NEWS
Shiloh Baptist Church votes out pastor
GREENSBORO — Shiloh Baptist Church is again without a pastor.
The congregation voted 114-66 after the Sunday sermon to terminate the Rev. F. Willis Johnson, its fourth pastor in just over a decade.
“I’m totally disappointed and, obviously, I’ll be looking for another church,” said Johnson supporter T.J. Warren , a former church trustee and longtime member.
Johnson, hired in 2005, has been suspended since May at a church whose infighting is as legendary as its place as the seat of Greensboro’s civil rights struggles in the 1960s.
Johnson was to be notified by hand-delivered mail after the vote. He could not be reached for comment.
“I think that there is a clear mandate from the church that Rev. Johnson is not the spiritual leader that we need,” attorney and church trustee Camille Payton said . “Our church members are clearly ready to move on with a leader that more closely matches Shiloh’s needs.”
Johnson has been on a paid suspension from his $69,000-a-year position since Payton and other members of the church’s governing council sued him over the way he was running the church, right down to allegations of preparing deacon candidates for ordination without following protocol. A restraining order currently bars Johnson, 34, from coming onto church property or carrying on any of the duties of the pastor until August 10 .
Shiloh is Johnson’s first job as a lead church pastor, but he was hired based on his preaching skills and recommendations from the spiritual and professional community, according to those who served on the search committee. On Sunday, members spent more than an hour in the sanctuary outlining the complaints against him and debating whether he had been a good pastor and whether he could continue to lead.
Others say the congregation must take the blame for many of its problems. As far back as 1997, consultants brought in to study the church’s dynamics spoke of congregational dysfunctions and “un-Christlike problem-solving strategies.” Members say nothing has changed since then.
Some wanted more time for healing between Johnson and the congregation.
As some members voted and left, without awaiting the result, they wanted any story about their church to place emphasis on those who teach Sunday school or volunteer with the AIDS ministry.
“We are a good church, and Shiloh does care about people,” said one woman as she walked away.
Payton said the church will soon embark on another pastoral search. Some members question who would be interested after the squabbling. Others say candidates will be interested but should understand the congregation’s democratic nature .
“I think the difficulty will be finding someone who understands we are a church that takes part in the decision-making process, and we are a church of people with leadership skills — people who don’t stop being leaders when they walk into the church house,” Payton said.
Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com
Accompanying Photos
Photo Caption: Rev. F. Willis Johnson Jr.
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Comments
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bigwill
June 29, 2009 - 9:48 am EDTIt sounds more like the church members are the problem and not the Pastor.
TOTHE POINT
June 29, 2009 - 11:31 am EDTBIGWILL, you are so right. I will take your comment one step further. It seems to me that the major problem in Shiloh is this "PAYTON" person who wants domain. Just read her comments in the last part of the news article and one does not have to have a degree to determine that this person has the devil in her. She says the next preacher must understand that we have a decision making process and there are those of us with leadership skills in this church. She is a self centered sister with a chip on her shoulders. The word of our Lord and Savior is very clear through out the Bible and it seems to me that this attorney and church trustee is letting her position go to her head. Well Ms. Payton, back up your actions with scripture and let's see who is in the right. I do not know if Rev. Willis is at fault or not but I do know that the way things are being handled is not the right way. Again I point to this person's comments to a public newspaper about how she thinks things should be run. THAT IS OK, WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND......Ms. Payton.
bigwill
June 29, 2009 - 2:26 pm EDTMaybe Ms. Payton should keep her leadership abilities to herself.
1 Corinthians 14:
34- Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.
35- And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
Uplifted
June 29, 2009 - 10:58 pm EDTShiloh is a church in crisis. The church leadership team needs counselling. They remind me of people who have multiple bad marriages, but take no blame for the failures. The sad part is that Shiloh continues to hire and fire pastors without any regard to the pastor's families. They don't need another pastor. They just need someone to preach on Sunday. I pity the ministers who apply for the pastor's position at Shiloh. As long as Payton and her posse are in charge, Shiloh will never be a church. Payton and her posse are a bunch of Christian narcissists and one of the many reasons why so many have turned away from the church. Keep up the great work Shiloh.
