How much notice should a pastor...

[blhowes]

I know of a pastor who gave his congregation (from what I've heard) one week's notice that he would be leaving and taking another position at another church. He had told the Lord that he would move on if there weren't a certain number of people attending a certain anniversary service. Needless to say, it was a shock to the congregation.

I was just curious:

1. How much notice do you think a pastor should give when changing churches?

2. How much notice do pastors typically give?

3. This happened to be a baptist church. Could this have happened in a Presbyterian church?

[Edited on 3-30-2006 by blhowes]

 

[CDM]

Originally posted by blhowes
I know of a pastor who gave his congregation (from what I've heard) one week's notice that he would be leaving and taking another position at another church. He had told the Lord that he would move on if there weren't a certain number of people attending a certain anniversary service. Needless to say, it was a shock to the congregation.

I was just curious:

1. How much notice do you think a pastor should give when changing churches?

2. How much notice do pastors typically give?

3. This happened to be a baptist church. Could this have happened in a Presbyterian church?

[Edited on 3-30-2006 by blhowes]

Theoretically speaking, yes, this could happen in a Presbyterian church and it has. But our ministers can't decide to "change churches." There must be a call to leave to serve somewhere else that goes through a confirmation process. The members too are considered to be life members unless circumstances change. Not because "Wow, I have more friends down the street, and they play the drums in their worship." Or any other arbitrary reason they deceive themselves into thinking it is God that is leading them.

If a pastor has been called to serve elsewhere, he ought to give as much notice as humanly possible to his congregation.

I know this may sound biased but this activity is more common in Baptist churches due to the differentiating views of Church polity.

Church discipline would be in order for a minister to harm his congregation in this way. In my humble opinion, a man so flippant and self-serving as this is not qualified to shepherd God's people.

 

[VictorBravo]

I know a Baptist pastor of a small congregation who received a call to a much larger congregation. He let his little congregation know six months before committing to leaving. There was much prayer during that time. It seems to have worked out reasonably well because it gave everyone time to prepare. It also assured most that it was not a whim-based decision.

Vic

 

[blhowes]

Originally posted by mangum
Theoretically speaking, yes, this could happen in a Presbyterian church and it has. But our ministers can't decide to "change churches." There must be a call to leave to serve somewhere else that goes through a confirmation process. The members too are considered to be life members unless circumstances change. Not because "Wow, I have more friends down the street, and they play the drums in their worship." Or any other arbitrary reason they deceive themselves into thinking it is God that is leading them.

I kind of figured there would be more of a process in place in a Presbyterian church (PCA/OPC, anyway) to prevent this from happening. Nothing against Baptist churches, and I'm sure (hopefully) its probably an isolated incident, but in such a case as this, the Presbyterian way of doing things makes sense.

If a pastor has been called to serve elsewhere, he ought to give as much notice as humanly possible to his congregation.

I agree. In the workplace, 2-weeks notice is usually expected, or even a month in some jobs. This to me is just a common courtesy extended to the employer.

Church discipline would be in order for a minister to harm his congregation in this way. In my humble opinion, a man so flippant and self-serving as this is not qualified to shepherd God's people.

Assuming what I heard was accurate about the pastor and the church situation, it would be difficult to think of the man as a pastor, beyond his official credentials - perhaps a preacher, or a teacher, but not a pastor with a pastor's heart and concern for his flock.

 

[blhowes]

Originally posted by victorbravo
I know a Baptist pastor of a small congregation who received a call to a much larger congregation. He let his little congregation know six months before committing to leaving. There was much prayer during that time. It seems to have worked out reasonably well because it gave everyone time to prepare. It also assured most that it was not a whim-based decision.

Sounds like a pastor that cared for his flock.

 

[Scott]

"I kind of figured there would be more of a process in place in a Presbyterian church (PCA/OPC, anyway) to prevent this from happening."

The presbytery has to approve the termination of the relation b/t the pastor and the congregation. So, a pastor can't properly just leave for another church. Here is a relevant excerpt from the PCA Book of Church Order.

CHAPTER 23

The Dissolution of the Pastoral Relation and

The Procedure for Honorable Retirement.

23-1. When any minister shall tender the resignation of his pastoral charge to his Presbytery, the Presbytery shall cite the church to appear by its commissioners, to show cause why the Presbytery should or should not accept the resignation. If the church fails to appear, or if its reasons for retaining its pastor be deemed insufficient, his resignation shall be accepted and the pastoral relation dissolved.

If any church desires to be relieved of its pastor, a similar procedure shall be observed. But whether the minister or the church initiates proceedings for a dissolution of the relation, there shall always be a meeting of the congregation called and conducted in the same manner as the call of the pastor. In any case, the minister must not physically leave the field until the Presbytery or its commission empowered to handle uncontested requests for dissolution has dissolved the relation.

The associate or assistant pastors may continue to serve a congregation when the pastoral relation of the senior pastor is dissolved, but they may not normally succeed the senior pastor without an intervening term of service in a different field of labor. However a congregation by a secret ballot with four-fifths (4/5) majority vote may petition Presbytery for an exception which by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote Presbytery may grant. Presbytery needs to determine if the dissolution of the pastoral relationship with the senior pastor was brought about in Christian love and good order on the part of the parties concerned.

 

[blhowes]

Originally posted by Scott
"I kind of figured there would be more of a process in place in a Presbyterian church (PCA/OPC, anyway) to prevent this from happening."

The presbytery has to approve the termination of the relation b/t the pastor and the congregation. So, a pastor can't properly just leave for another church. Here is a relevant excerpt from the PCA Book of Church Order...

That seems like a good way of doing things.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

A proper presbyterian call is a three-way affair. It requires three party agreement to bring it into being (pastor, flock, presbytery), and a three-party agreement to lawfully terminate it.

 

[MeanieCalvinist]

I was a member of a Church where the Pastor preached a sermon and at the end he let the congregation know that this would be his last Lord's Day at the Church.

He took a job at a large church in Texas. The church members where soo focused on "the man" that the next Sunday only a few members showed up for service.