Arun Kumar Engineer, Chennai, India

Your question implies that the pastor of your Church holds total control of the Church. If this is the case, the scripture does not tell us so. According to the Bible, the apostles appointed only elders for the Churches they established (Acts 14:23). Even the elders were plural in each Church (Acts 20:17). The elders are advised not to be bossy (Titus 1:7). The churches of the apostolic times were lead by its elders who were plural. Nowadays, most of the Churches are legally owned by a preacher who calls himself a pastor. But in the apostolic times, the elders were called pastors since they sheperded the believers with all kindness and humbleness (Acts 20:17, 28). 

Now coming to your question, it seems that the pastor whom you have indicated, legally owns the organization and claims himself to be a pastor. First advise the pastor not to be bossy and cling to the scripture (Titus 1:7-9). If he does not bend, then the Bible clearly disqualifies him to be a pastor or an elder. Make sure your pastor is aware of the pluralship of the elders in Church. If this is made, one-man show can be prevented and if the elder/pastor is selected according to the scripture, there would be no place for arrogancy. Unfortunately, if your pastor owns the Church organization legally, then the believers cannot advise/suggest or disqualify the pastor since the whole organization is owned by him.

March 18 2014 • 4 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Seth Freeman

Nobody is perfect. Pastors are just as human as anyone else. I would recommend following the outline that Jesus gave us in Matthew 18:15-17

"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refused to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

March 18 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Bruce Lyon Elder: Restoration Fellowship Assembly

The question is: How should we handle an arrogant pastor in the church?

Answer: Fire him, he is not reflecting the the attitude of a servant as Jesus said one who want to be a leader should be.

Notice Luke 22:24-27:

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But YOU shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that serves. For whether is greater, he that sits at meat, or he that serves? Is not he that sits at meat? But I am among you as he that serves.

Jesus serves us even now as our paracletos - one who comes along side to help in time of need, as our High Priest and as advocate before the throne of God for us! And in the future he will show us how much he is willing to serve even as the glorified man, the head of the congregation of God, notice:

Luke 12:36-37: And you yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he comes and knocks, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he comes shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

Amazing, we are going to sit down at a table for a meal and Jesus will gird himself, and serve us.....

So any minister that does not have the servant attitude that Jesus has even at this present time doesn't deserve to serve any congregation. He has disqualified himself from the right to be considered a minister representing the lord Jesus. 

That being said, the idea of one man ministrey in a congregation is not based on what was the norm in the early Christian assemblies. There were usually more than one elders/pastors with perhaps one who had the gift to be an overseer. Any congregation aught to have at least two or three who by and through the power of the spirit of Jesus have shown themselves to be able to be minister servants to the assembly!

March 18 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report