Pastoral background checks

[Dmckay]

I definately agree with you on this. I had stated before that I believe a man should be checked out as thouroughly as is honestly possible in an earlier post. I hope no one got the idea I was against checking up on him from what I have said in later posts.

Your story caused me to have a question. How were they able to so quickly confirm that he was guilty? The child may have been mad at him for something and accused him because of it. Did he admit to it? Pastors have been falsely accused many times.

When confronted by the mother and the girl in front of the deacons he admitted what he did. I forgot to mention they were returning in a van with several of the other kids from the youth group whom he had though were sleeping and wouldn't see what happened. But they did, and they talked about it, so it became a matter of discussion among the unchurched in the neighborhood before he was confronted.

 

[RED that's ME]

I've heard of Baptist pastors who has sexually abused members. Focus on the Family had an article on pastors who had a problem with online porn and the stats were high.
Like I posted earlier, if satan can take a pastor down, he usually is taking down his family, church & community usually too.

Did you pray for your pastor today?

 

[RajunCajun86]

Did you pray for your pastor today?

yep

 

[Dmckay]

Did you pray for your pastor today?

And also for every Pastor and their families that I know.

 

[TexasSky]

Seeking a perfect pastor is, I agree, unreasonable since we are all sinful beings. However, I do not think that a backround check is so super unreasonable--what if a man has a history of adultery in the churches that he's pastored (we heard here in B/A not long ago of a pastor who committed adultery in the church), what if he's an embezzeller (there was a pastor that I've heard who, a few years ago, embezzelled funds from the church), etc.? Even if you still decided to have him as a pastor, wouldn't you rather know of the issues beforehand so that you can keep an eye out, rather than find out too late that something has happened?

Unless you are going to work for a high-security agency like the FBI, a background check won't show half of the things you folks are asking about.

Most background checks are done via a quick computer search of public records. If you've filed bankruptcy, gotten a divorce, had five marriages, or gone to jail - - you'll show up in the records.

You could be fired 95 times, and it wouldn't show up.
If you stole things, and were not convicted, it wouldn't show up.
If you had a harem, but never married them, it wouldn't show up.

On the flip side, GOOD men of God can end up in bankruptcy because a church that called them failed to tithe and meet THEIR financial responsibilities toward the ministerial staff.

 

[JPPT1974]

And also for every Pastor and their families that I know.

We all need to pray not just for
The pastors but for the families
Good point my friend!

 

[edie19]

Focus on the Family had an article on pastors who had a problem with online porn and the stats were high. . . . . Did you pray for your pastor today?

My pastor must have read the same article - or one comparable. I remember him telling me several years ago something similar about on-line porn. I love the internet but it has allowed people to bring things into their home that they never would have gone to a store, purchased and brought home.

David has a great deterant for Christians who are addicted to internet porn. He did this for an aquaintance of his. David created a password that the user needed to enter every time he logged on to the internet. The password 3 simple words - "I hate Jesus." David related that his friend was outraged, essentially "that's terrible, I can't say that!" But as David pointed out - wasn't the person saying that very thing everytime he entered his porn sites.

And yes - I prayed for my pastor today (but thanks for the reminder).

 

[RED that's ME]

My pastor must have read the same article - or one comparable. I remember him telling me several years ago something similar about on-line porn. I love the internet but it has allowed people to bring things into their home that they never would have gone to a store, purchased and brought home.

David has a great deterant for Christians who are addicted to internet porn. He did this for an aquaintance of his. David created a password that the user needed to enter every time he logged on to the internet. The password 3 simple words - "I hate Jesus." David related that his friend was outraged, essentially "that's terrible, I can't say that!" But as David pointed out - wasn't the person saying that very thing everytime he entered his porn sites.

And yes - I prayed for my pastor today (but thanks for the reminder).

One of the passwords my mom had put on the computer to type in was..I love Jesus.
A good reminder every time to think before you do anything you would regret.

 

[Dmckay]

One of the passwords my mom had put on the computer to type in was..I love Jesus.
A good reminder every time to think before you do anything you would regret.

I think that this is an excellent idea. I wish you had posted it at a time when my children were still living at home. fortunately, I didn't have to worry about them misusing their computers or the Internet, one is in Law Enforcement specializing in computer crime, and another is working to become a medical missionary.

However, we all need to be reminded continually who we represent to everyone that we encounter and who view our lives. It helps to have accountability to others to keep us from straying.