I Wonder How Many Church Goers Tolerate Their Pastors in Order to Fellowship With Their Friends
June 16, 2008
I was originally going to call this post “Why Are There So Many Tools In Ministry?” but figured its negativity would hinder getting at the bigger question, namely, why do people go to churches where the pastor(s) are clearly tools? I brought this question up on the ride home from church yesterday and Hannah said “I wonder how many people tolerate a pastor in order to fellowship with other believers.” I hadn’t thought about this before as I figured that people would not attend a church if they thought the pastor was a nincompoop, but maybe that’s just my jaded, overly black and white viewpoint and does not hold true for other people. Thoughts please…
Murf
June 17th, 2008 at 4:59 am
Hmm…that is a good question. I think there are a limited number of people who would attend church with a pastor who drove them nuts, for the sake of their friends, but probably not many. We’re too consumer oriented for that these days. I think what’s happened is that we’ve come to expect our pastors to be entertainers since we live in an entertainment-driven society and so the most successful ones, by and large, are the entertainers. We want bread and circuses, they give us bread and circuses.
Brandon
June 17th, 2008 at 5:36 am
But even when it’s not bread and circuses, for instance, helping the poor, why is it so often derailed by someone who is craving fame, growth and recognition? I don’t get it at all. I mean, I do get it, because we are all hard wired to want to boast in ourselves, but why are there so many churches where pastors, who should know this propensity better than most, boast in themselves and their own agendas instead of pointing people to find joy and satisfaction in the Lord? It’s really exasperating.
Murf
June 17th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Ah…I see what you mean. Damned ego gets in the way (I use “damned” seriously, like C. S. Lewis).
I know what you mean, but it’s rarely criticized. I was at the opening Sunday of Willow Creek (downtown Chicago campus) and when Bill Hybels got up to speak they gave him a standing ovation. I was shocked! He didn’t even say anything which also surprised me because to me it seemed like one of those “Paul and Barnabas tearing their clothes when the people thought they were gods” moments. Maybe I’m too critical.
Joel
June 17th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
I guess if we go straight to the Bible, the way it describes “church” is the body of believers, and if you look at things from that perspective it’s no wonder people would stay at a church for the fellowship, for the community and for the friends. I can say this from experience, the one thing that’s kept me at my church for 7 years is the fact that all my friends go there… and while sometimes I can be so frustrated with maybe the minister or the way things are run or even the people… the thing that always pulls me back is the body. Strange I guess!