When pastors resign from churches, the normal practice is for numerous other pastors to call them, visit with them, ask them to lunch, etc. in order to encourage them. I've heard of this and seen it happen many times. Especially if a pastor is "forced out," his fellow pastors will rally around him. This is a nice practice and one that I support.
Something interesting has happened in my life recently as it relates to this. As I've discussed previously, I resigned from a salaried pastor position in October. I did so because I could not find biblical support for pastors being paid regular salaries. After I did this I called a few of my pastor friends to let them know what I had done and why. Word of pastoral resignations gets around pretty quickly within the pastoral ranks. Here's the interesting thing: since I resigned (two and a half months ago), I have received zero phone calls from local Southern Baptist pastors.
I did receive a letter from a pastor friend that basically chastised me for resigning and informed me that my biblical interpretation was incorrect. What saddened me about this particular letter is that its tone was not gracious whatsoever.
Zero phone calls. Zero calls to offer prayer support. Zero words of encouragement.
All I can surmise from this reaction is that I am no longer wanted in the fraternity. Since my resignation challenges the validity of the professional pastorate, many of those who hold these positions don't seem to want to talk with me any longer.
Let me also say this: I could be wrong in these conclusions. It may be that some of the pastors don't know how I would react to a phone call. They may think that I would attack them for the positions they continue to hold (I wouldn't). They may just feel awkward about the whole thing. That said, I do plan to call some of them to reestablish contact.
My guess is that for some I have become a sort of threat. Right or wrong (probably wrong), the facts that I have a seminary degree and served as a salaried pastor and missionary within the SBC give me a sort of "street cred." My resignation no doubt makes some pastors uncomfortable. If I had resigned for some other reason and was currently looking for another church in which to serve (and receive a salary), I have no doubt that the phone calls would have been frequent to this point.
I do want to thank the pastors from Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church here in Savannah. This is not an SBC church, but I'm friends with the pastors there. Although we disagree on some issues, we have remained in contact. We've had some great conversations about pastoral ministry since I resigned.
This post is not intended to be a pity-party. I'm just amazed that I've received zero phone calls from local SBC pastors. I guess I'm now on the outside looking in.
17 comments:
Is Alan Knox not an SBC pastor?
Someekklesia,
You are right about that. I frequently forget that Alan is part of the SBC. I suppose I'm thinking in terms of salaried SBC pastors who live in the Savannah area. Thanks for the correction.
Eric
I apologize if it sounded like I was minimizing your point.
Honestly, I'm not very surprised by the lack of support. Your decision directly contradicts the decision of these salaried pastors so it is not surprising that they would be skiddish in offering their support. Supporting you would sort of necessitate questioning their own positions, I think it would be inevitable. The best way to combat those questions in their minds would be to distance themselves from "the crazy guy who quit following God." If they look at you in those terms your decision seems much easier to write-off, and it is much easier to look at you in those terms when they aren't interacting with you. I realize that paragraph is full of assumptions, but those are the reasons I would stay away from you if I was a paid pastor!
Dan
My comment about Alan was simply to point out that thankfully there are brothers and sisters out there who stand beside us as we try to live out our convictions.
Some,
I knew what you were getting at. I just forget about Alan being in the SBC since his ideas are so foreign to what most SBC churches look like.
As for the other pastors, my guess is that there are ranging emotions on their part. But you are right in that if they avoid me then they can avoid the issues my resignation creates. The SBC loves to trumpet its adherence to the bible, but when the bible shows them something that challenges traditions, the reception is not too warm.
My duty at this point is to try to show grace where I have opportunity. I hope to talk to some of the pastors. I just can't count on any of them contacting me.
Eric,
What you've said here about the fraternal relationships ties in with an observation I have about the traditional model. You've pointed out numerous times (as have your like minded bloggers you keep as e-friends) the lack of edification, one anothers, etc., that exists in traditional formats.
