The Executive Pastor - Insists On His Executive Power.

"Rob is a friend who joined a church that was deeply involved in overseas missions. He is an incredibly driven and smart guy with a background in military Special Forces. He is also a triathlete. Rob is a quick learner and a go-getter. He began to join in on some trips to a few places where the church was working, eventually leading some initiatives in a region the church had not previously been. In short order Rob had pioneered the new ministry and had raised half of the necessary funds to leave his well-paying “real” job in order to serve the new mission full-time. The church matched the funds Rob had raised, freeing him to give all his attention to the new mission. After a couple of years the ministry was flourishing and Rob was as well. Everyone agreed that he was doing a marvelous job. Then a problem arose. The senior pastor called Rob to tell him he had “great” news. The new budget included funds to pay Rob’s entire salary so that he would no longer have to raise his own funds for the ministry. He could now be a full-time pastor on the church staff. The pastor was stunned when Rob cheerfully said, “That’s great. I appreciate it. But use those funds for something else. I’m doing fine. The ministry over there is developing like crazy. What we are doing is working great. Let’s just keep going as we have been.” Rob would have loved to have given up the task of personal fund-raising, but he had been around the culture of this church for too long. He was well aware that those who were full-time staff members were not allowed to self-manage and carry out their ministries and callings with the freedom he enjoyed. The culture of the church was extremely hierarchical and top down. My friend’s instincts said the reason the senior pastor wanted to fund him fully was in order to own him as an employee. His instincts were right. A week later Rob was summoned to the senior pastor’s office, where in a ten-minute meeting with the big guy and the executive pastor, he was told his ministry with the church was over. Yippee-ki-yay!" (Lance Ford. Un-Leader)