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Judas Maccabeus wrote: ...
I don't know to this day what they had been told, I suspect that we had "quit."
...
BTW, I stayed in that church, was reelected to the board, and began teaching again. I don't know why to this day.
...

The lack of communication in this church seems to me to be a serious continuing problem. We need to be a family of brothers and sisters sharing our lives and thoughts freely with one another. If you can't have a conversation with any of the other members about an important experience in your life, something is not right.

JimFoxvog wrote:

Judas Maccabeus wrote: ...
I don't know to this day what they had been told, I suspect that we had "quit."
...
BTW, I stayed in that church, was reelected to the board, and began teaching again. I don't know why to this day.
...

The lack of communication in this church seems to me to be a serious continuing problem. We need to be a family of brothers and sisters sharing our lives and thoughts freely with one another. If you can't have a conversation with any of the other members about an important experience in your life, something is not right.

You have a serious talent for understatement. The pastor at the time would try, normally successfully to sweep all the bad news under the carpet rather than dealing with it. He stood in the way of the elders making any preparations for succession when he was dying. The new leadership that came in afterward was unable to save it.

I was part of both leadership teams. It closed in about 2014. That is how I found my current church.

J.M.

I hate to say it like this, but when a leader gets out of control, it is the responsibility and the obligation of the "good men" in the group to confront and lean into the conflict til he changes, leaves, or is "bounced."

joshuabgood wrote:I hate to say it like this, but when a leader gets out of control, it is the responsibility and the obligation of the "good men" in the group to confront and lean into the conflict til he changes, leaves, or is "bounced."

This is even more necessary in churches modeled on congregational or brotherhood governance where leadership is drawn from the members as a first among equals. In bad situations, the rest of the equals are duty bound to respond.

joshuabgood wrote:I hate to say it like this, but when a leader gets out of control, it is the responsibility and the obligation of the "good men" in the group to confront and lean into the conflict til he changes, leaves, or is "bounced."

This is why I strongly feel that a head pastors and bishops should be voted on every four years. Keeps them accountable.

JimFoxvog wrote:

Judas Maccabeus wrote: ...
I don't know to this day what they had been told, I suspect that we had "quit."
...
BTW, I stayed in that church, was reelected to the board, and began teaching again. I don't know why to this day.
...

The lack of communication in this church seems to me to be a serious continuing problem. We need to be a family of brothers and sisters sharing our lives and thoughts freely with one another. If you can't have a conversation with any of the other members about an important experience in your life, something is not right.

And yet this is a very common situation. A leader in our church told me that we are known to "settle down before we settle up". This leaves those situations, hiding under the surface, just waiting to bubble up with the next provocation. We don't work things through; then are surprised that something flares up.

steve-in-kville wrote:https://splash4ripples.com/

Didn't read it word for word but looks interesting.

Some interesting updates as of late.

https://splash4ripples.com/

My mind is a bit blown by her latest update. So Charity had a sound proof room to punish children? Is that for real or just an urban legend??

steve-in-kville wrote:https://splash4ripples.com/

My mind is a bit blown by her latest update. So Charity had a sound proof room to punish children? Is that for real or just an urban legend??

I wondered the same thing. Trudy says she spoke with a family member of the individual who created a special paddle for the spanking room. If it is true, how sad. Not that I condone lack of discipline for children, but having a "church spanking room" is taking it way to far.

steve-in-kville wrote:https://splash4ripples.com/

My mind is a bit blown by her latest update. So Charity had a sound proof room to punish children? Is that for real or just an urban legend??

I don’t want to bust your bubble here, but even mainline evangelical churches have “soundproof rooms” for crying children. I would imagining a few get a spanking in such places.

I am assuming here that you think spanking children is child abuse?

J.M.