Servant leadership in the church?

Sometimes we have to have frank talks about church pastors. The following is not meant to hurt anyone’s feelings. It is for the purpose of helping Christians understand the role of pastors. 
 
AND… it’s to help pastors understand that – too many times – they can’t see themselves as they really are.

Recently, a pastor I know posted an article on Facebook that was filled with self-pity. This man had basically been run off by his congregation for being oppressive in his pastoring of that church. The brutal truth is that the brethren just didn’t want him anymore.

Apparently, he feels that church people expect too much from pastors. He claimed the following:

—Congregations feel the pastor must be perfect and can never make a mistake.
—Congregations expect a pastor to be available 24/7.
—Congregations expect a pastor to never get angry.
—Congregations expect the pastor to do all the work.
—Congregations expect the pastor to never miss church.
—Congregations expect the pastor to never take a vacation.
—Congregations expect the pastor to never get sick.
—Congregations expect the pastor to not drive a car that’s too nice.

He then quotes from I Thessalonians 5:12-13 which says: 

"Beloved Brothers, honor your leaders in the work of the Lord. They work hard among you and give them spiritual guidance. Have a lot of respect and of all heart show them love for the work they perform. And live in peace with each other."

In his post, he puts much emphasis on the pastor being THE LEADER.
And therein lies the problem. In his post, he never uses the word “servant”! He doesn’t understand that a pastor’s primary role is to be a SERVANT.

Oh, I’m sure he THINKS he is a servant. He thinks that his service is to be the boss – el jefe – the one who tells everyone how the church is to be run.
That is NOT the job of the pastor!

We must face the fact that the body of Christ is NOT divided into two classes: ministers and laypersons. That’s an outdated Catholic concept. Christians living in the year 2020 know better. Or at least, they should know better.

When this man laments that church members don’t give pastors the proper respect as LEADERS, he forgets what Jesus told His disciples in Luke 22:25-26: Jesus said, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”

Granted, there are congregations that do not sufficiently appreciate their pastors. But there are also pastors who look down on their congregations as people who are inferior – children who need to be disciplined.

Like it or not, we must admit that we have many men serving as pastors who are NOT qualified to be ministers!!

I hope that the abusive pastors who are out there can come to grips with the concept that: “Yes, you are a leader in the church. But you are not THE leader. AND… your first job is to be a servant. Leadership is secondary (and even tertiary) in your ministry.”

Thank you for sharing.

Wes White

Was HWA Planning on Putting Aaron Dean Over the Church?

Apparently, we are supposed to believe that Aaron Dean was to have been the true successor to the HWA's throne.

How can we honestly take Dean's word for it considering how he worked behind the scenes to help undermine the church in order to deceive members into leaving and then to join the United Church of God?

Has the church ever had an ethical man in a top leadership position who has ever told the truth?

Now upon HWA's death in 1986, we find that Satan seized control of the corporation housed in California, using men who had crept in unawares into the ministry. The Bible warns of this. 

Now this psuedo ministry published a story that Tkach was chosen and picked by HWA. This is not true!

According to Aaron Dean, Tkach became Pastor General by default! All of the men on the advisory council of elders had been put into the role of "deputy pastor general" for an evaluation period. Mr. Armstrong was examining each man, and letting God show him who HE wanted to succeed him. Like the prophet Samuel evaluating the sons of Jesse, he went one by one through the men gathered together. 

God showed HWA how each man was not His pick. Now Aaron Dean was the man evaluated before Tkach Sr. He said HWA wanted HIM! Now if HWA was casting lots, as done through Samuel the prophet, looking for God's pick, why would he want Aaron Dean unless Aaron Dean was God's pick? 

Now Aaron Dean claimed he "talked Mr. Armstrong out of making him pastor general".   

Now during Mr. Dean's evaluation period, HWA had a stroke that was kept private. This is from Aaron Dean himself. But HWA recovered.Now after Mr. Dean, HWA put Tkach Sr into the evaluation period! Therefore he was put into the role of deputy pastor general, which upon the death of the Pastor General, HWA, the deputy pastor general (Tkach)would by DEFAULT become Pastor General.  

Now according to Mr. Dean, HWA commissioned him to ASSIST the next leader of the Church.   

Now according to legal corporation papers, the advisory Council of Elders held legal power over the WORK (the California corporations) until 1991. In 1991 they signed full power over to Tkach sr. According to state records, and confirmed by Aaron Dean's testimony.  

In 1991, Rod Meridith and the ministers loyal to him (men of the Advisory Council of Elders) left and were fired from the WCG corporation. 

The created another corporation, to pay themselves a paycheck, and to lead a separate work.  

