success

two friends, Alan and Ken have recently written on a similar topic from a similar perspective (although with opposite polarities) and I wish to add a thought that speaks to a common thread that i see in both of these.

the fundamental issue at hand is that pastors are routinely treated poorly - without compassion - perhaps even, as a machine.

and while this is deplorable, i can't help but wonder if pastors haven't brought this on themselves?

it's almost like there is a contractual arrangement in place to make one person the fall guy.

so while i'd like to get excited with Alan that one church started behaving like a church, and while i can commiserate with Ken that church's find it acceptable to work their pastors like dogs, I have a hard time expecting a change in the near future.  insanity is doing the same thing but expecting a different result.

start with a resume, go to an interview, get scrutinized publicly, contracted for a salary, put on a (spiritual) pedestal, worked to the bone, expected to perform tirelessly, required to grow numbers, to please stockholders, board of directors, the deacon board, prepared to be fired "at will"... what part of this looks shittier than a big corporation? ok, all of it does. all of this looks shittier than a big corporation - because those are corporations and you can expect to be treated like shit by the black soulless tarball whose bottom line is money... but this is supposed to be church.  turns out the church has it's own bottom line figure: "numbers".

so pastors subscribe to this regime and write books about being purpose driven and build the kingdom of heaven here with their own hands and get put on a pedestal and actualize their leadership and/or charisma and become powerful, involved in politics and successful...

and now we need to ask if being successful has gotten us where we set out to be?