Training Pop Quiz:

If you were the pastor, what would you do?

Case Study:

This is an academic material for use as training tool in Local Church Leadership. A panel of seven judges drawn from diverse echelons of society will evaluate your voluntary analysis of this case study article. The best analysis and solution will win a prize: Free attendance at a Family Economic Affairs Seminar. Submit your ANALYSIS and SOLUTION to popquiz@firstpentecostal.org

 

On Wednesday, May 9, 2007, Bible Study was conducted in the local pastor’s residence. Guest pastor spoke all through the Bible Study. At the end of the Bible Study, a 17-year old took a decision, based on the guest pastor’s teachings of that evening and approached a 15-year old and told her to change her behavior because what she was doing was bad. The guest pastor used such examples in his teaching without know that there was a girl in the midst that was indulging in such acts.

 

As the boy was talking to the girl, her aunt approached them and heard what the boy was saying and told them to stop that conversation. The boy left the vicinity, and went back into the house. The host pastor was still with the guest pastor in the living room holding very quite and important discussions. The infuriated aunt stormed into the pastor’s house, went over to the hallway area. The pastors in the living room began to hear her loud voice asking the boy, “Did you hear what was taught in the Bible Study today?” She asked that question about two more times that those in the living room could hear. From then on her voice rose higher and higher.

 

The pastors kept on discussing, even though was beginning to be embarrassed. Among other things that the pastors heard coming from that hallway, the aunt’s loud voice said, “There is no way you can say such a thing without having discussed it with your parents”. Till this time of writing, nobody knows what she referred to. The local pastor decided not to discuss it with anyone till he discussed it with that aunt. Those in the living heard the boy’s mother blaming him. The boy’s voice was also heard accepting doing something wrong. Instead of everything calming down, the aunt’s voice remained high and harsh. As the tension mounted, the guest pastor called this aunt to tell her something. She went to the guest pastor who asked her to bring her ears closer so that he could whisper to her. She gave a rough answer that sounded like, “go ahead, I’m listening”. The man was a bit embarrassed at that, and looked at the host pastor who was already dumb-founded, and glued to his seat.

 

The aunt got home and called the local pastor saying that she would like to discuss what happened with him. As he opened his mouth to say something, he heard the voice of aunt’s sister in the background with a loud voice uttering words of anger and tension. He then said to the aunt that it was not good to discuss issues when emotions were very high. He asked her to calm herself down, and call him whenever she was calm so that they could sit down and discuss whatever the problem was. He did not hear from her again. On Sunday, May 13, 2007 she did not attend church. On Wednesday, May 16, 2007, she did not attend Bible Study. On Saturday, May 19, 2007, she did not attend the church program where they prayed for needy people and gave them food. On Sunday, May 20, 2007, she did not attend church. All these absences are by her, her sister and all their children.

 

After her first absence on Sunday, May 13, 2007, three people, out of care and concern asked her why she did not attend church. She gave three different answers:

  1. Member ‘A’ saw her on that particular day (afternoon) at a party and asked her. She said that she could not attend church because she woke up late.
  2. Member ‘B’, asked her over the telephone. She said that she did not plan to attend church.
  3. Member ‘C’ asked her over the telephone. She said that her work schedule was responsible for her absence.

A child of God should not have three tongues. Matthew 5:37 says, “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” Also James 5:12 says, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” Giving such three answers to one question would give people a negative impression of oneself.

 

From Tuesday, May 15, 2007 (or about that period), the local pastor called the aunt’s sister once a day, three days in a row, leaving her voice mail and asking her to let him know when her schedule would allow her to cut his children’s hair. Those three calls were not returned till the time of writing this note. It has now become clear by now that she was bitter about something. That thing can only be known when she speaks to someone, maybe the pastor. As at the time of writing, she had not made any contact with the local pastor. Therefore, the pastor does not know exactly if anything was wrong, and if so, what that thing was.

 

Monday, May 21, 2007, at 7.30a.m., the aunt called the pastor to say that she would like to meet with him on Wednesday morning, May 23rd after dropping off your children at school first thing in the morning. (Schools start 7.15am.) The pastor agreed. However, when the pastor told her that he had left her two messages on the prior Friday, she answered that she was busy at work.

 

This sister was holding a crucial position in the church, and it would be frightening that she would do things in the way that was unfolding.