They started Global Church of God INC. That splintered into other groups including the LCG and RCG. Raymond McNair had incorporated a separate organization as well, but he shut it down, repented, saying that he was sinning against God by incorporating a new organization. He died shortly after, and i fully believe with his crown secured!Now other men from the ministry which was joined to Tkach, later rebelled and started a separate organization as well, and this was done to preserve payments to the ministry. This was admitted. The men who started UCG, waited until they received a bigger retirement check to fund their new UCG corporation, so they could pay their ministry. 

These ministers FIRST ensured their financial secuirty by creating a separate corporation! Then they drew members of the WCG congregations, into other congregations which supported a new organization. 

What happened to the WCG. Samuel Kitchen

Adult Sabbath School; Pastor Steve Waldron Sets the Record Straight on Darwinian Evolution

Say what?

Why Darwinian Evolution is Obviously Wrong!

Pastor Steve Waldron 

Say that again?

Oh Cousin Steve, Tell us you did not really say that!

Show him...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_facial_reconstruction

Doubly Blessed Prophet No Longer Cursed By Torn Curtains

God's work marches forward!!!!!!! But, no one seemed to notice so the prophet had to write about it.

Major Recording Study Change? 

My wife Joyce was able to find some reddish-pink curtains on Ebay (no, CCOG did not pay for this) to replace the more crimson colored ripped ones we had for decades that are normally shown behind me when we make sermon and sermonette videos in our house. 

While I thought that perhaps some would comment about the change, we noticed that colors do not always come out clear on YouTube for the videos (for example, I was wearing green suit, green shirt, and green tie with spots that Joyce thought were black-gray as it appeared on a recent video when we played it). 

That’s fine, and I really was not looking for comments, but thought I would mention this small change. Actually, the new curtains seem to slightly help with certain curtain closing problems we have had while recording in the past. 

And no, we do not really have a ‘recording studio,’ as we simply record the videos where we happen to be on any given Sabbath, which is normally here in the Five Cities region of California.

Everyone Turning Their Backs on the First Family of the True Church

And they wonder why they have no friends...

Samuel W Kitchen

January 30 at 10:40 PM · 

In all honesty, i often feel discouraged when i think about God's people and how my family is treated. I sometimes feel like everyone hates my family;like we don't belong. 

We've become the dog no one wants around, it seems. 

It's hard not to tear up when thinking about how only a few we've come into contact with has show any passion for God's Truth! We've met thousands of people who have turned in hate and bitterness against God and who are hostile towards that truth! They call themselves members of God's true Church! Yet they've acted like enemies! 

I don't know sometimes. 

Why have we stood up to tell the truth when the opposition has been so great? 

Why have we endured such persecution?

Why have we forsaking everything, just to warn our brethren, and to remind them of what Christ has given the Church?

We havent started a new Church. We havent broken away in rebellion and started a new organization. We haven't tried to pull members away from other churches! We aren't in it for money! Or followers! Just look at our fruits!

All we have been doing is warning God's scattered people of how Satan seeks to devour them, and how the need to "HOLD FAST" is more urgent than ever!

It is hard brethren, to stand when everyone lays down; to swim when everyone is choosing to FLOAT!

Ive never had a real friend in my life it seems. The exception being, i have found some friendship with older members of God's Church in the past, and watched as many were martyred because they loved God's Truth more than the lies! 

I just wish that someone will respond to us, and say YES I LOVE GOD'S TRUTH!

But our job isn't to convince or to convert. Our job is to make known the TRUTH OF GOD.

It is up to the people to choose to believe it or not.

People get angry when we are confident in God's Word and Truth! They want is to compromise it, and conform to them.

I'd rather lay my life down for them now, and be raised, and they see what God is offering and that God is telling them the truth! 

We arent here to lie to people! That would be much easier, and we would be much more popular! The truth cuts, and nobody likes to be wrong. We all have been and can be wrong! We can only change ourselves. When Christ shows us, we must change ourselves! We cannot change you! You can change you!

But people are busy choosing for themselves what is right and wrong. When God's Word says something different than what they want, they turn away! Those with God's Spirit embrace God's Word and seek to OBEY IT. 

We are going through a purification.
A lot of dross is coming to the top. A lot of impurities. 

Im earnestly waiting for God's Church to "make herself ready". How much MORE is God and Jesus Christ for such a thing.

When will the truth matter? It matters to some. And to them i say...may God bless. Because they are going through real hell on earth now. Satan and his demons hate them! And they are the most blessed on this planet for having to endure such a persecution, because God is using that persecution to PURIFY THEM and to MAKE THEM READY FOR MARRIAGE WITH JESUS CHRIST!

It might get lonely. It might get hard and tough.
But God is watching and caring for you! DO NOT FORGET THAT! HE'LL SEE YOU THROUGH TO THE END!