The following is from a pastor's CV

[Invicta]

Most church splits around here seem to be over calling a pastor. About 150 years ago, a Baptist church in Canterbury had a vote an calling a man to be pastor. 16 voted. 8 for and 8 against. The chairman then said he had a casting vote and voted for the man. The 8 who voted against promptly left the church. In the following meeting some months later, this man is not mentioned, and then there is a break of a few years in the records,and he is never mentioned again, so presumably he did not come so the split was in vain.

[JerryNumbers]

With the vote evenly split, that fellow would have done good to defer the vote till later, with many prayers given up to God before voting on this matter again.

The church just down the road from me that (I grew up in split when I was about 16 years of age. On a Sunday morning they voted on building a new church, it did not pass. We lost more than half of more than 100 regular attending members over that.

Perhaps a year ago it split again. There were many issues this time, bad music, pastor that has been through foreclosure & bankruptcy 3 or 4 times just to name a few of them.

Just prior to the split I was in the cemetery checking on family graves one afternoon & heard Charlie Daniels song the Devil Went To Georgia reverberating from the church throughout the cemetery hurting my ear drums.

When that pastor started there in the late 80's they had about 8 to 10 members, gained to a point that had more than 100 present on Sunday mornings. When he left there were about 8 to 10 members left. He helped gain them, them helped run them off.

[blossom]

I imagine the Lord's heart breaking over such things. It is so sad!

[Invicta]

Another church in Canterbury in more recent years, about 20; or so, years ago voted on calling a man for a pastor, he was rejected. Those who wanted him said he should be reconsidered and they would be grieving the Holy Spirit if they turned him down. This time the vote went in favour and he became the pastor. When he came, those who voted in favour found he was not what they thought and within a short time, most of them left the church. Others left later.

About the same time a church about 10 miles from there called a pastor, and I am not sure of the details but within about 6 months, the pastor left and founded a new church, taking the majority of members with him. Someone who I know was there at the time and he says them membership went down from 120 to 30 overnight. I have heard that this "pastor" is now back at the church. (as a member.)