 Resignation
Ministry Bio
My NDE
Courtmartial
Life Outline
Promo Pg 1
Promo Pg 2
Promo Pg 3
Salvation
Resignation
Ministry Bio
My NDE
Courtmartial
Life Outline
Promo Pg 1
Promo Pg 2
Promo Pg 3
Salvation
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Forced Resignation
Thousands of Pastors go through this devistating experience every year.
Caught in the middle between a negative power block, and organizational policy.
Pastor Mike answered a comment in a popular christian message board about his
personal experience with a Pastoral Resignation when there were no wrongs committed,
no sins, no charges no faults. It was positive, encouraging and heart felt. To his
suprise he recieved over 270 responses from all over America. Many from the same
Denomination. Some were making life long carreer decisions on line. Almost all,
suprisingly were removed by their District Officials when a small negative power
block decided it was time for him to go. The District caved to the negative power blocks.
In my district of 2200 ministers I was the 27th Pastor to be forced to resign by my
district officials, when there were no charges. We didn't meet to resolve conflicts.
We met for them to carry out simple policy. Treat the Pastor as expendable.
The amazing thing is that while the hundreds of broken
ministers began to open up and ask for advise our message board area grew to over 800 comments. But what was more amazing than this, is that suddenly the denomination
removed our message board. They cancelled our ability to sign on again. I recieved
hundreds of emails saying make a seperate page where we can share. They pulled us from
our churches, now, they don't even want us to share and be healed.
Pastors Forced into Resignation
His church had grown from 80 to 450 in 2 years. The Lord added 5 full time staff. A full time day school. A brand new Worship Center, paid for in cash. He received the fastest growing church of the year award 2 years in a row. He designed a new 7 Fold Ministry to add to his existing 63 teacher Sunday school staff.
But 2 families, not happy with the growth and their loss of power over so many new people conspired to remove pastor Mike. They had warned him to stop attracting so many, “common types” to church. Mike had not been informed that they wanted a “Christian Country Club”. Dress and status codes were the most important goals to them. Mike, just wanted to “reach the lost at any cost”.
Later the 2 families had their organized walkout in the middle of the Pastors Message titled “Going Forward Together, in Love”. only eleven stood up, shouted, “we want Pastor Mike to leave”, then they marched out. They left about 387 people sitting there and one of the congregation shouted, “Keep Going.” Everyone then burst out in applause. Pastor Mike thought, well that was that. He had kept the conflict confidential because he didn’t want the power block to feel unwelcome after amends were made. Mike was planning how to be redemptive and the power block was thinking only, resignation.
They had removed the previous pastor and guess who left at the end of the week, Pastor Mike. There were no charges, how do you condemn a loving, kind, caring evangelistic pastor who has been bending over backwards to keep peace with the disgruntled. Mike would play softball and they would play hardball. He would call and try to befriend. They would hold secret meetings in their homes and make things up. After all, how do you hate a nice guy. They had to lie, make up stories, generate rumors, and create lots of pretend smoke shouting, fire, fire....
Later they found Mike was so beloved they couldn’t create enemies of the nice pastor. So, they organized a family team of bitter bulldozers. They sat on one row in church with their arms folded and themselves looking like bullfrogs in a hail storm. They were not happy campers.
They met to find fault, criticize, lay blame, and figure out how to regain controle. The 2 families had a time line. They were both going off the board in January. They had been on the board for 3 sessions too many. "But, they had to stay on after the removal of the previous pastor".
So on Christmas Sunday morning when the church broke attendance records approaching 500, the angry bitter bunch were out in the parking lot handing out notices that they wanted to get rid of the pastor. Every night at 2 am someone called the pastors home shouting, “your gonna leave aren't you”. Five or six times they heard church people going through their trash at night looking for evidence of ,,,,, something. Other than the fact that Mikes family liked to eat they surely found nothing.
The pastor had been told by a number of ministers that the districts policy seems to be to treat the pastor as temporary and the boards as permanent. The Friday night meeting following the walkout of the angry 11 that previous Sunday was held at the District Offices and as expected, Mike was ordered to resign by the official. Driving home that night Mike died of a broken heart. Loyal to those above and below. In love with all his parishioners he would go through a divorce with over 300 people that God had given him a deep love for in that one weekend. 200 showed up on his lawn Sunday morning asking why ?. And, would he start another church ? Mike had been ordered not to talk to any church people or he would be accused of bringing division to the congregation.
The pastor, with a full head of steam, like an engine on a train pulling hundreds of boxcars, was simply picked up and set in the sand next to the tracks. Mike went into such a deep dark depression that he could barely get up each day. Months, even years would pass and Mikes desire to ever be with people would only go farther and farther away.
Years later Mike found on a Christian message board a chance to share and relate with others that have gone through a similar experience.
