I take my hat off to Vicki Ashley-Strange (“Your Views,” Jan. 21). She was absolutely correct in her analysis. There is an epidemic of pastors being abused and dismissed for reasons too small to mention. If a man has not been morally a failure or preached heretical doctrine, the church is obliged to love him when he is right in order to help him stay right.
The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23-24 is the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in a person’s life. These will make a difference in attitude and action in a believer’s life. The Holy Spirit would never say bad things to another brother or sister when both are filled with the Spirit.
Who owns the church – Christ or the people? I believe Christ does. Yet there are actions on the part of some believers that indicate they believe they own the church. The pastor is a called man of God who shepherds the flock. The pew people should so fall in love with his shepherding that they extend willingly their respect to him as a man with a divine calling. It is a tragedy that the world is not challenged by the presence of the church as in the past. Could it be that this conflict has planted a corrupted attitude in the heart of the world toward the church?
It is incredible that a saved child of God would take steps to discount the divine calling placed on a man’s life. May the wonderful Holy Spirit bring heavy conviction on hearts in our South Carolina Baptist churches that will produce repentance and stem this rolling tide of oppression and non-respect.
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