Pastors that abuse their authority.

ffinder

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Pastors that abuse their authority.

That's the reason that about 90 believers left our church more than a year ago, some of them members for more than 12 years.

Following are the main points of abuse:

1 - Worship control
We were commanded by the pastor to worship the way he likes (shouting, screaming, dancing) and because most of the time we failed to do so
we were condemned as not praising God as loudly as He deserves.

2 - Submission to pastor
Submission in everything he says and anyone questioning his actions was considered a rebel and under a curse (1Sa 15:23) Many times the
pastor said if you love me (the pastor) obey my commandments. For more than 6 months he was doing Bible studies on submission to the pastor.

3 - Church authority structure
The old pyramid structure but worse than that no elders! The pastor in all of his decisions he hears from God, no need to consult others.

4 - Abuse of authority
How about expelling some workers from ministry suddenly without telling them why or
assigning a wife in a ministry without telling anything to her husband

5 - Pastor is to be served
He said the workers are in the church to serve the pastor. He emphasized that everything must be ready when he comes to preach, he only
takes the microphone. Once he rebuked the workers for not moving a fallen banner, he went and moved it to our shame. You could only get
advice from him if you make an appointment at specific hours of the day. Once we had a case with demon possession but we couldn't call the
pastor cause it was outside his specific hours so we brought someone else from a different church.

6 - Finances
No accountability was given of where the money goes or what are their wages. On one occasion a large piece of land was sold and until today
we do not know what happened to the money.

7 - Money preaching
No, they never begged us to give but EVERY Sunday morning before the main sermon a mini sermon was preached by different workers on giving to
God.

8 - Vision of pastor
No one else had the freedom to have a different vision. He often said "there can be no 2 visions in this church". All workers and members main ministry was to fulfill the pastor's vision.

9 - Church show biz
Oh how many were sacrificed on the altar of church show! Once the show started you had to be there on time better yet half hour earlier
looking perfect with the right suit behaving right to the end of the show. One mistake and you got heavily rebuked. The show was more
important than the hearts of believers. Like a young musician not wearing the right tie he was heavily rebuked, he got really hurt.

10 - Traditions of man
Point 9 had plenty of rules and regulations that disobeying them you got whipped but also signing to become a member/tither for life was a
rule to new members. Lists were taken for members not attending services and also lists of who doesn't tithe who tithes and how much he
gives. You see we were accountable to him about our tithes/offerings but he was not accountable to us as to what he did with our tithes/offerings.

11 - Sensitivity to unbelievers
You try to bring your friend to church to get saved. If he doesn't go away at the hysterical worship and screaming from the pastor and some
others he will when money preaching starts. Usually they say "did you bring me here to get my money to them ?"

12 - Darkness underestimated
Satan has no power or authority today! claiming Col 2:15 "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it." The original greek says 'striped naked' for 'spoiled' so the principalities and powers were striped naked from
their power and position (principality) and now they are naked that is they have no power or position (principality).

13 - Church name above Jesus name
Someone said to him "you must put Jesus is Lord above the name of the church outside the building". No he said. And how about the many
T-shirts printed with the name of the church in front and Jesus name behind.

14 - Curses
When we left three of us our names were given from the pulpit with warnings no one to speak to us along with the following scripture
Pro 24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:For their calamity shall rise
suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? He said he is not the one cursing us but the Bible.




Maybe some of you have experienced abuse from leaders in other points than the above.

I believe that all of the above points are unscriptural therefore we could not continue in this kind of a church that might turn to a cult. He would not listen to anybody even leaders from other churches. No change to this day. What i'm concerned with is the believers that go there and they suffer but they don't go away because of fear.

I'm thinking of distributing facts about spiritual abuse among the churches
(without mentioning names) so that believers will wake up shake off the fear and find Christ centered churches.

Thanks in advance for hearing my story,
FF.
 
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Bevlina

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This type of abuse is very scary and unfortunately enough, there is too much of it going on today. I know one pastor who found out a lady and gentleman were living together, and not married. In front of the whole congregation, he ordered them both to leave the church and gave the reason why.

These kinds of things are also spiritual abuse.
What has been mentioned on the OP is nothing short of disgraceful. People are not fools, yet these types of "pastors" prey on them.
Why do they do it? Nobody really knows. Many just want money from people. The get rich quick through Jesus scam that's sweeping the world. And people fall for it!! It really makes me think of those words "there's one born every second".
They are cults. Pure and simple.
Churches pay no taxes, that's how these predators operate. To me they are just not men of God. They are simply predators.
 
