TimV
Puritanboard Botanist
I've been trying to figure out the legal implications for this scenario, which I more than suspect doesn't even remotely reflect the reality, especially if it's in the PCA, which I also doubt, especially since the Session seems to be large rather than one of those uncommon but not rare Sessions in the PCA where one or two young guys think they have dictatorial powers.
If the associate Pastor is an Elder, and member of the Session, I guess he could get "fired" in the sense that for one reason or another the Session could come up with an acceptable reason to terminate his pay.
But I think that it would have to be a reason of finances or some such thing rather than a moral issue, as if it were a moral issue there would have to be, for a case of discipline, a rule that was violated and that there was no repentance of. And there is no such rule in the BCO as to the amount you have to tithe. And under the presented circumstances any sort of trial would result not in the guy's removal, but the Session getting thumped upside the head by the Presbytery. The guy would have so many reasons to file a formal complaint with the Session that even if one Elder had ever seen an episode of Law and Order on TV the Session wouldn't have taken any disciplinary action on the case, at least as it's presented, for fear of the Session's hide being publically nailed to the door.
But I realise this whole situation is largely hypothetical.
Sure, as long as they don't say it's required by the church or the Bible. They can certainly ask for extra giving. But I doubt that members any congregation of any size in the PCA give 10% in any case. Even ten percent shouldn't be taught as anything more than a basic guideline as the giving laws in the OT are so complicated.
If the associate Pastor is an Elder, and member of the Session, I guess he could get "fired" in the sense that for one reason or another the Session could come up with an acceptable reason to terminate his pay.
But I think that it would have to be a reason of finances or some such thing rather than a moral issue, as if it were a moral issue there would have to be, for a case of discipline, a rule that was violated and that there was no repentance of. And there is no such rule in the BCO as to the amount you have to tithe. And under the presented circumstances any sort of trial would result not in the guy's removal, but the Session getting thumped upside the head by the Presbytery. The guy would have so many reasons to file a formal complaint with the Session that even if one Elder had ever seen an episode of Law and Order on TV the Session wouldn't have taken any disciplinary action on the case, at least as it's presented, for fear of the Session's hide being publically nailed to the door.
But I realise this whole situation is largely hypothetical.
Sure, as long as they don't say it's required by the church or the Bible. They can certainly ask for extra giving. But I doubt that members any congregation of any size in the PCA give 10% in any case. Even ten percent shouldn't be taught as anything more than a basic guideline as the giving laws in the OT are so complicated.
