I know the topic sounds crazy but this is a big deal in a lot of churches. I visited a church in Maryland a couple of years ago. Various pastors preached including the host pastor whom I will call Sam. A pastor that I would call Jake* preached and there was a standing ovation. People dropped money at pastor Jake's feet . The wife of the host pastor whom I will call Sam* also dropped money at Pastor Jake's feet. Now, Pastor Sam came back to the mike and was very upset. He said that " he shall not preach anymore until money is dropped at his feet". So, church members had to drop money for him.
I have noticed that many of us Christians including myself have a tendency to favor a guest minister over our pastors. We forget that
1. Our pastors arw usually the first people we call when we have problems
2. Our pastors have worked very hard to set the foundation of the church
3 Without our pastors, there would be "no church "
4. Our receptivity affects the effectiveness of our pastors.
A Word to Pastors.
I encourage my fellow counterparts in ministry to realize that nobody can take their pulpits away from them. Learn to become secure in yourself. It is okay for someone to be doing better than you . It is all about the salvation of souls not the boosting your ego. John the baptist understood that he must decrease while Jesus increased ( John 3:30). There was no competition because he understood that every man's ministry was given from above. Paul and Apollos worked as a team. ( I corithians 3:6) . Therefore , we must keep an open mind in order to be effective leaders.
So, I encourage churches to continue to welcome guest pastors but above all we must respect and pray for our pastors.
Guest pastors should learn to acknowledge the host pastor . They must refrain from criticizing the host pastor from the pulpit.
Thank you.
*not real names
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