Posted on 07/20/2007 8:49:30 AM PDT by Between the Lines
COATESVILLE, Pa. -- Members of a Chester County church said they have really been at odds with the pastor since he came on board about a year ago.
But after receiving a letter that mixed Bible verses along with threats of an arrest if they were to attend church on Sunday, that's when they said the pastor went too far.
"We are in spiritual warfare, we really are ... with our own pastor," said one woman.
It's a rift so deep that Coatesville police stepped in Wednesday to try to resolve the issue after the Rev. Malcolm Finkley of Coatesvillle's Tabernacle Baptist Church reportedly signed and sent the letter to dozens of church
members.
Recipients of the letter threatening arrest included 87-year-old Waddell Tucker.
"If you don't agree with him, you've got to go," Tucker said.
Some congregation members told NBC 10 that they have not liked the way Pastor Finkley runs the church or how he conducts himself from the pulpit. When they tried to oust Finkley as they say it states they can in the church bylaws, their vote has been interrupted and not allowed to continue.
The certified letter told several members they were creating an "atmosphere of hostility" and threatened criminal charges if they showed up anymore.
"To tell someone who has been coming to this church for over 60 years that, 'You can't come into the church because I say so,' that's objectionable," said John Robinson, of Coatesville.
NBC 10 tried to ask Finkley about that, but he twice had no comment Wednesday.
Members said they went to the police to see if they could actually be placed under arrest if they showed up to worship God. They said the short answer they received was no.
"We've made multiple attempts to set up meetings with him to try to discuss some issues that we had concerns about. That was unsuccessful," said church member Charles Ward.
It's a holy war that church members said has no winners.
"Just want to go to church and praise the Lord," Ward said.
NBC 10's Jamison Uhler said that he did find members who said they were happy with the church's new leadership and direction, and they said they were sad to see that other members were standing in the pastor's way.
Copyright 2007 by NBC10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Any ideas? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
What's wrong with that picture?
Their beliefs statement doesn’t jive with the PDL model. I suspect an “old guard vs. new guard” battle is taking place there.
Nice looking man. Has an aire of the Lord about him. Cannot tell anything else from the website. Is there a ‘Purpose Driven Church’, Rick Warren issue?
I think he's being pretty straight forward:
CALLING ALL MEN! JOIN US ON SATUDAY
I have seen pastors do this, after attending a “church growth seminar” or some other such program. One “consultant” locked pastors in their hotel rooms until they “received their vision”. Then they all went back to their churches and ran members away in order to take full control. Another one of the side benefits of purpose driven nonsense.
If you could just get the parishioners out of the parish, everything would be so great.
Don't make me call the po-leece now......can I get an A-MEN??!!
The web site states:
“What can I expect on my first visit?
From the moment you enter our doors you’ll be made to feel at home. Our ushers will welcome you, provide you with our weekly worship guide and direct you to your seat. Then position yourself to enter into the presence of the Almighty. If you have children, you’ll want to take advantage of our safe and secure children’s church designed just for them.”
Worldlings will feel at home and the kids will be separated from the parents. Churches that do either of these miss the Biblical mandate for the church - it’s home to saints, not worldlings and parents are to teach the kids the things of God. The church should make it difficult for parents to shrug off their kids, not facilitate it.
You series about that? He LOOKS like he has an “aire of the Lord” about him? You can tell by looking at someone? What does that look like? And how is that important? Think Jesus would have called the police to keep people away from attending service?
Control does seem to be the issue doesn’t it?
“...they say it states they can in the church bylaws, their vote has been interrupted and not allowed to continue.”
Just WHO do these people think they are? Harry Reid? LOL!
Worse than that -- now they want to get rid of any Board of Directors, Deacons or Trustees. The pastor wants 100% control and no questions asked by members. You can just imagine where it leads. Property gets moved into the pastor's name if they can get away with it, misuse of funds, running personal businesses through the church books...I have seen all of this recently.
Before reading this news account, the only pastors that I thought were unchristian enough to be capable of threatening church members with arrest and criminal prosecution for trespassing were Seventh-day Adventists.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1705993/posts
They are a Purpose Driven church. They are listed as such on the PD Website.
My understanding from my RW source is that this is totally false. I forget the nature of the mistake. I’ll try and post the email later.
I’ll relay your question.
I haven’t followed this remotely closely—not really much at all.
I’m not very fond of the RW witch hunts.
I received an email from my source noting that it was false and that there was some mix-up—that the closest church that was truly part of the RW system was several States away or some such. When I open my email software again, I’ll post that email here.
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