Pastor Mike answered a comment in a popular Christian message board about his personal experience with a Pastoral Resignation when there were no wrongs committed, no sins, no charges, no faults. It was positive, encouraging and heart felt. To his surprise he received over 270 responses from all over America. Many from the same Denomination. Some were making life long career decisions on line. Almost all, surprisingly were removed by their District Officials when a small negative power block decided it was time for him to go. The Districts were caving to the negative power blocks. In my district of 2200 ministers I was informed that I was the 27th Pastor to be forced to resign by my district officials, when there were no charges. We didn't meet to resolve conflicts. We met for them to carry out simple policy. Treat the Pastor as expendable.
The amazing thing is that while the hundreds of broken ministers began to open up and ask for advise our message board area grew to over 800 comments. But what was more amazing than this, is that suddenly the denomination removed our message board. And they canceled our ability to sign on again. I received hundreds of emails saying make a separate page where we can share. They pulled us from our churches, now, they don't even want us to share and be healed.
Many have said that the church is unusual in that it is willing to shoot it’s wounded. They don’t want to be slowed down by the hurt or broken. The army must keep pace marching on. At a minister conference I found myself sitting with strangers. As we got to know each other, it turned out that we were all ex-pastors. We had all been wiped out by a power block. What a coincidence. We began to find out that we were part of a large trend. We also found out that once you knew the insides of the denominations policy you tended to be passed over more often for future opportunities.
The experience is devastating. It is like going through a divorce with hundreds of people at once. I am just about to recover. It has only been 11 years. In a church chat area another Pastor and I were sharing what we had been though and were surprised to have hundreds of other ministers enter the conversation. All wiped out. All wondering if they would ever recover. There are many wounded warriors in the woods. But the Organization, which I am proudly a member of pulled the chat subject off the web.
We were removed from our churches and removed from the pages where hundreds of crushed desperate warriors clung in fellowship, where healing was growing between these great broken hearted men of God. We were not trying to run the organization down. Merely rebuild our lives. I realized, we are an embarrassment to them. They want us to stay in the woods. With thousands of new Ordained Ministers coming into the Denominations every year. We are expendable. We are fodder for the Church. I don't mind. I love to do things for My Lord.
But wait a minute. Why are the carnal and the manipulators left in charge of God's Work. In one year 27 ministers in my district were forced to resign their pastorates,,, without charges of wrongdoing, unethical behavior, or immorality. Many because they were causing growth. Most cases it was the power block that ran the church that had them removed. Many leaders have suffered from a "sheep attack".
Many have lost their pastorates, many their reputations, and many,,,, have lost their enthusiasm about staying in the ministry. I call it Motivational Disorder. All that drives a Man of God is what flows through his heart. If he loses heart he has lost his only resource beside the Lord to continue in the battle All ministry is a matter of the heart. God holds our hearts in the palm of his hand. He held Johns heart in His hand while he sat on Patmos. If ever there was a time the churches needed John it was then. Watch this page to read others struggles and healings.
Please click here to submit your experience. Your mail will be handled discreetly. We won't share the denomination or any names or locations God knows them. We will try to minister with you in love and support. We will announce on the front page when we have lots of new data. Many old time saints need to help renew and restore hurt ministers.
From the Lighter Side.
I actually wanted to title this, "How to Survive a Sheep Attack". But wait a minute, You may exclaim, " sheep don't attack". Your right, sheep don't attack, but many leaders have learned from experience that they do have teeth.
You may even ask, are they really sheep if they don't eat grass but would rather be but chomping on,,,,, you....!!! I am actually afraid to answer that. The implications could be extensive.
One of the greatest lessons I have learned from years of pestering, is that, if they are not eating grass, but finding fault with others, and chomping on you, they may not be sheep. Wolves are carnivorous, sheep, herbibivorous. Ask any Pastor in America, the sheep have teeth. Thousands of Pastors have been forced to resign without having done anything wrong. Without Charges. Some by Organization Policy, Some by church infrastructure power block many by taking a conviction centered moral stand that roused the carnal.
My prayers are for the struggling pastors who are not in full time ministry anymore. Remember, God is Faithfull, "Not to forget your labor of Love". He is the Lord of the Harvest. He has kept all the good that you did. It is safe with Him. He will remember your struggles. The crown of quiet suffering and secret surrender is one of the brightest. Remember, Having done all to stand, you can relax, and just stand anywhere and any way you can.
Love in Christ, Mike
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Thousands of Pastors go through this devistating experience every year. In my organization, I was the 28th Pastor to be forced to resign in just one year's period of time. Without any charges or wrongdoing. A negative power block of people were permitted to take over the congregation by the organization. Things went from bad to worse.
What happens to the churches that come under the control of the mean, carnal, controling people.
This is a major trend in many denominations and we need to consider some solutions or ways of dealing with the problems that ensue.
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