nothing like the truth
June 30, 2009 - 3:09 pm EDTYou hit the nail on the head. However, you would have had to have seen them in action to know that this group would never think they are those needing counseling. Think about some of what you saw in the newspaper articles, such as comments indicating that the pastor was divisive. You don't even have to be meditating on the spiritual to recognize that the only common denominator in all four of the hirings/firings is this one group. At some point, since they are so in tune with the secular/carnal, you would think that sheer embarassment would stop them. After all, they have made Shiloh the laughingstock of Greensboro. I exhort C. Payton and those for whom she was the mouthpiece to pick up the Word and truly, truly take heed to Matt. 25:31-34: 31 - When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 - And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 -And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 - Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:... (verses 35 trhough 46 are awesome as well) Not all separation/division is bad. But, of course, C. Payton is clueless as indicated by her comments regarding the church being a democracy and leaders in the secular world continuing to lead in the church. That would be fine if their model was The Word of God. You're right, they just want a preacher on Sunday. They want someone to tickle their ears and tell them that they are as good as they think they are and that their good works will get them into heaven. Anytime you have a group of persons that refer to the man of God as their employee rather than their pastor, watch out for the storms. (Remember Aunt Polly in the story/movie Pollyanna? The preacher had to have his sermon Ok'ed by her before he could deliver it.) This group has been given far too much control in what was supposed to have been God's house of prayer for all people. When they see a group growing that may oppose them, not only do they want the pastor gone, they also want the pastor's supporters gone as well. If you want to really see what "the devil runs to and fro..." looks like, you have it firsthand from them. You see "members" who haven't attended anything on the premises except meetings to come up with the deceptions and meetings to vote. There are persons in positions of leadership who are visible only at these same times. Since they pride themselves on knowing what true leadership looks like, how many organizations/businesses allow absentee leadership? Instead of voting on the pastors, someone is going to have to be bold enough to put this group on trial. As others have said, what goes on in that building will not be God-centered until they are disbanded. They have taught their children that it is ok to deal in distortions of the truth in order to have their way.
tiredofmess
July 1, 2009 - 11:39 am EDTNothing like the Truth you need to truly watch what you say about people. You have listed names of members that you think contributed to the fall of grace......have you looked in the mirror lately? It is obvious that you are a member of Shiloh by what you say and what you think you know...so reveal yourself......instead of talking about others.....What did you do to help the problem? Did you try and pull the church together as some of the people listed did? Have you run committes? Vacation Bible School? Programs for the Youth? Scholarship Program? What have you done and what are you doing besides ranting about what you think you know. God is not pleased with any of this mess just stop stirring up the mess about what has happened and MOVE on.
nothing like the truth
July 1, 2009 - 1:24 pm EDTYour perception is respected and my perception is mine and mine alone. I saw nothing from this group that tried to pull the church together; what I saw was an attempt to discredit the pastor from about the third month after he began. The first attempt to terminate him failed last September and one of the longtime members warned some of us not to get comfortable because this group would not cease in their efforts. It turned out to be true. As far as Vacation Bible School, etc., that occurs once a year and just as that organization can't live on the laurels of their contribution to the Civil Rights movement forever, participating in a once a year event does not equate to pulling a church together. As far as Sunday School, Sunday service or Bible Study, I stand by my comments that the majority of them were not in regular attendance at any of them. There are many organizations which have nothing to do with the purposes of God that award scholarships, etc., so your point is missed on that issue. You do know that this is a blog. I am revealed to the ONE who matters and I am satisfied that He knows that I speak from a pure heart. "MOVE!" Isn't that interesting? It fits right into the aforementioned attitude. Let me tell you what I did, I prayed to my Father and I fasted, all the while worshiping and praising Him and my request was that His will be done. Though the outcome may not make sense to some of us, the revelation will come in due season. As with many things of God, it is not always about the story, but about Him getting the glory. There is no person or any situation larger than God and the ultimate glory will be His. Sometimes it takes 40 years. May the peace of God be with you.
