MINISTRY OR MISERY? (Part Two)

Is this ministry or misery? Where did we get these ministry models from? Models of pastors cursing their members for not paying tithes at all, in time, or for not paying enough. Church leaders cursing members for leaving “their” churches even when they have justified reasons for doing so, or for being too critical of them. Where did we get this Papa and Mama ministry models  from? Christianity of class and protocol! Christianity of packaging and endless introduction of the man of God.

A Christianity where the man of God is bigger than the God of the man. How dare you as church members walk-by mama and not collect her bag and baggages? Their protocols will deal with you. Protocols who are meagrely paid, unpaid, or brainwashed into becoming fancy guards who shield papa and mama from their very own members. Who are these protocols? They are a group of young “progressives” whose parents have laboured through thick and thin to train them through the universities but who have ignorantly traded their own future for opening Papa’s and mama’s car doors in the name of ministry.

These young people carry-out their tasks at the expense of their very own lives and dignity. Yet, Papa and mama are unperturbed. They are comfortable seeing these young people waste away around them. Most of these Papas and Mamas have no serious development plans for these “boys” order than to keep using them as spiritual godogodos and spies. We have seen so many of these “boys of God” become miserable, hopeless, and frustrated after most of the “goodness” in them had been sucked by their “bosses” in the Lord.

Where did we get these models from? Models of “shepherds” so close and yet so far away from the sheep. Many of their members cannot come anywhere close to them. Many of their followers do not even know their homes and they dare not attempt to locate them without the permission of the “big men.” These “dodgy” or “rockstar” pastors do not give a damn about what happens or becomes of their flocks as long as they bring in their “seeds.”

Certainly, I do not have answers to most the questions raised in this piece. But the one thing I am sure of is that these models are definitely not after our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was extremely accessible, humble and simple life. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples; was always found among his disciples; and dined with lowest of the low in the society. He mourned with those who mourned and rejoiced with those who rejoiced. He even allowed children to access him. Jesus loved every human being that came his way. Is Jesus Christ no more our model for living and ministry standard?