Another one bites the dust

[John Dibble]

Ah what's he got to loose if it's true. He steps down, takes his money with him, dissapears, goes through a fake 'repentance' (which many of his potential congregation would just lap up) then comes back a year later and starts another church.

He can live his private life how he wants, making sure he's sprouts his nonsense and condemns other people just strong enough to get people off his scent. But it's okay for him, because he's protected by money and status and can do whatever and who ever he wants.

it shouldn't be a matter of what he wants to do, the church itself should vote to have him removed from the pulpit.  simple

Yeah, it should. But we don't live in Shouldland. Ah, Shouldland, where clean-cut kids cruise Shouldland Boulevard, and the Shouldland High football team gets their optimistic asses kicked by their cross-town rival, Reality Check Tech.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

then I guess my church is located in shouldlamd...and I should know, I am one of the 3 trusties

[John Dibble]

then I guess my church is located in shouldlamd...and I should know, I am one of the 3 trusties

Perhaps. You do routinely get your ass handed to you by Reality Check Tech.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Nevermind all the allegations for a minute ...

... why is a pastor getting such a lavish salary and living such a lavish lifestyle?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

then I guess my church is located in shouldlamd...and I should know, I am one of the 3 trusties

Perhaps. You do routinely get your ass handed to you by Reality Check Tech.

Yet it simply would not happen in our church because the board would vote to allow the church to remove the pastor, at least temporarily, from the pulpit.  And we have policies in place to help avoid situations like this:  multiple chaperones, no expensive gifts, etc, etc, etc. 
In fact, even if you listen to the latest sermon I posted, our pastor even talks about the extra safeguards that are needed today:  both for the protection of the child and for the protection of the church against allegations.  We simply do not put ourselves in any situation that could be misconstrued.  This is reflected also in my astronomy thread where I mentioned that I would have multiple chaperones – it’s simply part of my training and part of the rules of the church for anyone having anything to do with kids.  We have not had any incidences, and we don’t want to ever have one.

This doesn’t guarantee something could never happen, but it does reduce the chances.  And we have a trustee board that is willing to move quickly to remove any accused leader from their position of authority if complaints are lodged.  The security of our members and visitors, and keeping everything on the up and up, are things we discuss in every leadership meeting.  We hold such a meeting every Sunday from 9-9:30am, immediately prior to services.  Every staff member from the ushers to class teachers are required to be trained and retrained.  Though we have very few to no rules posted throughout the church, we constantly train and retrain our staff in everything from how to block access to anyone refusing a weapons search of his/her bags, to who and how many adults are to be present while children are in attendance.  And our pastor runs background checks on any person to attending more than once.  We’re not looking for ex-cons, we have plenty of those attending, but we are looking for potential child predators. 

I myself have fingered someone, whom I barely knew, that was expressing a laser like interest in working with our young children.  The guy just didn’t seem stable, he had no confidence in whatever he said and was always running himself down.  I called the pastor and explicitly objected to him having anything to do with my children and I was reassured that he wouldn’t be given any opportunity to be involved with any kids.  It turns out the pastor new the person’s background much better than I did, and my suspicion regarding this person’s mentally stability were confirmed.

In my church, we understand it is NOT about the person in the pulpit, rather it is all about leading others to Christ by lifting up Christ.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

then I guess my church is located in shouldlamd...and I should know, I am one of the 3 trusties

Perhaps. You do routinely get your ass handed to you by Reality Check Tech.

Yet it simply would not happen in our church because the board would vote to allow the church to remove the pastor, at least temporarily, from the pulpit.  And we have policies in place to help avoid situations like this:  multiple chaperones, no expensive gifts, etc, etc, etc. 
In fact, even if you listen to the latest sermon I posted, our pastor even talks about the extra safeguards that are needed today:  both for the protection of the child and for the protection of the church against allegations.  We simply do not put ourselves in any situation that could be misconstrued.  This is reflected also in my astronomy thread where I mentioned that I would have multiple chaperones – it’s simply part of my training and part of the rules of the church for anyone having anything to do with kids.  We have not had any incidences, and we don’t want to ever have one.

This doesn’t guarantee something could never happen, but it does reduce the chances.  And we have a trustee board that is willing to move quickly to remove any accused leader from their position of authority if complaints are lodged.  The security of our members and visitors, and keeping everything on the up and up, are things we discuss in every leadership meeting.  We hold such a meeting every Sunday from 9-9:30am, immediately prior to services.  Every staff member from the ushers to class teachers are required to be trained and retrained.  Though we have very few to no rules posted throughout the church, we constantly train and retrain our staff in everything from how to block access to anyone refusing a weapons search of his/her bags, to who and how many adults are to be present while children are in attendance.  And our pastor runs background checks on any person to attending more than once.  We’re not looking for ex-cons, we have plenty of those attending, but we are looking for potential child predators. 

