Posts Tagged ‘preachers’
Is it wrong to question your pastor about what is in the Bible?
Question: If your pastor is wrong about what’s in the Bible, is it wrong to question him about it or openly disagree with him? Answer: A part of the answer to this question must be how you approach the disagreement. “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on…
Read MoreHow should a congregation go about selecting another preacher?
Question: I was wondering if I could get your advice on selecting a pulpit minister. Our minister stepped down due to fleshly and worldly desires, like Demas “having loved this present world.” We have an interim minister at this time. We have other ministers who sent resumes but didn’t have a chance to hear them…
Read MorePreacher Pitfalls: An Article for Young Preachers
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. The Reflector – August 2009 via Ed’s Sermons and Things Paul references Isaiah in declaring that the feet of those that preach the gospel are beautiful (Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7). I know of no higher calling for a young man to pursue than that of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. While…
Read MoreShould it be acceptable for a preacher to reprimand an individual in front of the church?
Question: Should it be acceptable for a preacher to reprimand an individual in front of the church? Answer: “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew…
Read MoreThe article on being a preacher’s wife was just what I needed
Question: Recently I read your article on “The Blessings of Being a Preacher’s Wife” and I just want to tell you that I have been so blessed by it. In two months I am getting married to a preacher myself, so I was going through the internet such articles. All that you mentioned in the…
Read MoreWhat questions should brethren ask of a man wanting to preach for them?
Question: We have a couple of other men here who fill in with the preaching service occasionally and have asked me for suggestions that might help them improve. One of them has expressed an interest in possibly looking for a preaching job. So, I believe a “preacher training class” would be in order. The question I want…
Read MoreHow much autonomy does a church have when its evangelist is receiving outside support?
Question: How much congregational autonomy does a young church, without elders and deacons, and its evangelist is supported by an overseas congregation? Answer: It remains autonomous. Your evangelist is supported, I assume in part, by one or more congregations. “For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities” (Philippians 4:16). That…
Read MoreAn Astonishing and Horrible Thing
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. “An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?” (Jeremiah 5:30-31) God’s people were on the brink of a “great…
Read MoreShould I let a congregation know that the preacher’s son is homosexual?
Question: I know of a preacher in a Church of Christ, whose son is living a homosexual lifestyle. No one in the church knows this. (By the way, I do not belong to this church, I live in a different state.) I am aware that the preacher and his family want to continue keeping this a…
Read MoreDo you know of a book on being a preacher’s wife?
Question: I was looking for on becoming a preacher’s wife. Would you be able to tell me if there is such a book out there? Answer: I don’t know of a book on that subject directly; however, I would like to recommend a book on the life of a woman who was a well-known and…
Read MoreDoes a preacher’s wife have to attend the same church as her husband?
Question: Is it wrong for a wife of a preacher (who is not a pastor and does not have his own church) to attend a different church, even though they both believe in the same faith (Jesus the Christ)? I don’t believe it’s dividing kingdoms because that means believing in two different faiths and that’s…
Read MoreWho do you think you are telling someone the proper order for finding a spouse?
Question: Are you for real? Do things in the proper order: find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, fall in love, get married, and then enjoy sex without the constant worries and sinfulness of uncommitted sex. Who do you think you are to tell someone what the proper order is? For the…
Read MorePastors and Preachers
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 3, Jan. 1952. The word “pastors” occurs only one time in our English version of the New Testament. More often the original is rendered “shepherd” or “shepherds.” By implication, the pastoral work is identified with the office of bishops or elders. Since this office is…
Read MoreHow tight of a reign should elders have over a preacher?
Question: I am a minister in the Lord’s church and want to get your understanding of what authority elders have over the minister. I guess I am interested in how detailed can they be in managing the preacher? I am told I must do a weekly report and email it to the elders and I…
Read MoreIsn’t the reason denominations want married preachers is because they confuse the office of an elder with that of the preacher?
Question: I wanted to make a comment about requiring preachers to be married. I have taken note that the denominations do not generally adhere to scriptural church leadership, and instead of a plurality of elders, they have a board of deacons and one ‘elder’ or ‘pastor,’ who also serves as the preacher. In other words, they…
Read MoreWhy are congregations requiring preachers to be married?
Question: I have noticed on some web sites where congregations list qualifications for their new preachers. Most of them require their preachers to be married, which is absurd! Where in the Bible does it say that a preacher must be married to preach? I can’t find it and I’ve searched. What about I Corinthians 7:8 when Paul is…
Read MoreWhen Looking for a Preacher
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (II Corinthians 10:12). Paul had many frustrations with false teachers in his day. The focus was taken off the accuracy of what Paul…
Read MoreWhat should be done when a foreign preacher asks for money?
Question: Regarding the article “The Corruption of Money”: What is the proper and scriptural way to support the work of preachers overseas? How should we approach situations where people write asking for money for individual health care or building buildings? I ask about these in particular because I have seen those often (and you’ve seen…
Read MoreDon’t you feel guilty telling young people they have sinned?
Question: When you look over these posts and see how miserable and guilty the children that you advise feel about their “sins,” don’t you regret the way you teach? God loves us all no matter what mistakes we make and it would be nice to find some Christians who teach the love and not the…
Read MoreDoes a prophet need to be an official minister before they can prophesy?
Question: What about prophecy in a church? Should the prophet ask the minister to check the word before it is given? Should a prophet first be ‘released’ into the ministry of a prophet before they are free to prophesy or give words in a meeting? If a person is on an organized mission and does…
Read MoreHow do we decide what offices in Ephesians 4:11 remain?
Question: Ephesians 4:11 (King James Version): “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers” Question: Since all offices were given for the same reason according to verse 12, how do we decide which offices still remain? Answer: By the qualifications for the offices. Apostles were selected by…
Read MoreWhat is the function of a pastor?