tiredofmess
July 5, 2009 - 7:23 pm EDTNothing like the truth…. Yes you may have prayed but what have you done for Shiloh!!!! Have you done anything to make a true difference? The things you mentioned that are not irrelevant (Scholarship, Civil Rights, Annual Vacation Bible School) they are Christian Education activities that make a church. I again ask you, before you feel the need in the future to call out good upstanding church leaders and Christians let people know who you are. I am sure that you have fought for what you believed is right and been criticized for it. That in my OPINION is not Christian like either. As my title says I am tired of the mess you should be too let’s all pray together and move forward.
nothing like the truth
July 5, 2009 - 10:57 pm EDTtiredofmess...Agreed - Vacation Bible School is centered around Christian education;civil rights and the rewarding of scholarships are not necessarily so. There are atheist groups that take on some forms of civil rights and reward scholarships as well. It's obvious that we are on different pages when one of us thinks works are more important than prayer and the other of us does not. If the things that you mention were going to make it better, it would have been better four pastors ago. It is no fault of anyone giving their opinions on this that credibility is questionable when a "Church" negatively affects the life of four pastors and their families. By the way, I was in service to the Lord in my stay there in more than one setting. Also, I supported the man sent by God to lead that congregation and I stood on the Word that I believe in and was obedient to that Word by not touching God's anointed and not doing His prophet any harm. I am sure that I will have many things to give account for when I stand before the final Judge, but voting the pastor out will not be one of them. We have a difference of opinion on what "upstanding" looks like in the house of God, as well as what makes a church. We only need to look to the Bible for the church model. You will not change my opinion and I am not trying to change yours. As far as stirring the mess, there are some messes that need to be stirred and stirred and stirred until all of the stink is out. There are times when the 'Sit down and shut up' mentality just isn't the way to go. You only have to read the comments of others such as Jeed, who appears to have been a visitor and aggie4life, a life member to see that visitors and members alike were seeing the same dynamics at play. It seems that you were not concerned about knowing the names of bloggers as long as they were only calling out C. Payton. That is the beauty of a blog. You may express your opinion without having to be concerned with receiving phone calls, letters in your mailbox or on your porch. Only you know what you really meant with "MOVE on." It was just interesting to me that only MOVE was capitalized. If it was a clever way to say leave, you were late, as it already had been settled in my spirit that Sunday, June 28th was to be my last day if the pastor was not to remain.
Prov. 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the spirits.
16:3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Prov. 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.
I am not seeking to be right and only want to continue to learn as much as I can about living righteously. None of us are perfect, never will be. Therefore, I thank God for Jesus' redemptive blood and I am also very thankful that there are other places of worship in this city that use the Word of God as their guide instead of man-made documents, and where there truly is a sweet, sweet spirit that consumes you as soon as you enter the doors. I leave Shiloh to the governance of the "Council". I choose to be in a setting where God is in control and where the pastor is allowed to lead as God instructs. Obviously, no matter what anyone has done to try to make the mess better, it hasn't worked through four pastors. I, for one, go inside of God's house to get away from the struggles of the world, not to see the same type of goings-on that you see outside of those walls. I did meet and come to love persons there who were on one accord with the Word, supported the pastor and who have become 'family' to me: and I will always be in touch/fellowship with them. There is a season for everything and I am very thankful for the season I was granted to be under the teaching/leadership of Pastor Johnson. There is nothing that I want more than a closer relationship with God; I have always had a thirst for the Word and Pastor Johnson's teaching has only enhanced that thirst and caused me to deepen my study and my growth. He will always be Pastor Johnson to me and I am saddened that I was not able to sit under his teaching for a longer period of time. He and his family will always be family to me and are four more persons that God has put into my life to love. I'm sure there still will be times when I will seek his counsel. In the 'in-between time', my worship, my praise of God, my study will not cease and while I am visiting different places of worship, just as The Holy Spirit let me know that I needed to be led by Pastor Johnson, The Holy Spirit will lead me to the place where I am to be shepherded again. Lastly, I choose not to be offended by any of your comments or opinions, and though I am not in agreement with you, it is not important to me to know who you are. Again, God knows who I am. That is sufficient, so your continuance to press that point is futile. Prayer does change things and I continue to pray for wisdom and understanding for all of us. The true victory in this mess is yet to be seen, but it will be God's.
tiredofmess
July 5, 2009 - 7:29 pm EDTOh BTW I do understand its a Blog. Also MOVE on means let go and let God at this point. Nothing more.
