In that story.1. If you want a patronage ole boy network then your story has merit. But it works the other way too. If your AB doesn’t like you, then what? An AG soverign church can call its own pastor. If you are gifted and anointed you can get a position.2. Are there mean spirited difficult churches and boards in the AG? YEP. Have good men been booted from their church without cause? Possibly. Usually it’s because of a lack of leadership in dealing with problems that arise in any ministry. I think that’s probably a universal problem. Learning conflict resolution and leadership is something that needs to be taught to all pastors much better. I have been involved as a District official in too many disagreements between good pastors and good men on boards that never should have gotten to the point they did.
I prefer the Congregational route.I can be booted out.Not by any board, but by the Conference of Stewards.A 3/4 vote required to declare the office vacant________________Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church
What if them stewards ain’t found faithful?If they ain’t faithful, then they ain’t Stewards. ________________Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church
Is the fellowship between pastors any better in the AG than the CoG?We moved back to Ky in August and have visited several COG’s in Central KY and as soon as I have let the pastor know that I pastored in OH, I get a cold shoulder. One told me as soon as he retires, his son is taking the church (why he told me this is beyond me), another just nodded and walked away and one wouldn’t even acknowledge my family and I as he push his way past us.We started visiting AG’s to see what they were like, because we had never been to an AG before and the difference was like night and day. The pastor’s were very friendly and not standoffish, wasn’t in a big hurry to get away from us and one, my wife and I see him and his wife at the Planet Fitness we work out at and he approaches me if he sees me first.
Sounds like a personal problem these individual CoG pastors have. I am sure it is nothing denominational as such. Pastors and churches can certainly be tribal and cliquish.
Enjoyed pastoring A/G here in CA. for about 15 years.Never once heard of or even witnessed any minister removed from his church due to conflicts. The A/G’s in CA are close to 500 Anglo churches in the Southern Cal & another 500 or so in Northern Cal. The hispanic, Samoan, Romanian & many other ethnic group A/G’s make up several hundred more in each district & I rarely heard of extreme issues among all of these ministers. When I heard of a serious issue it was usually a guy who was upset at somebody at the District office or among fellow ministers at the sectional level.I sat on the Sectional Administrative Committee for awhile & I heard of guys who had differences with church boards but never seen a guy kicked out of his church ministry outside of a couple of legal issues concerning crimes …yes very true.Actually had to apply for hardship one time & the District Office mailed back my tithe every month for almost a year.Was a privilege to minister to & with some really amazing & talented people.I enjoyed my time with my A/G friends & the ministry I was proud to serve in.________________Empty nest syndrome is for the birds!Email me at: [email protected] planters are focused on just one thing …introducing people to Jesus!
Ernie, some of my greatest fellowship comes from outside the COG, even though I have been COG a long time ! Some of my closest friends came from me being a part of a ministerial alliance in my city. One is Methodist, and the other is Presbyterian. I think their denominations have got things wrong but I would trust these guys explicitly. We frequently meet for lunch and pray for one another. I said all of that to say this:
A SP in the AG told me that nepotism is really becoming a problem in their ranks. But it will take awhile for them to catch up with the UPC on that one. The Southern Baptists are looking better all the time________________
An AoG Leader told me…
Well, there’s a couple of points
In that story.1. If you want a patronage ole boy network then your story has merit. But it works the other way too. If your AB doesn’t like you, then what? An AG soverign church can call its own pastor. If you are gifted and anointed you can get a position.2. Are there mean spirited difficult churches and boards in the AG? YEP. Have good men been booted from their church without cause? Possibly. Usually it’s because of a lack of leadership in dealing with problems that arise in any ministry. I think that’s probably a universal problem. Learning conflict resolution and leadership is something that needs to be taught to all pastors much better. I have been involved as a District official in too many disagreements between good pastors and good men on boards that never should have gotten to the point they did.
I prefer the Congregational route.I can be booted out.Not by any board, but by the Conference of Stewards.A 3/4 vote required to declare the office vacant________________Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church
Re: Church of God or Assembly of God
Re: Church of God or Assembly of God
What if them stewards ain’t found faithful?If they ain’t faithful, then they ain’t Stewards. ________________Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church
Another question
Is the fellowship between pastors any better in the AG than the CoG?We moved back to Ky in August and have visited several COG’s in Central KY and as soon as I have let the pastor know that I pastored in OH, I get a cold shoulder. One told me as soon as he retires, his son is taking the church (why he told me this is beyond me), another just nodded and walked away and one wouldn’t even acknowledge my family and I as he push his way past us.We started visiting AG’s to see what they were like, because we had never been to an AG before and the difference was like night and day. The pastor’s were very friendly and not standoffish, wasn’t in a big hurry to get away from us and one, my wife and I see him and his wife at the Planet Fitness we work out at and he approaches me if he sees me first.
Sounds like a personal problem these individual CoG pastors have. I am sure it is nothing denominational as such. Pastors and churches can certainly be tribal and cliquish.
Enjoyed pastoring A/G here in CA. for about 15 years.Never once heard of or even witnessed any minister removed from his church due to conflicts. The A/G’s in CA are close to 500 Anglo churches in the Southern Cal & another 500 or so in Northern Cal. The hispanic, Samoan, Romanian & many other ethnic group A/G’s make up several hundred more in each district & I rarely heard of extreme issues among all of these ministers. When I heard of a serious issue it was usually a guy who was upset at somebody at the District office or among fellow ministers at the sectional level.I sat on the Sectional Administrative Committee for awhile & I heard of guys who had differences with church boards but never seen a guy kicked out of his church ministry outside of a couple of legal issues concerning crimes …yes very true.Actually had to apply for hardship one time & the District Office mailed back my tithe every month for almost a year.Was a privilege to minister to & with some really amazing & talented people.I enjoyed my time with my A/G friends & the ministry I was proud to serve in.________________Empty nest syndrome is for the birds!Email me at: [email protected] planters are focused on just one thing …introducing people to Jesus!
Ernie, some of my greatest fellowship comes from outside the COG, even though I have been COG a long time ! Some of my closest friends came from me being a part of a ministerial alliance in my city. One is Methodist, and the other is Presbyterian. I think their denominations have got things wrong but I would trust these guys explicitly. We frequently meet for lunch and pray for one another. I said all of that to say this:
A SP in the AG told me that nepotism is really becoming a problem in their ranks. But it will take awhile for them to catch up with the UPC on that one. The Southern Baptists are looking better all the time________________