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In Reply to: Re: ministers... posted by Pastor Don on September 27, 2008 at 06:48:08:
The "ecclesia" I go to since the last 8 years has a main pastor & also a youth pastor, who was financed for a two year stretch, part of the way to become a full fledged pastor.The youth pastor already had a completed university degree in another field (math in this case) & decided not to move on to another congregation, where he would hold again the low paid youth ministry & since his wife is from abroad & they liked the congregation & city where I am, they decided, that for the time being, he would work in his "old job"...it is not so easy for churches who stem all their costs themselves to fund housing, pastoring etc...
I was born into the Lutheran church but made my move out after I had left TF.Both Lutheran as well as Catholic churches can draw on the taxes automatically paid to them via their members through their taxes.
Luther by the way was vehemently against the position of lay-preachers & didn't think they were authorised...you might know as well, that the inquisition existed also in the Lutheran dominated parts of Germany...his position vs. the Jews and anabaptists is also widely known...enough
fo me not to regret my "dropping out" there...
At the same time there were not so many churches,
where I felt 8 years back at home...I have come from the "left" charismatic side, after having been into mysticism, esoteric/indian stuff & I must say, I like the simplicity of the brethren movement...the opener ones at least, more the ones also Muller adhered to...at least the priesthood of all believers were a strong point for my considering to fellowship with them more...It is part of the theological debate for centuries, where the hierarchical way of thinking has started...I think foremost with the churchfathers of the first centuries & I am really
not in favour of it...
The way I see things, I don't think I could be once again a member of any church...I fellowship, as well as my children, but the teachings/interpretations are really not always so close to my "liking"/believing, that I feel really at ease & home...
So my "rant" against the "useless" ministers can be for once be understood as directed against the big "mainstream churches"...but then again pls.
tell me, why it is "mandatory" to have a paid clergy, raised above the level of the other believers?I hear every sunday pretty good basic
sermons...but only in their homecircles they go a bit deeper it seems & for reasons of the timefactor I haven't participated too much in them
On the other hand, I have read online outlinings/interpretations of Bible-portions, which have been
more enlightening as those of very many paid pastors...mine included...do you know what I am trying to get at?
