 |
Actscelerate.com
Open Any Time -- Day or Night
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Message |
Author |
 Re: I haven't read this entire thread...but I've always wondered... |
Nature Boy Florida |
| Tom Sterbens wrote: | | Nature Boy Florida wrote: | | Tom Sterbens wrote: | Where does social media now fit into the context of Matthew 18:15...
Matthew 18:15 (NASB95)
15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
|
Tom,
If a brother sinned morally with another man's wife (or worse his child) - should you keep everything private and trust that his re-salvation and sanctification all came the same day - and he can go and sin no more - and you have no obligation to tell anyone.
Certainly that was the thought 40 years ago - but was it the right thought - is it the right interpretation for sexual sins? |
This particular instruction of scripture is NOT given to preserve a secret, it is given to preserve the maximum opportunity for redemption. |
But was oft interpreted to keep it "within the church".
_________________
Whether you like it or not, learn to love it, because its the best thing going today! |
Acts-pert Poster
Posts: 16619
11/30/17 4:28 pm
|
|
|
|  |
 |
|
|
| |
Quiet Wyatt |
| Cojak wrote: | | I still say it, if you run around on your wife/husband YOU DO NOT REALLY LOVE THEM WITH ALL YOUR HEART! |
Amen!
About King David, even if he had not abused his power over Bathsheba and basically raped her and then had her husband killed, King David still would not have qualified to be so much as a deacon in the New Testament church, much less, an elder or pastor.
Last edited by Quiet Wyatt on 11/30/17 8:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
[Insert Acts Pun Here]
Posts: 12792
11/30/17 4:59 pm
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
FLRon |
| sheepdogandy wrote: | When I began in ministry.
An elder brother wanting to prepare me for any possibility shared the following.
When he was a young preacher, he was conducting a meeting (CoG) one evening he was in the parsonage with the pastor and his wife.
The pastor went into another room at which time the pastor's wife lifted up her dress to reveal that she was wearing nothing underneath.
My friend left and did not allow himself to be alone with the woman again.
No excuse for the person in question, just to say that there is enough blame to go around.
During the oral segment of my ministerial examination, (Exhorter) in NGA many years ago.
One of the brethren examining me stated the following.
"Son, you are a handsome man. One day you will receive a call from a lady who is deathly ill. When you arrive at her house and go into the bedroom. You will find she is NOT sick, and not a lady. When that day comes, RUN! RUN as fast as you can!"
Good advice. |
This reminds me of a similar situation I was told about by a nationally known minister. Seems this minister was preaching a revival when he was getting started in the ministry and they put him up in a spare bedroom of the parsonage. He was awoken one morning to see the pastors wife standing over him stark naked. He got out of there ASAP and shut down the revival. Sometimes the only option is to RUN!!
_________________
“Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”
Voddie Baucham |
Acts-celerater
Posts: 767
11/30/17 7:50 pm
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
MrSippi |
| UncleJD wrote: | | If there ever was a time to learn a lesson from the Catholic church, its now. They "fenced in" their issues and basically lost Europe over it. There's a reason God is letting these things be brought to the light, and its not to cover them up. |
In fareness to the D.O. who used the words “fence it in,†he was not talked ng about covering it up. I know the district overseer and know personally that he is a man of strong integrity. The same is true about the Alabama state overseer. According to everything I know about this situation, the pastor was confronted, he confessed his failures to his wife and church, resigned from his church, surrendered his credentials, and will submit to the restoration process.
I probably posted my original post too soon. The D.O. expressed to me his desire to protect the family of the pastor and the victims. Also, there were apparently several women involved and he did not want them to be afraid to come forth with their stories. I understand that and that is why I deleted my original post. There is a difference between covering something up and fencing it in with the people who are involved and affected directly. That was and is a reasonable request.
At this stage, I am not interested in discussing this pastor. However, I do think it is valuable to have continued discussion on how to prevent this type of thing from happening again. |
Friendly Face
Posts: 156
11/30/17 11:02 pm
|
|
|
| |
|
| Re: I haven't read this entire thread...but I've always wondered... |
Tom Sterbens |
| Nature Boy Florida wrote: | | Tom Sterbens wrote: | | Nature Boy Florida wrote: | | Tom Sterbens wrote: | Where does social media now fit into the context of Matthew 18:15...
