Different movements have sprung up of people who claim they are now enlightened and are pushing agendas against the church on social media. There seem to be non-stop attack against pastors and the church.
While it is fair that the congregants are not robots and therefore can question some of the things that they do not understand, it is equally true that the church is an institution and there are orders.
Some of the issues raised against these men of God may not even be altogether wrong but have in mind that these men and women of God did not just put themselves in the position they are, it was a process, the same process should be respected enough in correcting the vices of these ones. When this protocol is overlooked and somebody goes on social media to castigate a pastor, then it becomes more of an attack against the body of Christ which seeks selfish ambition, more than it looks to correct a vice for the edification of the body of Christ.
How then should one correct a pastor when he is wrong?
First you need to remember these things, so that you can be lenient and liberal in your approach.
- He is human – Let’s face it. You aren’t exactly without your own faults. You might even have more issues to deal with than the said pastor but we all enjoy God’s mercy and grace.
- The call is personal – There are generally accepted revelations and there are personal revelations. A pastor’s call and area of calling are personal to him. These reflects in how he disseminate his assignment. It will be arrogance to conclude that because a pastor operates in a certain way you do not agree with, you are better than him.
- Be humble – Revelation is progressive. God may be opening your eyes to some greater level of revelation that the pastor is not considering, you will still need to learn from him the ropes of ministry before you can manage that spotlight.
So, having said all that, here are some suggestions for approaching your pastor with a correction, suggestion or even a rebuke, according to Wills Davis Jr. of Wills Blog.
- Pray before you go. Ask God to season your words with salt and to help you to speak the truth in love. Pray for wisdom as you speak.
- Seek to edify and build up your pastor (Eph 4:29). If your goal isn’t to strengthen and help him, even if you need to say difficult things, then you have no business approaching him.
- Check your motives. Do you want your pastor to be able to hear you and receive what you say? Or do you just need to get something off your chest? If you really want your pastor to hear your heart and motives, then Sunday after a sermon is the least effective time to approach him.
- Wait 48 hours. There are a lot of “Monday Issues” that we try to resolve on Sunday. Monday Issues can wait until Monday. Tuesday is even better. You don’t need to correct your pastor’s theology on Sunday. It can wait. It’s not going anywhere. Wait until Tuesday. The time will help you better prepare your words and clarify what you want to correct in your pastor.
- Ask permission to “go there”. When you approach your pastor, give him a heads-up that you need to create a little chaos. I really appreciate it when people do this. It gives me the opportunity to humble myself and pray for a teachable spirit. When someone approaches me and says, “Can we talk about something you said in your message,” I’m typically eager to hear them.
These days many cannot wait to disgrace a pastor on social media all because of the likes and comments… also followers. We have confused that gratification for fulfillment. Most can even swear that they are fighting a just cause but weigh your motive on the scale of the above point before the next post! God help us all!
