PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!!!

[Vicky]

I need for you all to pray for me to be able to forgive my pastor. I was talking to him yesterday and the conversation was going well. When I told him that I was feeling a call from God to work with our youth in our church. He said," That I wasn't".He dosen't have a choice who God puts into leadership roles. Why he thinks that I have not a clue. Anyway he went on to say that I really should be glad that they are letting me do Bible Drills.
Let me start from the start. See I was teaching a Sunday School Class for the children. Our attendance droped in church as well in Sunday School. I ended up teaching only my son. I decided that I needed a break and put him in another class. So that I may go into Sunday School to help me. My pastor instead of coming to me and asking why I was doing this, he went before different people bashing my name :oops:. Now when ever I want to help with anything he tells me NO!! Because what happen with my Sunday School Class. I know that I did this the wrong way but I asked God to forgive me and he has, but our pastor has not.
I need your paryer, because I really don't like my pastor. I would try going somewhere else but my family (except me) is happy at our church. I would be going alone. :cry:
I really don't what to ask for when I say pray for me. The Lord knows and he will know how to help me so that I can be able to serve him better.
Thank you.

[CrystalB9]

Vicky -
I am so sorry to hear about your situation. I will pray for you and your pastor.

[Anne]

I'm praying for you Vicki! Also praying for your pastor, sounds like he needs to be more understanding, forgiving, supportive, etc.
Blessings,

[becky]

Vicky, pastors are human and they can be jerks.
You are right that if God wants you in a position He will put you there.
Your pastor would be wrong to mess with God's plan for you.
Maybre he's taking it out on you that numbers have dropped.
Maybe he's feeling pressured.
Still, that's for the deacons to handle. Maybe it's time for new leadership at your church, beginning with a new pastor.
If you really feel led to help but he keeps you out, are you comfortable going to he deacon board?
Is your husband supporting you or are you fending for yourself?
At our church we had a pastor who you could really tell whether he liked you or not.
My husband made the list but I did not.
It made things hard because I was invloved in a lot of ministries and i could not count on my former pastor for anything.
It's aggravating and hard, I know.

[Deena]

Vicky,

That's hard! I agree that your pastor needs to be careful about messing with what could be God's plan! He needs to do a lot of praying for himself and his attitude if he is leading a flock! Maybe he should study into Moses and how patient he became! I don't know the whole situation, but everybody makes mistakes, and drops in membership are rarely only one person's fault! Is there another church nearby that you and your family could at least try? Have you talked to your husband about this situation? Would he talk to the pastor about it? Or could your husband and you go together to the pastor? If not then you should take it to the Deacon or Church Board. That's the Biblical way to do it---go to him first, if nothing happens, then go to the elders.

I'll be praying for you and this situation!

[becky]

I bet he's pressured because numbers are down.
We went through a very similar thing at our church not long ago.
The pastor at that time came under fire because the church was stagnant.
His wife was always complaining he needed a raise, yet he was rarely ever in his office.
He rarely went visiting.
This wife went so far as to expect the church to replace their t.v. when it was hit by lightening.
She would not get a new one out of their own money.
She did, however, find money for private tennis lessons.
At the same time, there was division over money in the church, hiring an associate pastor, and this pastor's conduct.
He ended up leaving, as did the associate pastor.
It was a mess, and many people left over it.

Vicky, does any of this compare to what's happening in your church?
Still, none of it is your fault and he needs to get off your case.
Our former pastor was big into playing favorites, and I hope you don't have to deal with that.

[Vicky]

This is getting UGLY!!! :( Just breaks my heart that he can forgive others but just can't find it in his heart to forgive me. One little mistake, and he want let me do anything. He even took my Bible Drill Class from me. All because I quit something in the middle of the year. That was over 1 1/2 years ago. Now he has taken it on himself to pull my name from everything I was listed on. :(
Please pray for me to have a forgiving heart and to be able to return to church.

[Brooke]

I was just skimming the posts. I agree with Deena. You (and/or your husband) need to go to the pastor and address this issue. That is the plan that God has set out for us to take to resolve conflict within the body of Christ.

Does your husband understand what has happened? This happened to me at our former church. Our supposedly non-denominational church decided that I couldn't teach anything anymore because I didn't agree with their doctrine on eternal security. I had been teaching there for years (and incidentally, my class numbers grew by about 500%) and it had never been an issue. Anyway, I knew that the Lord had called me to teach and lead adult classes and I was no longer allowed to so we knew that we were supposed to go somewhere else. And if that wasn't enough of a reason, the pastor started pointing me out in SS class because we were "separatists" because we were going to homeschool.....he doesn't "believe" in homeschooling and so on.

I'm sure through prayer and talking with your husband your issues can be resolved, either through forgiveness by all parites involved, or by you forgiving him and finding another church.

[becky]

Vicky, what area are you in?
This pastor sounds just like our former pastor.
Is your husband behind you on this?

You shouldn't be driven from a church because of a spiteful, juvenile leader who obviously knows he can manipulate you.
Have you gone to the Deacons or are they under his bullying, too?


I personally wouldn't go back there, and shame on your family if they don't support you.