kaye
June 29, 2009 - 9:56 am EDTIT'S AMAZING TO ME, THIS CHURCH CONTINUES TO KICK PASTORS OUT THAT WILL NOT ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BECOME PUPPETS TO A NON RELIGIOUS , UNSAVED BOARD. IT'S ONLY A HAND FULL OF MEMBERS LEFT SCATTERED IN THAT BIG SANCTUARY THAT'S NEVER BEEN FILLED SINCE IT WAS BUILT. A BLIND MAN CAN COME IN THERE ON ANY SUNDAY AND FIND A SEAT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THEY WILL NOT FIND ANOTHER OTIS HARISTON AND THE MEMBERS SHOULD GO TO COURT TO FORM A NEW BOARD OF PEOPLE THAT WILL HAVE THE MINISTRY'S BEST INTEREST AT HEART. WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AS TO HOW WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER IN GOD'S HOUSE. THE MINISTRY SUFFERS WHEN YOU HAVE UNGODLY PEOPLE TRYING TO RUN A MINISTRY. THEY WILL NEVER FIND ANYONE THAT WILL SUIT THEIR TASTE AND THEY NEED TO REALIZE OTHERS THAT COME WILL BE FEW BECAUSE THE WORD WILL GET AROUND THAT THEY SOMEONE TO LEAD, THEY DON'T WANT A LEADER. IT'S A SHAME THEY HAVE DISGRACED THE COMMUNITY, AND WASTED THE COURTS TIME WITH THIS FOOLISHNESS. REMEMBER SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH BOARD --- BELSHAZZAR THEW A FEAST BELIEVING HE HAD A VICTORY...... AND THEN GOD SPOKE--. GOD IS NOT PLEASED!!!!
newshound
June 29, 2009 - 10:04 am EDTSatisfied members of Shiloh Baptist Church sould let the church people with "the leadership skills" continue to lead them down the path of destruction. Some people are born to lead corporations and some people are born to, upon calling, lead and be the head of God's House. Those educated persons should know the difference. Unsatisfied members should come on over to Saint James Home of the Fresh Start on Church Street...for a Fresh Start. I did. fln
DocF
June 29, 2009 - 10:29 am EDTThis whole saga is so sad. One of the first people in Greensboro that I met when I took a job there was the Rev. Otis Hairston. When I first spoke with him, I felt a sincere love for all mankind. I felt this radiated through his whole church.
No, a church cannot find another man like Rev. Hairston. We are all human and have human weaknesses. We, and I mean all of us in the whole area, cannot afford to have a great church torn asunder by secular matters. I pray that the lay leaders of Shiloh Baptist Church can deliberate prayerfully and choose a leader who is able to repair the damage that the last few years have done to their church.
jlhender
June 29, 2009 - 10:35 am EDTRomans 10
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
Kesh
June 29, 2009 - 2:45 pm EDTI agree that some of the church members may be the problem...... I am sure this is one church I will steer clear of. I will pray for Mr. Johnson and any other person who thinks about trying to take on this mess. I always thought the church was for Gods work not Mans.......... Shiloh needs to take a good look in their good book and rethink the mission of their church.
jeed
June 29, 2009 - 4:26 pm EDTI had the pleasure of witnessing the dynamic spiritually-led preaching of Pastor Johnson as well as his loving engagement with willing members of the congregation and visitors. He was in the process of attracting a more diverse congregation including young members, and building a community-changing synergy amongst believers who all seek to share in the love of Jesus.
I also, however, found it very easy to see the "hate" emanating from the cast of characters who set forth to end another pastor's tenure at their treasured Shiloh. They cluster together; they sit together, they give "unapproved" visitors "the evil eye"; they look down of those who appear to be struggling. I asked about them and their unwelcoming ways before I had any idea of who they were. It's that obvious. They act like children who've had candy snatched out of their hands. Is "candy" synonymous with money, image, and control? If so, I digress. Keep in mind, this is not indicative of the behavior of all well-established Shiloh members. A number of them are very welcoming, warm, and in agreement with those who sought a better Shiloh. I'm specifically speaking of "the crew."
