrong person. I am not a regular church attender but I can well understand your frustration. My spouse currently attends an evangelical church. She is also a Presbyterian Elder who has been involved in a number so search committees. In one memorable case, what they ‘bought’ was miles away from what they ‘got’.
I have have hired or been involved in enough job interviews to understand that you never really know what you ‘have’ until it is too late. The cost of a bad decision are high in the business world and even higher in a church environment. A business can send the wrong hire ‘down the road’ fairly quickly with a cash settlement. Churches seem very reluctant to do so…to the point of leaving the person there for a few years-while attendance drops and people move on. Often is is the key contributors that move on-leaving a huge hole in the church. At least this is what happened in one or two Pastor hires that I was very aware of. I have also seen at least one good minister who let himself be bullied and manipulated by a selfish, inward looking, self serving Board-most of whom were living in the past or in some sort of la la land.. No one wants that. Good luck to you.
Thank you. And yes, I have experienced two such pastors in the last few years. Hoping for a good one here. Know anyone? lol
Wanda:
http://blogs.christianpost.com/guest-views/the-recipe-for-a-successful-pastor-9443/
Thank you, Bene.
I would say the 80/20 rules applies to the clergy that I have experienced. 20 percent are top rate, the other 80 are mediocre to poor. A lot of them lack the basic life experiences and common sense to be truly effective. They need a good dose of the ‘real’ world.