Question: What is the function of a pastor? Answer: The denominational world uses the term “pastor” in a way that you do not find in the Bible. Among the denominations, a pastor is a person who preaches and runs a local congregation. It is a blend of the duties the Bible assigns to preachers and…
Read MoreDoes a preacher need to give?
Question: Instead of me giving a certain amount of my support each week, if I was a gospel preacher asked the church to reduce what they give me for support in accordance with the amount I have been giving each week the past few months and not manually give, do you think that would be…
Read MoreDo the elders and preachers constitute the church in decisions?
Question: I have been a member of the church of Christ for some time now. My family and I moved to another congregation to help out because they were very small. My wife and I began to have difficulties in our marriage. She decided to take our problems to the elders and the preacher of…
Read MoreWhat do I need to know to become a preacher’s wife?
Question: I know that I could become a preacher’s wife. I want to be a good virtuous wife because I have, well, kind of seeing a preacher. I want to do the right things in God eyes and not my eyes. I don’t want to mess it up. I have been praying and seeking God’s…
Read MoreIs it wrong to pay a preacher?
Question: Is it a sin to pay a preacher? Personally I don’t think it is, but some of our brethren in the church think it is. Can you give me some scripture for this, either not to pay or pay the preacher? Answer: “My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we have…
Read MoreWhat would you tell an eldership who rejects a preacher because his wife wears a head covering?
Question: What would you tell an eldership who thought that it would be divisive to have me as a minister? I mean I don’t want to make an issue of it. Shaina my future wife would wear a head covering, but I would not teach something the elders do not want me to. I just…
Read MoreCan a woman be a pastor?
Question: Can a woman be ordained as a Christian pastor? Answer: The word “pastor” is used very loosely in the denominations. Generally, in a denomination a pastor is a preacher. Women are not able to be preachers since God through Paul stated, “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority…
Read MoreIs a preacher an employee of the church?
Question: Your web page is one of the very best. It demonstrates a superior grasp on 21st-century problems facing brethren today. It also displays wisdom in addressing the matters. Your Answers: Preacher is on target. I am in urgent need for something addressing whether or not a preacher is an employee of the church. Can you…
Read MoreDoes a congregation have the right to mandate what is preached?
Question: Thank you for your excellent response – It covers the subject well. The congregation’s abuse of this is precisely the issue. Does this give the brethren the right to mandate or demand what he is to preach and teach? I am not talking about suggestions or a curriculum. I started a new Wednesday class…
Read MoreShould a repeated adulterer be dismissed from the ministry?
Question: I would like to know what God’s view is on this matter. A pastor in our town who is over a church is committing adultery over and over again. The church keeps taking him from the pulpit but after awhile lets him come back to the pulpit. My opinion this is the blind leading…
Read MoreShould preachers only be supported if they are in need?
Question: This subject came up in our budget meeting last night. The brethren proposed to increase the pay for our gospel meetings and our spiritual weekend events. I objected. I am in agreement with the scriptures used in your address regarding supporting the work of the Gospel. I stand on this: It is scripturally wrong to pay…
Read MoreThe Blessings of Being a Preacher’s Wife
by Barbara C. Adams Originally published in Truth Magazine, March 22, 1973, anonymously Republished in Searching the Scriptures, March 1978 Republished in an abridged form in Biblical Insights, October 2006 Tonight is the 23rd of December. In another week a new year will be upon us. It, naturally, is a time for reflection and a time to count…
Read MoreDo you employ a full-time leader?
Question: We found your site by accident during a Google search on Edom. We are non-denominational believers based in Indiana. We were pleased to note an emphasis on the spiritual and an avoidance of worldliness in your assembly. We feel called to fellowship with other believers, but we find that very few organizations today manage…
Read MoreDo abuses prove that preachers are being overused in congregations?
Question: I suppose my reasoning for my concerns with the article on preachers is rooted in other issues. I see so much abuse of the preacher position in the churches of Christ, in general. We are expecting these men to do everything while many members feel their role is to put their check in the plate as…
Read MoreCan a preacher kick members out of a church?
Question: Can a preacher kick members out of the church? Answer: The primary job of a preacher, as described in the Bible, is to be a herald of God’s good news. He teaches those outside the church how to become a part of the church. He teaches those inside and outside the church how to…
Read MoreWhat is “mutual edification?”
Question: Is the term “Mutual Edification” associated with the Ketcherside movement? We had a couple come into our services today, and they seemed to go out of their way not to tell us exactly where they attend. It seemed to me that he was indicating that he was trying to find a place to preach. In a…
Read MoreShould a preacher be referred to as “reverend?”
Question: Very often here preachers are referred to as reverend. Is it correct to refer to a preacher, minister or elder as reverend? Answer: The word reverend indicates that a person is worthy of adoration or reverence, entitled to respect mingled with fear and affection. Such a description would apply to our attitude toward God.…
Read MoreReverend Is His Name
by Kent Heaton The book of Psalms is a powerful testimony to the majesty, praise, glory, and awesome power of Jehovah God. Isaiah wrote the words of the Lord, “To whom would you liken Me and make Me equal and compare Me, that we would be alike . Remember the former things long past, for…
Read MoreLocating Congregations of the Churches of Christ
Directories Find the Church Interactive Bible Directory of Churches of Christ in the United Kingdom Congregations in this Region Nebraska Church of Christ at 7th and Bell, Beatrice, Nebraska La Vista Church of Christ, La Vista, Nebraska Iowa Davenport Church of Christ, Davenport, Iowa Des Moines Church of Christ, Des Moines, Iowa Stone Ave Church…
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