Quarreling seldom produces
winners
Why is it that I have been thinking about
church fights this fall as the various candidates for political
office have been quarreling on television? Doesnt it get confusing as one candidate
accuses the other of overlooking senior citizens? Then the other
candidate says there is scant evidence the opponent cares anything
at all about little, poor children. The truth is that both of the candidates
are probably fine people who have all kinds of concerns that propel
them into public life. Its really a lot like these clergy
who come into our churches. They are darn nice people most
of them the kind of people who energize communities, fill
places with compassion and give people a reason to live. The problem is that they are always in front,
always leading the charge, always talking about what God wants
us to do. And sometimes there are people who get tired of the
pastor. So, instead of arranging a confab where
irritating habits and obsessions can be talked through, a small
group of leaders will begin organizing a campaign to oust the
pastor. Thats when things get tough. The pastor is broken for years afterward.
And the congregation cannot move past all the hatred that has
been generated during the vicious battles that take place as the
poor preacher is being tossed out. Of all the church fights I have witnessed
over the years, the one in a little suburban church sticks in
my memory. One evening, as the pastor rested at home, a solitary
man came to the parsonage and sat down for a chat. We have decided, the man said,
it just isnt working out, and we want you to vacate
the pulpit within two weeks. The pastor had a bunch of children and a
wife, and vacating the pulpit and moving out of the church-owned
home in two weeks would be nearly impossible. So, in true nice-guy-pastor style he said,
When was this decided? Has the congregation (meaning all
the members) been consulted? The pastors adversary smiled benevolently
and said, We felt it was best that you just moved out without
any discussion in the congregation. We want you to resign and
just move on. No specific complaints were ever registered,
the pastor carried his sorrow with dignity, and the parsonage
was empty in two weeks. But the little church where this happened
is still little. It has not distinguished itself with new leadership
or mission. A new pastor did not come to the congregation and
revitalize it with powerful ideas. The youth program still falters. The same
women make quilts in the basement Monday morning. The worshipping
community dies off a little each year. And someday, that congregation
will not be able to pay the salary of a full-time pastor. It makes a person wonder what quarreling
does to a community. Is it an effective evangelism tool to push
out a pastor? Or is there some way to pull pastor and people together
for effective ministry? All of this the politics in society
and the church might be altered a good deal in the next
few years. But nothing of substance will change unless we learn
how to harness our hostility.
Clark D. Morphew
Posted For November 19, 2000