As little of this as one in the pew receives, the pastor receives even less. He doesn't even get to sit and listen to a monologue sermon, because he's the one that's up there. So where does a pastor go for mutual edification, sitting under the preaching of the word, etc.? Pastor's conferences and the like. I think subconsciously they recognize the serious lack of the one anothers. And since they are pastors who are looked "up to," people don't think that they need encouragement, edification, instruction, correction, admonition. Even if people recognized this, building up a pastor just seems awkward. Pastors aren't supposed to have problems, and that's how they got to be elders/pastors in the first place. They're the super spiritual ones with "all the answers" to begin with.
So now the question is, how does the big name pastor who is the one that speaks at pastor's conferences get edification, etc.?
Steve,
That's interesting. I hadn't quite thought of it in those terms, but you are right. Pastors do struggle to find edification in community. The sad thing is that if you challenge the model of the salaried pastor, you end up being at least somewhat cut-off from those who have edified you in the past.
LOL... am I an SBC pastor? I guess it depends on who you ask...
-Alan
Alan,
Technically speaking you are, but that's about where the similarities end.
This is not to question your decision, but I do have a sincere question, and I'm wondering how you feel about it.
How do you feel about the Scripture that Paul says So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. (1 Cor 9:14)
I've never been involved with church administration. But doesn't that mean that their lives should be supported from the gospel itself? Granted, I question the salary that some pastors receive, and believe that luxuries probably aren't covered in Paul's statement.
God bless, Richie
http://rcsthe.blogspot.com
Eric,
You really think the salary has anything to do with it(you mentioned salary 3 times)? By the way while I was down there in Savannah, I bumped into Bob Dimmitt at Starbucks.
Richie,
Thanks for your question. I addressed this in this blog post: http://eric-carpenter.blogspot.com/2010/10/elders-in-i-corinthians-914.html
Micah,
I'm glad you saw those guys. I appreciate them a great deal.
As for salaries, I think that has A LOT to do with it. It makes people uncomfortable when you challenge where their paycheck comes from.
Eric,
I am not, in the least surprised certainly anticipating this would be the case, as I think I mentioned much earlier.
As you say, "if they avoid me then they can avoid the issues my resignation creates", and of course one of those is whether or not they are SEEN to be who they SAY are.
No matter what the issue, convictions, unsubstantiated accusations, rumors, etc., the result is the same. Reminds me of Peter when asked if he knew Jesus.
The unspoken rules of "the club" is that one never rocks the boat by standing out, whether over convictions or anything else.
Eric, thanks for the response! :) I'm reading it now.
John,
It's hard for me to know what the motivations are. I suppose it varies from pastor to pastor locally. In the end, though, the result is my being shut off from communication. I'm certain that I now make at least some of them uncomfortable. That's not my intent. However, my very presence raises issues that most would rather not think about.
Eric,
I don't think salaries have anything to do with why these pastors have not contacted you. I would venture to say that said pastors' consciences are settled on whether they can receive pay biblically. If they weren't settled on the matter and were honest with themselves, then they would have to come to a conclusion similar to yours and act on that conclusion would they not? But seeing as they have not come to the same conclusion, I don't think your decision is anything that makes them uncomfortable. They simply disagree with you. So while I don't think the salary has anything to do with it, I hope the reason there has been no contact between you and them is not simply because you disagree. A fraternity of any sort need not depend on all parties agreeing 100 percent on everything. When you do reestablish contact with them, I would be interested to know what is(are) the reason(s)for this lack of communication.
Micah,
You are probably right that most are settled on the issue. Therefore, I really don't think they want to talk about it.
However, there is a deeper problem. Some have truly investigated the issue. However, others have not. They are told in seminary that it is biblical and are pointed to a couple of passages (I Cor. 9 and I Tim. 5) and told that these settle the deal. I certainly don't think they do. So here I am, as a former pastor and seminary graduate, saying that I believe salaries for pastors are unbiblcal. That is a big challenge to the status quo. That may not be the only reason for the lack of contact, but I have to believe it is a significant part of it.
If this is not the main reason, then I don't know what it is.
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