We want to be catered in everything ,so we lose our right to develop into becoming the ministry. We put all the spiritual responsibility on pastors thus forfeiting our right as Christians to mature and develop.We live in a world where getting ahead means moving up the ladder,no different than in the church.What happened to decreasing and Him increasing.Institutionalized Churches are Agenda orientated and revolve around positional parties. I think God wants us to be more intimate with each other,while coming together with no agenda but to seek Him and to share Christ with one another. It's time to move outside of the box and to grow in Christ.
When a church files for tax exemption as a 501(c)(3), it becomes a non-profit corporation. It's just a short walk from there to having the pastor think of himself as a manager/CEO.
Many large churches hire a business manager who reports to a board of trustees or elders elected by the membersip of the church so the Pastoral staff can concentrate on pastoring. It is not a pastor as CEO and the pastor.
Certainly, there are churches where the senior pastor controls everything, but it isn't Biblical and I wouldn't attend such a church. One might also contrast this with a denominational system where absentee overseers control virtually all the decisions of the local congregations through edicts. That is much worse.
Does it make you feel bigger to degrade other people's churches?
We are having a problem with our pastor. He is not the shepherd I thought he was..
Do you realize that shepherds use serious farming techniques and are part of mega-businesses? Their intent is the most finely tuned farming organization that is possible.
I imagine in Jacob's day that he was a rather shoddy goatherd/shepherd.
Good article Suzie