You must realize that some of the old guard at Shiloh believe it's a gathering place for Greensboro's elite to pat themselves on the back for their lifetime achievements and a place to be separate from the people, rather than a house of worship. It was like that when I was growing up; it's like that today. The difference is membership - it's dying off. Even the children of those in the self-declared "elite" circle are sneaking off to other, more forward-thinking churches. Interestingly, they show up at Shiloh on days where a matter of voting is on the table.
For C. Payton to even verbalize her role in the "church leadership" evidences the fact that she knows very little (if anything) about leadership dynamics. That makes it easier to understand why the last living members of Shiloh's "old guard" believe a pastor should follow them - instead of vice versa. What kind of mindset makes a group of people believe decades of going nowhere equates to moving forward? It's illogical, but it is supported by a spirit of pride.
Pride goes before destruction; a haughty spirit before a fall. ~Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)
The legacy of this group of Shiloh leaders has been written.
nothing like the truth
June 30, 2009 - 1:49 pm EDTYou have painted the perfect picture. God is not deceived by this group and He knows their true motives. The organization known as Shiloh, being led by a core group of ungodly persons, should disassociate itself with the word "church", as the group separated itself from being about The Father's work many years ago. The perfect name would be The Gravely/Watlington/Jones/Collins/Payton/Michaels/Daughtry/Widemon/Lewis/Hicks/Allen House of Vipers. For those of us who have chosen God as our Master Architech, it has been very saddening to see this group use deception, lies, and manipulation to brainwash those who are not as strong in The Word of God. The devil is so very, very shrewd and there truly was a serpent spirit in that building on Sunday. A deceptive letter had already been sent to the homes of the congregants, but that wasn't enough - when you entered the church on Sunday, more of the propaganda was passed out. Lo and behold, before the vote was to take place, those who wanted to speak were to be given two minutes to speak. The only person who was able to speak was MW, who of course, read more of the deceptive propaganda. When the spiritually weak and the elderly continue to hear the same thing over and over, they start accepting it as the truth. Shrewd, shrewd, shrewd!!!! When you hear a 90ish year old woman, who is using a walker come out of the sanctuary after the vote saying, "We won", it breaks your heart - Lost!! Pastor Johnson came into the "House of Vipers" out of obedience to God. Thank God that this is a period of elevation for him, though it may not feel like it now. He has made a tremendous difference in many of our lives and contributed greatly to our growth in The Word and the ways of God. It is a pervasive selfishness that would have this group to continue to disconnect the rest of us from the Godly leaders who were sent to Shiloh.(Shiloh may very well be the hell that the four men of God had to go through before being lifted up to a greater work for God.) God bless Pastor Johnson, his lovely wife - Maridythe, and their two young children, Kendall and Kamryn. I pray that they do not leave the area. God have mercy on the Viper group.
tiredofmess
July 1, 2009 - 11:36 am EDTNothing like the Truth you need to truly watch what you say about people. You have listed names of members that you think contributed to the fall of grace......have you looked in the mirror lately? It is obvious that you are a member of Shiloh by what you say and what you think you know...so reveal yourself......instead of talking about others.....What did you do to help the problem? Did you try and pull the church together as some of the people listed did? Have you run committes? Vacation Bible School? Programs for the Youth? Scholarship Program? What have you done and what are you doing besides ranting about what you think you know. God is not pleased with any of this mess just stop stirring up the mess about what has happened and MOVE on.
Get A Clue
June 29, 2009 - 6:25 pm EDTIf everyone could already follow Scripture to the letter:
1. No one would need to go to church.
2. As someone else noted, women would be subservient to men, and all those other pesky rules and laws (such as stoning adulterers to death) would also have to be followed.
Anyway, it's comforting to know this house of worship is just as picayune as any other when it comes to infighting.
