Pastor ending email to me with "Regards"

[Hannah66]

In all my years, I have never had a pastor sign off a letter or email with "regards"

I wrote an email to my former pastor(from my previous church I attended) and he ended
the email with 'regards'
I found it rather cold and unfriendly, perhaps a little unchristian like.

What do you think?

The email was not pertaining to business at all.

 

[Paidiske]

I'm a priest and all my work emails are signed off "regards." It's just a normal, standard way of handling professional communication in my experience. And I would treat emails with church members/former members as "professional" as a way of maintaining roles/boundaries.

I wouldn't think of it as cold or unfriendly unless the content of the email was cold or unfriendly in other ways. And I can't imagine why it would seem unchristian?

 

[Philip_B]

My email signature reads

kind regards​

Though I often overwrite it when writing to particular people.

I think it is unreasonable to overanalyse how other people choose to finish their emails. In reality conclusions such as 'yours faithfully' or 'yours sincerely' would be in my mind more business-like and I see 'regards' as more relational, and perhaps a little more casual.

 

[Sketcher]

I have an automatic signature at work that begins with "Regards". I hope that doesn't make me unloving or un-Christlike, especially when I do everything in my power to help my clients. The important part of my messages are the body, so that's where I'm going to direct my energy. Perhaps your pastor is wired similarly.

 

[Aabbie James]

In all my years, I have never had a pastor sign off a letter or email with "regards"

I wrote an email to my former pastor(from my previous church I attended) and he ended
the email with 'regards'
I found it rather cold and unfriendly, perhaps a little unchristian like.

What do you think?

The email was not pertaining to business at all.

Without knowing the contents of your letter to your former pastor and the contents of his response to you, it's impossible to detect the nature of the "non-business" correspondence. However, signing off a letter or email with "regards" seems a perfectly useful way to close.

-Yours Sincerely,

Aabbie

 

[DerSchweik]

Habit most likely. I wouldn't ascribe anything untoward to it.

But it if really bothers you, you might consider talking to, or emailing him back with your concerns (ala Mt 18).

 

[Aabbie James]

In all my years, I have never had a pastor sign off a letter or email with "regards"

I wrote an email to my former pastor(from my previous church I attended) and he ended
the email with 'regards'
I found it rather cold and unfriendly, perhaps a little unchristian like.

What do you think?

The email was not pertaining to business at all.

On another note, if you are interested in learning more about "How to End a Letter With Closing Examples" here is a link to an article from thebalancecareers.com.

-Warm regards,

Aabbie

 

[coffee4u]

In all my years, I have never had a pastor sign off a letter or email with "regards"

I wrote an email to my former pastor(from my previous church I attended) and he ended
the email with 'regards'
I found it rather cold and unfriendly, perhaps a little unchristian like.

What do you think?

The email was not pertaining to business at all.

I think "regards" is a pretty safe way to end a letter, especially if they are dealing with multiple correspondence.
I think a minster would do better by ending with "Blessings" but it depends on the person. If you knew him how do you think he would normally end a letter? Rather than 'how a pastor should sign off'. From one person 'regards' may indeed be cold, but from another it could show warmth. You need to think back to how he would normally speak and interact to judge if that was a cold or normal response for him.

 

[Hannah66]

Thanks for your replies. In all the correspondence to pastors and even christian friends, it has been "love in Christ" or something very similar.
The email was of a very serious spiritual matter.
To me, it felt cold.

 

[Hannah66]

I'm a priest and all my work emails are signed off "regards." It's just a normal, standard way of handling professional communication in my experience. And I would treat emails with church members/former members as "professional" as a way of maintaining roles/boundaries.

I wouldn't think of it as cold or unfriendly unless the content of the email was cold or unfriendly in other ways. And I can't imagine why it would seem unchristian?

This pastor is an Anglican so similar to Catholic, maybe it is the Catholic way of ending an email. That makes sense, thanks for your reply.

 

[coffee4u]

Thanks for your replies. In all the correspondence to pastors and even christian friends, it has been "love in Christ" or something very similar.
The email was of a very serious spiritual matter.
To me, it felt cold.

I can see a lot of men not signing a letter with any form of love in the ending unless it's to their own family. These days anything can be taken the wrong way and inside the church is not exempt from that - unfortunately.

 

[Hannah66]

I can see a lot of men not signing a letter with any form of love in the ending unless it's to their own family. These days anything can be taken the wrong way and inside the church is not exempt from that - unfortunately.

I am his sister inChrist. When I was attending his church, he called me 'sister'. I wouldn't expect him to say 'Love". but "Love in Christ" would be nice.

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/in-his-grip-a-guide-to-christian-email-sign-offs/106085.htm

 

[coffee4u]

I am his sister inChrist. When I was attending his church, he called me 'sister'. I wouldn't expect him to say 'Love". but "Love in Christ" would be nice.

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/in-his-grip-a-guide-to-christian-email-sign-offs/106085.htm

Well that's why I said before you have to go on what you think would be normal for him. And yes it would be nice.

 

[DerSchweik]

I can see a lot of men not signing a letter with any form of love in the ending unless it's to their own family. These days anything can be taken the wrong way and inside the church is not exempt from that - unfortunately.

Yep. I'd never do it - and precisely for that reason, unless as you said it was to a family member.

 

[Paidiske]

If I wanted to make it an explicitly Christian sign-off I might say, "Yours in Christ's service," although that seems very old-fashioned and formal to me. I don't think I'd ever use "love" in that context.

 

[mama2one]

"In decades past, regards implied not only esteem but also affection; today it sits somewhat higher on the spectrum of formality. While sending regards might have once been reserved for close friends and family, the tone it currently implies makes it well suited for informal correspondence, whether business or personal."

 

[Carl Emerson]

I wonder if church members expect more of a 'family' rather than 'professional' relationship.

 

[Philip_B]

I wonder if church members expect more of a 'family' rather than 'professional' relationship.

And therein lies the problem: 'Expectation'!?

 

[Paidiske]

I see a "family" relationship with parishioners as having all sorts of problems, and it's something I'd actively avoid.

Heck, to some degree it's something that by law I'm required to avoid. Do you know that I'm not allowed, for example, to babysit a child in the church? Because that's seen as creating a relationship with that child outside my professional role, and potentially as grooming.

 

[TzephanYahu]

In all my years, I have never had a pastor sign off a letter or email with "regards"

I wrote an email to my former pastor(from my previous church I attended) and he ended
the email with 'regards'
I found it rather cold and unfriendly, perhaps a little unchristian like.

What do you think?

The email was not pertaining to business at all.

I think it's far more damaging for you to write a post like this that for him to write "regards".

Do you realise Christianity is under fire regularly with accusations that we're judgmental, hypocritical and divided among each other. This is the view of many non-believers, some who frequent these rooms.

So what good do you suppose you do in accusing a brother of being "unchristian like" for closing an email with "regards"? Is it to attract non-believers to the faith or reassure the paranoid to watch their words?

I'm sorry to be short with you. I don't know you or your Pastor. All I'm saying is that I don't think Paul would have ever criticised a leader in Corinth for sending him a letter ending "regards".