Question:
Last summer, the leadership at my church (senior pastor, executive pastor, and elders) asked my youth pastor to leave - no explanation. He was told to keep quiet about it or he'd be gone by Christmas. He told a few trusted parents of students (and they told their kids - as per his permission) in October last year. My parents were one of those 4 couples, and I was one of the 5 students who know out of a youth group of 150+. We kept it quiet for 7 months. Last week, the church leadership told Pete (youth pastor) to tell the youth group, which he did on Sunday. Everyone is in shock. The senior pastor is making an announcement about it to the main congregation during the 10am service this Sunday.
I was planning on organizing some kind of "demonstration". At the very least, we're (the youth group) going to stand up in support of Pete, and his wife, and their future (the church is offering no help for him to find another ministry or start a new ministry). We stand up in support of people when they get baptized, so it's kinda like that.
The thing I'm wondering about is this. In all honesty, they fired Pete. But my fear is that the senior pastor will tell the congregation that "The Lord led him elsewhere" or some BS story like that (which is not impossible with this leadership). If he said anything contrary to the true story, I want to walk out of the service, and have as many people leave with me as possible, to show that we don't like this decision one bit.
But, at the same time, it seems incredibly childish, dividing, and disrupting to do that.
What should we do?
Feel free to ask clarifying questions.
_Epaphras
Answer:
I would certainly walk out in that situation. After all, I do not go to church in order to be lied to.
Answer:
Sean, what exactly led the pastoral staff and elders to come to this decision? Does your youth pastor have the slightest idea why he's being let go?
And a bold-faced lie to the congregation is unacceptable. I don't know if I'd walk out of the service, but you can bet I'd publically rebuke the lie if one was told.
Answer:
i would also be interested to know what happened, simply due to the fact that some things are not appropriate to be told to the congregation both for the sake of the youth pastor and the church.
Walkingout? What do you mean by that?
The thing with churches, is that they are not and should not be a democracy. The senior pastor is appointed and along with his elders (depedning on the leadership model) make the major decisions. You as a member of the church, should either submit to it, or if you can't, you should leave for good, not as a walkout!
Answer:
Originally Posted by ChrisHarbison Sean, what exactly led the pastoral staff and elders to come to this decision? The official statement is that he doesn't fit into the leadership's vision for the future of the ministry. But there's gotta be something more to it because they're offering no financial support to start a new ministry or get settled into one. They pretty much left him and his family (both kids are in college) out to dry. Does your youth pastor have the slightest idea why he's being let go? He knows their reason(s), but he doesn't understand their logic. And they're not talking. That's the scary part. There is no accountability or accessability here. My parents have been trying to talk to the senior pastor for 7 months but he refuses to see anyone about the matter until Pete's gone. Granted, my parents are meeting with him next week, but Pete just told everyone last Sunday and there's no way to reverse this, so they're basically just trying to find out what his reasoning was.
We think he was influenced by the elders because they are highly influential members of the church with tons of cash and we just moved into a new multi-million dollar building and expenses are high. We (my family and I) think it was a weak moment and Doug (senior pastor) buckled under the pressure/temptation.
Pete had to approve his message to the youth group with Doug and the elders before he gave it. And just to be sure, the elders stood silently in the back of the youth room while he told us, then slid out right after he was done (to make sure he said the right thing).
We think there's something more to this because frankly, it doesn't make any sense. Pete and Sandy and the four families involved before last week were completely in the dark as far as the church leadership's reasoning goes, which IMO is not a good thing at all.
Walkingout? What do you mean by that? I mean quietly, peacefully leaving the sanctuary in silent protest as a statement of our disapproval of the situation and subsequent cover-up. No signs, no songs, no chants, just a quiet early dismissal.
Answer:
Wow, sounds like something is up to me.
If I were you, I don't know if I would walk out,
then again, I bet I would - It would probably be acceptable, provided you never came back. I'd find another church, and by walking out and not returning, you'd make it publicly (and silently, no major "fights" or anything) known why you left.
Answer:
Hmm, sounds like you've got a great idea on your hands. If they lie, then such a reaction should take place. Very peaceable, I like.
Answer:
Sean, as a youth minister who has worked in churches for eight years, I can tell you that it is not uncommon for youth ministers to be let go for issues of vision. In fact, I left my last church largely because the church established a youth ministry vision that I was unwilling to adopt. Luckily, in my case, it was my choice, but others aren't always so lucky. Don't discount the "official reason" so quickly. Furthermore, the idea of "financial support" for a departing employee is somewhat confusing. Why would they do that? I've never heard of a youth minister getting something like that. Issues of vision can be major things, as well, and can cause a serious falling out between ministers. There may be resentment on the part of your pastor that your youth minister did not buy into the vision he's casting. If the pastor and elders have hard feelings against the youth minister (and it sounds like they do), it is not surprising at all that they would not offer some sort of financial support for a departing employee.
Finally, he's had since Summer to find a new job. That, in itself, could be seen as more financial support than just about departing employee that I know of.
No offense, but it sounds like you don't have much to go on as far as "BS stories." How will you know if the story is true or not?
Answer:
Aaron makes a good point, if the pastoral staff has a vision for the church that your youth pastor doesn't like or is unwilling to accept, then I could see why he'd be let go. From a pastoral and biblical standpoint, you need unity among your staff if you're going to fulfill the vision you believe God has for your church.
The next real question is, what is this vision that your youth pastor doesn't fit into?
Answer:
Originally Posted by ChrisHarbison The next real question is, what is this vision that your youth pastor doesn't fit into? My parents made a list of about 20 questions they want to ask Doug back in October when we found out, but he refused to meet with them until next week. One of their questions is exactly that. So I'll let you know in about a week.
Answer:
Multi million dollar building and money was tight?
I'm thinking this might have something to do with it. Money changes people and I'm worried about the influence that money has on these "high paid" staff of yours. Are they seeing more green in this issue?
This is of course nothing but speculation...
Answer:
We decided not to walk out. We're going to stand in support - that is all.
Thanks for your input, everyone