I myself have fingered someone, whom I barely knew, that was expressing a laser like interest in working with our young children.  The guy just didn’t seem stable, he had no confidence in whatever he said and was always running himself down.  I called the pastor and explicitly objected to him having anything to do with my children and I was reassured that he wouldn’t be given any opportunity to be involved with any kids.  It turns out the pastor new the person’s background much better than I did, and my suspicion regarding this person’s mentally stability were confirmed.

In my church, we understand it is NOT about the person in the pulpit, rather it is all about leading others to Christ by lifting up Christ.

Seriously... only me?

OK - I agree that the broader point is

a) why are pastors able to accrue such resources?

b) personally I think pose in the second photo is a bit of a give away... now he might actually be gay (bi... curious...whatever) but not doing anything but those guys are taking advantage of the situation... relying on people's idiotic gay=sexual predator idea.

[afleitch]

then I guess my church is located in shouldlamd...and I should know, I am one of the 3 trusties

Perhaps. You do routinely get your ass handed to you by Reality Check Tech.

Yet it simply would not happen in our church because the board would vote to allow the church to remove the pastor, at least temporarily, from the pulpit.  And we have policies in place to help avoid situations like this:  multiple chaperones, no expensive gifts, etc, etc, etc. 
In fact, even if you listen to the latest sermon I posted, our pastor even talks about the extra safeguards that are needed today:  both for the protection of the child and for the protection of the church against allegations.  We simply do not put ourselves in any situation that could be misconstrued.  This is reflected also in my astronomy thread where I mentioned that I would have multiple chaperones – it’s simply part of my training and part of the rules of the church for anyone having anything to do with kids.  We have not had any incidences, and we don’t want to ever have one.

This doesn’t guarantee something could never happen, but it does reduce the chances.  And we have a trustee board that is willing to move quickly to remove any accused leader from their position of authority if complaints are lodged.  The security of our members and visitors, and keeping everything on the up and up, are things we discuss in every leadership meeting.  We hold such a meeting every Sunday from 9-9:30am, immediately prior to services.  Every staff member from the ushers to class teachers are required to be trained and retrained.  Though we have very few to no rules posted throughout the church, we constantly train and retrain our staff in everything from how to block access to anyone refusing a weapons search of his/her bags, to who and how many adults are to be present while children are in attendance.  And our pastor runs background checks on any person to attending more than once.  We’re not looking for ex-cons, we have plenty of those attending, but we are looking for potential child predators. 

I myself have fingered someone, whom I barely knew, that was expressing a laser like interest in working with our young children.  The guy just didn’t seem stable, he had no confidence in whatever he said and was always running himself down.  I called the pastor and explicitly objected to him having anything to do with my children and I was reassured that he wouldn’t be given any opportunity to be involved with any kids.  It turns out the pastor new the person’s background much better than I did, and my suspicion regarding this person’s mentally stability were confirmed.

In my church, we understand it is NOT about the person in the pulpit, rather it is all about leading others to Christ by lifting up Christ.

While such procedures are commendable, I still get bemused by the lingering inference that such threats to children come from 'outside.' Close to 9 out 10 instances of child abuse are perpetrated within the family unit because it is within such units that children are accessible and relationships of trust exist.

[J. J.]

Afleitch sends the forum tight T-shirt pics all the time. 

Forgive me for being a pompous bastard and to harp on something but why is it okay to censor innuendo on a Tory politician and semi pile on in this case? I think this pastor is a closet case, but I also think there is a slight double standard.

Sorry, but I don't think wearing a tight tee shirt makes you flaming.

I absolutely love Donna Summer, classic disco overall, and some show tunes and I'm straight.

As of now, this thread has some worse stereotyping of gay people that I've seen.

Maybe the guy is gay, I'll reserve judgment.  But saying, "He wears tight tee shirts so he's gay," is really insane.

[patrick1]

Afleitch sends the forum tight T-shirt pics all the time. 

Forgive me for being a pompous bastard and to harp on something but why is it okay to censor innuendo on a Tory politician and semi pile on in this case? I think this pastor is a closet case, but I also think there is a slight double standard.

Sorry, but I don't think wearing a tight tee shirt makes you flaming.

I absolutely love Donna Summer, classic disco overall, and some show tunes and I'm straight.

As of now, this thread has some worse stereotyping of gay people that I've seen.

Maybe the guy is gay, I'll reserve judgment.  But saying, "He wears tight tee shirts so he's gay," is really insane.

J.J. stop being  thick.   No one said that wearing tight T-shirts makes you gay.  Sending pictures, and you know banging 4 dudes would.  Also it doesn't matter much that he is guy but the incongruity that he has been a homophobe through his career- or "calling"