I like this post. I have been offered “jobs” in ministry or Churches for lack of a better word. But i say nope. Just not me.

I am often humbled by the flock of folks I tend too. I always introduce myself as Frankie or Brother Frankie.

I once questioned these good people why they insist on calling me Pastor, Preacher, The Shepard and so forth…. i find it distracting and sometimes fills me with pride..

The answer came from a patch holder “outlaw type motorcycle guy” …

He said with a shrug.. cause yer leading them dude, yer always around and they consider you their father figure since some of them have never had one.. They consider you a friend because you ask nothing from them but do for them anyway..

yeah, hospitality is always being at home (mine or theirs)

some times it sucks… being there when im dont feel like it.

I would on many days much rather preach a simple 45 minute sermon and teach a mens group..

but it is a gift, im good at it. the rewards are well worth it. not many pastors see lives transformed from death to life weekly…

Praise Him

Bro Frankie

Sad but seems to be so much like the truth, men of the cloth are so caught up in the legacy that they might leave, when it’s very apparent that the love doesn’t prevail like it ought, more concerned with the anniversaries and honor that means will be putting to and upon them.

Sometimes it sickens me to see folks talk about the church structures, in places like Europe, without the knowledge of the history of how people were manipulated/conned by the leaders of their local places of worship, so sad is it seems that many are caught up in that grandeur of the honor to come with that, while dismissing the pain and struggles of the peoples backs on whom they were built.

The unapproachableness of those that are famous & would be famous is also a turn off to me, that is why I’m not a fan of the mega-church, often these men are guided by their projects that they’re presently doing, while the hurting folks that need to be approached oftentimes go back home to their homes neglected as they were when they first left the house, no real change as to how they are feeling.

Along with this feeling that I’m having when you speak of the presbyter is, when Paul referred to Peter, he (Paul) referred to him as Peter, and vice versa. Men of this day are caught up too greatly in the titles that they now have.

Still reading the article, and I must say that it has provoked quite a few thoughts thus far!

I am convinced that the bible gives us A CLEAR EXAMPLE on how to meet also and the function of Pastors. But many disagree with me here.

I don’t think it is “unscriptual”. If by the word unscriptural you mean a verse in the bible that proves otherwise. However, I can’t find a “pulpit” let along a “pulpit ministry” in the bible. If we are speaking of expository preaching I think that at times it is necessary to teach something in which one man will dominate to get a point across. For instance we see many times through Acts where someone would have talked a great deal, though it would probably have been interactive (not after, but during).

However, if unscriptural you mean that it can not be defended without us reading into Timothy from this point in time in history (or in other words we superimpose what we do today and then find scriptures to validate, most of those coming from Timothy/Titus and calling those letters “pastoral”) thus defending what we have.

For example we see the word preaching and we read into it “expository sermons” we see the word teaching and we call it “preaching”. Though the words are not the same and preaching is not equivalent to “expository sermons”. But man who have the gift of oratation and whose position in the local church and in seminary depend on that interpretation/redefinition spend a great deal of time defending and protecting the “pulpit ministry” perspective. Also teaching could mean a myrid of things and we see a great deal of time this teaching was by example in life not articulating some theological truth.

So just like using chesseburgers and grape Fanta Soda for communion isn’t “unscriptural” neither is “pulpit ministry” the problem is if we are going to build our ecclesiology from scripture as best as we know how then we must start from the scriptures, not Reformation History and then read back into the text what we want to validate what we do.

I do have one post called “Why I am not convinced of expository preaching arguement” but you and I have dialouged about it. I also had another called “The Greatest Show on Earth”. The links are below

http://blackandreformedministries.com/2008/12/09/3-reasons-why-i-am-not-convinced-by-the-expository-preaching-arguement/

http://blackandreformedministries.com/2008/08/15/the-greatest-show-on-earth-showtimes-every-sunday-morning-and-sometimes-saturday-evenings/