[Deena]

I don't understand why your husband would not go to a different church with you if that's what you feel you needed to do. As I said earlier, you and he need to discuss this, then go talk to the pastor. This pastor is not acting like Jesus would! Peter denied him 3 times, and Jesus stilll forgave him and kept him close to him, and helped him become a great person! He even forgave the guys that gave him the false trial, spit on him, and nailed him to the cross! Now I KNOW that what you did couldn't have been anywhere NEAR those things!!! :wink: You might want to bring those things up, but, whatever the case, you can't just stand back and let him treat you this way! Please try to go with your husband to talk with him---not in anger, but as one concerned for your good name and his spirtuality! If he is treating anyone like that, he should not be leading the flock until he gets whatever is ailing him taken care of!

Best wishes, we'll be praying for you!

[Vicky]

Deena, thank you I have gone to the Deacon body and they did rebuke him for telling me that I can't do the will of the Lord. I have had several church members to come to me and tell me that they wanted me back, and to continue teaching their children in Bible Drills. Yes my husband is behind me. He is a Deacon but was left out of the rebuking because of the circumstance. I am going to try to attend and see how he acts towards me. The Chairman of the Deacons wife is one of my best friends. She and her husband are very upset about all of this. So I do have the Deacons behind me. I just want our pastor to treat me with respect, as I do him. He is very young and this is his first church. I just don't like his ways nor do I like his comments about people. I will have to ask the Lord to help me deal with that, along with giving me the courage to return. I know I did nothing wrong, but he has a way of embarassing you :oops: in front of people.

[Brooke]

Ahhhhhh, now it is coming together. It appears that your church might be in a situation where they need to pray about who they are allowing to lead them. In this case, leaving your church would not be the wisest thing to do, unless of course you were led to go. I think that your next step would be to confront him with your husband (unless I didn't catch that you have already done that). After that, take two or three witnesses, and from the sound of your last post your Deacon friend and his wife would be my choice. This matter needs to be resolved quickly to avoid further damage to the Body.

Look on the bright side--you have been counted worthy to suffer for the sake of the gospel! That is an encouraging thought! It might be that the Lord needed to chastize this young pastor and knew that your family were strong enough to handle being the instrument. :D

[becky]

.... Be that as it may, Brooke, this girl is being tormented and it sounds like no one is standing up to this jerk. Pastor or not he's a jerk.

It is true a group needs to go about dealing with this guy, up to and including voting him out.
Maybe he'll be graceful, like our former pastor was, and resign.
He came out smelling like a rose and the dust finally settled after quite some time.

After our church went through this situation it made me wonder if we are careful to interpret God's will as His will and not our own.
It can be so easy to be mistaken.

[Deena]

Ohhhh, okay, you hadn't mentioned that you had done that. I'm glad you have good friends and support for you! What a help that is in times like these, eh?! What I don't understand is that if this pastor is still treating you this way, why is he allowed to do so when you have that support and he has been rebuked? Since the church knows about it, the church people should be standing up for you, and not allowing this to happen! After being rebuked, and all, does he really have the power to take away your Bible Drills class, especially if members are telling you they want you to teach that class?

I guess I'm confused as to how that all can be, sorry! I wouldn't quit now. You should go to teach the class and do well, and be a positive, friendly person while there, and that will show him that he is wrong in what he did. It hurts a lot to be treated that way! When I was in college, one of my professors took a disliking to me, and I still can't figure out why. In one class, I participated in everything, was there every class period, did all that was required,and more. He gave me an A-, and everyone else in the class got an A---even though they didn't do as much and missed some classes. I told my supervisor and she talked with the pwers that be and they talked with him, but my grade wasn't changed, and he still taught there. I had a few more classes, and was polite to him and did everything I could to do well, and he HAD to give me an A, but he was never friendly to me. He really messed up in my student teaching experience also, so it was with joy that I graduated and was able to be away from him!

Anyway, now that I think about it, sometimes other people's hands are tied, especially if just one person (you in this case, me in the other) is involved. So maybe that's some of it? Hopefully as people pray for you and GOd works in yours and his lives, things will work out! I will pray for you!!

[Vicky]

The rebuking happened this past Friday night. Just a handfull of people know. I did not attend church yesterday. So I have not seen him since Friday night before the Deacons talked to him. Maybe just maybe he will come to terms with what he has said and done, and he will apologize to me. I am praying that everything will work out. God will have his way no matter what. Thanks for the support.

[Vicky]

It is wonderful to know that we have such a wonderful place as this. Where we are able to come share whatever/whenever we need to. I just would like to say thank you for all the support and prayers. Even though my problem is still on going, I know with the support of my friends and the friends here at Homeschool spot. I can get this problem solved and can move on. You will never know how much I appreciate all your thoughts and prayers. Again I would like to say thank you. :D :D :D :D :D

Vicky
When you feel grateful for something others have done for you, why not tell them about it?

[CrystalB9]

I second what Vicky wrote and continued prayers for you here.

[blessedmom]

Vicky,
You and your pastor are in my prayers. Hope everything will work out soon. Try to focus on the Lord and not to let the pastor be a stumbling block to you/your faith. God knows your heart and He will bless you for doing what is right.

[Vicky]

I finally figured out what I need y'all to pray for. I need to get back into the right frame of mind. I also need to get my attitude right. I won't be able to do God's will without first getting myself back right with him.