Matthew 18:15 (NASB95)
15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
|
Tom,
If a brother sinned morally with another man's wife (or worse his child) - should you keep everything private and trust that his re-salvation and sanctification all came the same day - and he can go and sin no more - and you have no obligation to tell anyone.
Certainly that was the thought 40 years ago - but was it the right thought - is it the right interpretation for sexual sins? |
This particular instruction of scripture is NOT given to preserve a secret, it is given to preserve the maximum opportunity for redemption. |
But was oft interpreted to keep it "within the church". |
I can't help how people may interpret it or misappropriate it...any more, such as in this thread, how they may ignore it altogether. |
Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia
Posts: 4507
11/30/17 11:59 pm
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Tom Sterbens |
| MrSippi wrote: |
At this stage, I am not interested in discussing this pastor. However, I do think it is valuable to have continued discussion on how to prevent this type of thing from happening again. |
And would you say at this point you have accomplished the former or the latter? |
Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia
Posts: 4507
12/1/17 12:01 am
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
MrSippi |
| Tom Sterbens wrote: | | MrSippi wrote: |
At this stage, I am not interested in discussing this pastor. However, I do think it is valuable to have continued discussion on how to prevent this type of thing from happening again. |
And would you say at this point you have accomplished the former or the latter? |
Weren’t you very vocal in an almost identical situation to this one several years ago? As I recall, you were so vocal that you became an advocate for the victims, posted numerous posts about the situation on this board, and led the way for reform with a motion at the General Assembly that was passed.
From every indication, this pastor in Alabama was a sexual predator with as many as dozens of victims. What is the difference other than the fact he is apparently your friend? Your different response is very concerning. I’m not interested in ruining the guy. I don’t even know him. It is a dysfunctional church that was created by a very manipulative pastor and the victims of his actions are important too, even if they are not your friends! |
Friendly Face
Posts: 156
12/1/17 7:13 am
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Tom Sterbens |
| MrSippi wrote: | | Tom Sterbens wrote: | | MrSippi wrote: |
At this stage, I am not interested in discussing this pastor. However, I do think it is valuable to have continued discussion on how to prevent this type of thing from happening again. |
And would you say at this point you have accomplished the former or the latter? |
Weren’t you very vocal in an almost identical situation to this one several years ago? As I recall, you were so vocal that you became an advocate for the victims, posted numerous posts about the situation on this board, and led the way for reform with a motion at the General Assembly that was passed.
From every indication, this pastor in Alabama was a sexual predator with as many as dozens of victims. What is the difference other than the fact he is apparently your friend? Your different response is very concerning. I’m not interested in ruining the guy. I don’t even know him. It is a dysfunctional church that was created by a very manipulative pastor and the victims of his actions are important too, even if they are not your friends! |
Good memory!
Indeed I was...and at the time I held the Executive Committee responsible for what I believed to be "sweeping it under the rug."
My public writing on this forum concerning that matter this was pursuant to personally contacting the individuals involved...victims, attorneys, and Executive Committee members, ("Go to your brother..."). I drove to Michigan to meet with the victims and attempted to communicate with the perpetrator.
(No doubt my sensitivity to this particular issue was fueled by being an adult child of molestation.)
When there was no response, I communicated again and copied others members of the Executive Committee, (have one or two witnesses...)
When nothing happened I "told it to the church," and used this forum and Facebook to do so.
I have indeed paid an "organizational price" for having taken that route, even after I was asked to let it go." I am not sorry I pursued it.
I did not do it anonymously since "going to brother" seems to be pretty clear that "brothers" would be known to each other. Do you think this particular expression of redemption can be done through anonymous postings?
Anyway, at that point the church did what the church does and took a very redemptive path to resolving a terrible injustice.
In dealing with matters such as this I have always felt the maximum redemptive potential is found when we preserve the concentric circles of progressive communication instructed by scripture. When we violate that we mitigate the engagement of the Holy Spirit in the process.
I will be glad to answer any other questions you may have of me in terms my own accountability in the previous matter you mentioned - or any others. I hope I have sufficiently answered your questions to allay the concerns you have for me.
Thanks |
Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia
Posts: 4507
12/1/17 12:30 pm
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