Isn't religion interesting? For a few hours every Friday eve, Saturday and Sunday morning we all segregate into our little tribes to pray to a god that someday we can all get along. ;-)
aggie4life
June 29, 2009 - 7:45 pm EDTAs a current and lifelong member of Shiloh Baptist Church, I am so saddened and hurt as a result of this outcome. Our church is in such pain and has been for many years. It is very evident that we (as a church) are a dysfunctional group of people who cannot come together as a GODLY family to do GODLY things. Our motto for many long years has been that "Shiloh Cares about People" and after the "antics" of yesterday’s vote....and recent suspension, falsifications and court proceeding....there is NO way in this world that the motto is currently being upheld.....Wake up people, Look at what YOU (not the Pastor) are doing to our church....Our history of being a part of the Civil Rights Movement and many other important Historic events is being out shadowed by all of this unnecessary “DRAMA”. It is 2009....in order for our church to continue and to grow....we as a congregation MUST....MUST....grow and there is no way that we can do that the way that the "DEVIL" is currently working within our church walls. I agree that Rev. Johnson has some "new school" ways that our congregation may not of been "ready" for...but...without growth our church will DIE....So what now...many of us....including myself (lifelong members) are searching for other church homes now....places where WORSHIP, LEARNING, and LOVING FELLOWSHIP is key. It's NOT happening at Shiloh!!!!! Until those of you who are in the LEADERSHIP positions and various committees change "YOUR” UNGODLY ways, our church will continue to DIE... Look at our membership as it stands now???? And after yesterday we are likely to have 66 less members, well at least 1 (myself). I pray deeply that Shiloh is able to change its ways....Can't you all see by now....It's NOT working...4 pastors in 10 years....It's NOT working... To Rev. Johnson and Family, May God Bless each of you!
loveteaching
July 1, 2009 - 10:31 am EDTDear aggie4life,
Sorry you all are going through the fire. I'm writing to invite you to the church I attend. We have a Pastor that is a man after God's own heart and he has love in his heart for people. This church is Next Level Christian Chruch @ 2222 W. Florida St. Our chruch doors are opened to all.
reared1920
June 29, 2009 - 7:54 pm EDTIt is amazing to see Shiloh's Division showed here in the paper. You know the bible clearly states that in
(Matthew 12:25). 'And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand'. During this time you should be praying not airing all for people to tear apart. My prayer is that you can understand what a church is to do. Do not forget Jesus destroyed the temple because he wanting people to embrace certain things. Although I do not know the whole story, and I care not to, because I can not be judgmental-- I just feel this is not the Christian way to do things. We are emotional creatures but we have to use wisdom in everything that we do!
Fitzgerald
July 3, 2009 - 2:02 pm EDTMy Prayers and heart goes out to the members of Shiloh. There is an elephant in the room and it not the Pastors, and let not forget God is surpose to be at the head. Any Pastor that would except a leadership role at Shiloh should have a contract draw up stating if this type of situation arises during his leadership that the church is liable for damages, because at this point if I was a Pastor looking for a flock, what has just taken place leave a sense of distrust and uncertainty. If the church is not careful as a whole you will not be able to find a placement Pastor so easily. It is time for the church to change it direction starting with the leadership behind the seens. Shiloh is a church with a wealth of history and to see it all go out the window because of ego's is shameful. You relocate your Pastors and then kick them out and not to say the impact it has on their families, especially the children where is God in your actions. I pray God get control of his church and remove all those who stand in the way of spreading the Gospel. He is soon to come and there is no time to play church. I have visited Shiloh and there is truth to the fact that some of the members turn their noises up to community members who are less fortunate. It is not a good reputation for a church and I was sad to know that this took place. I witness it with a family member who had not attended church in awhile and I invited her to attend service with me. I was visiting from out of town. She was seeking Jesus and instead she was treated like trash, she did not have the right outfit and it was like she was an outcast. I felt her pain and comfort her to let her know God love her dearly. But after hearing what has happen to the Pastor I understand the dynmic more clearly. God I pray you come down and remove all obstacle that hinder those that love you from doing your work in Jesus name Amen! Remember Shiloh God hates arrogants and Pride. Too much Education can be dangerous in God house.
yond
July 6, 2009 - 11:46 pm EDTI have just read all of the comments and It seems to me that all were posted by Pastors or wanna be Pastors. A church congregation usually has a book of rules & regulations that they must follow, are Pastors excluded from following the rules? When a Pastor is hired, he agrees to the doctrine of the church, it is not right for a Pastor to come in, make all decision that concern the church, especially when the church doctrine calls for a democratic decision by way of the congregation.
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