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3FingeredMonkey

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I wa sinvoved in a similair church at one time. The conflict was there wre several people I cared about, including the pastor.But, He got to the point where he had to control everything down to the finest detail, including members interactions.
I didn't walk away, I ran.
 
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JEBofChristTheLord

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Glad to hear it. My church was recently given by God to expel a pastor who was growing similarly in dominational behavior. By His grace, we have lost almost no one as a result, and we have strong agreement now, and our ability to do good is increasing quite wonderfully.
 
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Qidron

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ffinder said:
I found this detector the other day..
Is your pastor a super apostle?

http://www.cultwatch.com/SuperApostleDetector.html

I think this is bogus. I checked off 2 things and it said I should probably leave.

I went back and checked off just one to see what it said and it said I'd better be careful, and that I should read more of their stuff.

Talk about controlling.
 
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nb_christseeker

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Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
 
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Qidron

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nb_christseeker said:
Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

I love it when you talk scripture. :preach:
 
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Johnnz

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The problem with 'the pastor' is that the NT does not teach a pyramdial structure headed by one man. That is something that has been imposed by church leaders over the centuries.

Nowhere in the NT will you find a job description of the modern pastor. Whether he is a good or bad pastor, the reality is he just should not be there in the way that role is performed today.

I believe that this is one reason why revival cannot come. We need new wineskins for new wine. I am very happy to be experimenting with what I believe is something that could facilitate revival.

John
NZ
 
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Qidron

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Johnnz said:
The problem with 'the pastor' is that the NT does not teach a pyramdial structure headed by one man. That is something that has been imposed by church leaders over the centuries.
Johnnz said:

Nowhere in the NT will you find a job description of the modern pastor. Whether he is a good or bad pastor, the reality is he just should not be there in the way that role is performed today.

I believe that this is one reason why revival cannot come. We need new wineskins for new wine. I am very happy to be experimenting with what I believe is something that could facilitate revival.

John
NZ


I agree with you...specially the part about revival...I had a dream once where I was looking at a front page newspaper article...it was a large picture of a line of Police cars and they were circling a cemetary.....each police car was pulling a boat behind. The caption read "Cleveland's Finest" I knew immediately that it was about revival and the controls each pastor was imposing upon the revival that was spreading through the area. The revival ended after a year. Just ichabod. Many of us were truly touched, but many left the organized fellowships. And I'm glad I did...not an easy transition...but birth never is real easy. ;)

Q
 
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Qidron

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strikerchris0411 said:
Pastors no more abuse their position then Christians do. Well sorry Most pastors no more abuse their position then most christians do.

OK fine...just remember you said that like it doesn't matter when it happens to you young brother.
 
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2+2=5

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I would encourage every one to be careful that we do not get too carried away with bashing--for lack of a better word--our previous pastors.

I think this is what gives people a bad name that have left an Assembly for this reason and thereby brings dissention and much disunity in the body of Christ.

While the Lord has showed us that our previous pastors were in error, let’s all be very careful to not allow this to consume our time.
 
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Qidron

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2+2=5 said:
I would encourage every one to be careful that we do not get too carried away with bashing--for lack of a better word--our previous pastors.

I think this is what gives people a bad name that have left an Assembly for this reason and thereby brings dissention and much disunity in the body of Christ.

While the Lord has showed us that our previous pastors were in error, let’s all be very careful to not allow this to consume our time.

This thread is about pastoral abuse and has more to do with the title and expectations put upon, and taken up by, pastors today than it hasd to do with any particular pastor from one's past. All Christians are meant to be a body...pastors, teachers, prophets, etc. and Christ is the Head...pastors, are a part of the body...not the head. Our expectations are to be placed in God...not put on one another.

When we hang everything on a pastor, or anyone else, we set him up to fail. And then often pastors take advantage and abuse their authority...which is what this thread is about. This thread is not to belabor a point, but to allow others to share.

AND By the way...OTHER Christians besides pastors (a little point for Strikerchris) most certainly do try to abuse authority...authority they don't even have.... Anyone can do this...but like I said..the thread is about pastors.


MY QUESTION IS how do we break the cycle? Too much is put on pastors...and yet pastors accept this to be the kings of the brethren they should be serving... all the wrong spin. All destructive.

Q
 
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