We're visiting different churches...

BrotherTony · August 15, 2023

My wife and I finally believe we have the open door to visit several churches in hope of finding a new church home. The church we've been members of for the last 7 1/2 years has been taking a slow drift left. We've been patient and have tried our best to effect change in the right direction but it's been to no avail. The nepotism and cronyism is something that has always bothered me. One such case of cronyism is how three years ago the pastor talked the deacons into helping a friend of the pastor. They bought the man a new zero turn lawnmower and put him in charge of the church grounds and the mowing rotation. It went fair to middlin' the first year, but the second was a bit more disorganized. Because I am disabled and really shouldn't be mowing my own lawn, the church had some of those men in the rotation mowing it. I offered to pay these men, and even donated funds to the mens ministry. Last year this brother made us feel like we owed a lot to the church and talked down us stating the mowing of our lawn was more than a ministry. He did his best to make us feel small, which didn't happen. The pastor was on the rotation and I offered to pay him for his gas and extra for himself. He refused as well. I gave money to the men's ministry and was told it had folded. So, I donated to the maintenance of the lawn at the church, and for the mowing of the other lawns the church had the men mowing. It was diverted to the building fund and the youth. I'm not against where it went, but am against not being told or given a reason why that action was taken. At any rate I decided to not ask the church to help with the lawn. I've done it so far this year, but because of my health challenges I have not been able to get it done fully.

Another thing that brought us to the decision that we needed to start looking was that during a church dinner one of the games that was played after dinner was filled with songs being sung that were filled with lyrics that were immoral, promoting getting drunk and shacking up, etc. It was not something we ever thought we'd have to do, but, we felt that the Lord would have us start this process. The church we visited is still an SBC affiliated church (Barfield Baptist Church in Murfreesboro Tennessee)but is KJV, sings mostly hymns, and when they do sing CCM songs it's appropriately toned down. The pastor is someone I've been acquainted with for over 20 yrs on the Internet. He was raised in Franklin Road Baptist Church in Murfreesboro.

I know this isn't the prayer forum, but, I would like to request prayers for us as we go through this process.

Blessings.