  1. She was holding the church cell phone in order to make the pastor’s workload lighter, and shield him from the many calls that were bugging him down.
  2. She was holding the coordinator passcode to a virtual conference center, which the pastor decided to make available to the church for prayer conference. He gave her the coordinator passcode because she offered to handle one of the prayer conferences on that conference center. That passcode should not have been held by any other than the local pastor, but he put so much confidence in her and gave her the pass code.
  3. She is supposed to be a team leader, coordinating a committee of the local church, which means that she should command the respect of every other member of that committee, new and old.
  4. A 17-year old boy made the comment that angered her to the point of abandoning everything she is supposed to be doing, disappearing with church pass code, cell phone and possibly important messages left in it, etc. She is an adult that should, by now, have known how to spiritually and maturely handle what a 17-year says, but she did not exhibit that maturity.

 

Since she left after Wednesday Bible Study on May 9, the pastor has not seen her in church nor in Bible Study or anywhere. She was holding the ministers’ training package. Her silence and distance for many days can frighten anyone. She still would not call to say when she could meet with her pastor.

 

On Wednesday, May 23rd, the pastor started to wait for her from 7.30am. She did not keep the appointment that she made. She did not call to say that she was running late. She did not send any e-mail to the pastor to explain her inability to keep the appointment. At about 1.30pm, while doing a project in the Women’s Ministry Conference Center, the pastor called her from there, and left her a message. She still did not call him back. She did not go to see him throughout that Wednesday. Below is the message that the pastor left for her: “Hello, Sister Jane Doe. How are you today? I called you two times on Friday of last week to ask when you could meet with me. You did not take my calls, so I left you two messages asking you to call me back to say when it would be convenient for you and I to meet. On Monday morning, of this week, you called me. I took your call. You said that you were busy at work, and that’s why I could not reach you on Friday last week. In that our telephone conversation, you said that you would come to see me Wednesday after dropping off your children at school, which is today. I started to wait for you from 7.30am since schools begin at 7.15am. I have missed two appointments. Now is 2pm, and I have not heard from you nor seen you. Kindly call my cell phone 123-456-7890 and let me know when we can meet. Your silence and distance is gradually frightening me.  Thanks and God bless.” (END OF PHONE MESSAGE)

 

It amazed the pastor that this sister could do things in this way just because a 17-year old rebuked a 15-year old in their own conversation. The pastor was also surprised that she did not think first about approaching him privately to say what she heard and how she felt about it, knowing that both she and the 17-year old were under the pastor’s spiritual care. The pastor was also surprised that she do not know Matthew 18:15 that he usually taught as God’s plan for conflict resolution. She was versed in bringing various personal and impersonal concerns to the pastor. He would pray for her about those things, and sometimes counsel her. He was surprised that she did not know to bring this particular problem to him.

 

Leadership requires accountability. Romans 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject unto higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” If she can no longer see the pastor face to face, then she cannot work for God under this pastor. This is clear, as she has chosen not to inform the pastor of any phone calls that may have come in on the church cell phone that she is carrying those many days, and any messages that may have been left for him, even as she also has the pass code to check the messages. From this event, she has demonstrated her disregard for the pastor. He personally set her in a position of responsibility.

 

After Thursday Bible Study on May 24, 2007, the associate pastor called her and got her voice mail system and left her a message. A while later the associate pastor called her again. Her nephew took the call and told the associate pastor that his aunt was sleeping. The associate pastor told the young nephew to ask his aunt to return the call whenever she woke up. If she cannot talk to the pastor, she should be able to talk to the associate pastor.

 

On Friday, May 25, 2007, she called the associate pastor’s cell phone at 12.31pm when she knew that the associate pastor would be in the classroom teaching, and cannot take any calls. She also knew that the associate pastor’s cell phone does not have voice mail system set up. All her contacts, all church members that call her know that fact also. She knows it very well, but chose to call at that time for whatsoever reason. The associate pastor only found that out much later when she brought her phone and saw the sister’s phone number. About an hour after calling the associate pastor’s cell phone, she called the home phone (1.34pm) when she also knew that the associate pastor would still be in school. She normally picked up her child from the same school between 2.15pm and 2.30pm. She, therefore, knew that the associate pastor could not be at home at 1.34pm. If she really wanted to speak to the associate pastor, she would repeat her call after school hours, but she has not called again after those two calls.

 

The associate pastor noticed the sister’s phone number on the cell phone (while still at school) and called her again from that same cell phone at about 2.30pm. She did not take that call. The associate pastor left her a message. All through that Friday, she did not call back. Sunday came and went. Monday came and went without the sister’s return call. It became clear, therefore, that she did not want to speak to the associate pastor or the pastor, but she has been speaking to other people regarding her anger against a minor that she placed on her leadership. Today, May 30, 2007, it has been 21 days. Nothing has been heard from the sister.

 

If you were the pastor, what would you do?

 

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