Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Sept. 3, 1987, edition 1 / Page 5
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A Minister's FaU r How It Affects Faith l& uwetta Richardson Staff Writer Something happens when a J member of the clergy has been af filiated with a crime. Whether j that crime revolves around sexu v *1 offenses, acts of perversion or 2 murder. Something happens to * members of society. Whether that & person is non-religious or relig ious. Something happens. With each printed news story or with each aired television report detailing the events leading to a religious leader's connection with a crime, explanations are t demanded; answers to questions j ^at possibly have no answers are j desperately sought. Non-religious persons eagerly j poke fbn at and ridicule those who • claim an allegiance to God. Re i ligious persons, particularly • those who are weak in the faith, I feel the onset of devastation and ’ confusion. \In the post few weeks, members [ of the clergy have been the focus of f; several crimes. Ministers have | been arrested for frequenting J pornography stores. One area J minister confessed to the murder • of a young girl in Statesville and i in Fort Mill, SC an entire empire ! is riding the tumultuous currents | of turmoil. In light of such current events i local ministers, Rev. Phillip Da ' vis of Galilean Baptist Church; i. Dr. Clifton Jones of Friendship \ Baptist Church and Rev. Leon • Riddick of Mount Carmel Baptist 1 Church talked freely about the ef • fects a minister's "fall" has on : faith. Rsv. Davis segments the prob f l*m into two parts, dealing with those individuals who are un churched and those who aren't, t "At those times when a minister S is connected with a crime, the per J son who is not affiliated wit£ a j church or who does not hold to any s religious beliefs seems to be look ing for an excuse to continue the ; kind of life that they're living. J That minister's crime gives this > person the 'justification he or she ‘ is looking for'," responded Rev. I Davis. I Agreeing Dr. Jon*e added, " | non-Christians can often use the k-Ata of the clergy member as a crateh to document their own be liefs, attitudes and total alooftiess from the Christian experience. This is unfortunate." What Dr. Jones said must be done is that people learn to separate the mes sage of God from the messenger. But he furthered stated that this was a difficult task to do. Rev. Ridchck who added his comments stated; "There is something wrong with people who think ministers aren't human." People who value themselves based on other people are individ uals, according to Rev. Davis, whose own self-esteems are lifted in their own minds when others fall. But for the religious person, the person who is growing in the faith of Christianity, Rev. Davis said that the effects of a minister's fall Relic Challenges Continued From 1A Another touchy area ie school based health clinics. Although p»li« reveal that most people favor them, Relic has reservations about what the numbers mean and what is in the best interest of students. "The situation in Charlotta Mecklenburg has become con fab," he said. "The problem is on# of definition. If you havo 10 people in a room, you'll probably get eight different answers on whet a school-baaed health clinic is- It means different things to dif ferent people." Relic stated that ha expects to make a recommendation to tho school board whether clinics should bo allowed at county schools lstsr this month. The cen ters, he said, should provide health sendees for students, not oontra ceptives or information on how and whore to obtain them. "Whet I'm for is providing in formation for health and treat ment," he replied. eTSSSttsas; problem* for his work habits. With about 73,000 students, Charlotte Mecklenburg Is mors then nine times larger than the West Hart ford, Ct., system he headed until July. "I've had to make no adjust ments," he stetsd. (Charlotte Mecklenburg) is bigger and more complex than West Hartford, but my style, involvement end time oa the Job, whether it was in the fed eral government at HEW (Health s: •vtxst Mecklenburg is the same* • " ’ /" could have a devastating effect. "TTia Christian him • tendency to question his or her faith, when the person the Christian has seen his Christian experience through does not measure up to his or her standards," replied Dr. Jones. However, this is not the case for a Christian who has based his re ligious experience on Christ com mented Rev. Davis. "If Chris tians continue to otudy the Bible and do their parts as believers, they know that these things (ministers fall) will happen." Rev. Davis expounded even more by saying that it is the mystery and magnificence of God who takes fallible and imperfect peo ple to accomplish His will. "Throughout, the Bible," Rev. Riddick explained, "there are imperfect people. If folks are go ing to lose the faith, then they can simply read the Bible and just close it up. Moses was one of Gods strong men and he was a murderer. Noah, another one of God's strong men got drunk and David, still another of God's strong men committed adultery. They were angels in heaven that rebelled and who fell into hell. So how can we hold people to be fault less?" £<ven among the disciples," Rev. Jones pointed out, "there was one who was proned to doubting, one who lied, one who was proned to cursing and another who loved money. Two others had mixed up values and still another was a coward." While these Biblical figures show clearly the imperfectness of men, neither minister supported their examples as a license for li bertinism, for unethical or moral misconduct. Rather, they sug gested that throughout the years, ministers have been incorrectly thought to be perfect. "Often we make our religious leaders heroes, and when they fail we simply find another hero. The clergy has to live with a dou ble standard. More is expected of him or her simply by the nature of his or her calling," began Dr. Jones. “Therefore, the assumption is that clergy is almost a cut above. The Assumption is that clergy has mere control, that he or she feels, thinks and does no evil. Yet they are persons like others persons. They hurt or are frustrated, suffer pain and anxiety, get angry and sometimes lose control, Yet if this did not happen to clergy, then clergy would cease to be human . We (clergy) would be so aloof and abstract we could not preach a gospel of wholeness. We. could not speak to others experientially and help direct them spiritually in coping with life's experienc es," explained Dr. Jones. "People have got to stop looking at ministers as superhumans," confirmed Rev. Davis. The Lord k noweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished. (II Peter 2,9.) But even Rev. Davis had to ad mit that ministers are placed in separate categories. "What most people don't realize is that as a person a minister is typically alone and that most of the mem bers see themselves far removed from him. But if we see a mini ster's strengths, we (church members) should also see his weaknesses so that we could pro tect him or her. Ministers need ministering to, as well. It is the responsibility of church mem bers to use their spiritual gifts to uplift his or her pastor, because it is when the minister is at his weakest that temptation strikes." Dr. Jones sees the toil the "tremendous burden" placed on religious leaders has taken. "More and more clergy mem bers are turning to other profes sions, the divorce rate among clergy is escalating and others are simply playing the game, finding out what people want and giving it to them. "Does this mean that they're not called or believe in this God that calls inspite of all of our shortcomings? Does this mean that God's Spirit does not dwell with us? Does this mean that we're unfit to stand behind pulpits and lecterns and proclaim the wholeness of God's message? Nol It means that we tpre partners in suffering. Vet, there is an in explainable, unquestionable af firming that inspfte of who I am or what I am, there is a power that transcends us and our task is to affirm in the oneness of God, the oneness of creation and the ulti mate worth and dignity of each individual," expounded Dr. Jones. Restressing the point that God uses ordinary people and that in cludes clergy too, Rev. Davis added, "In God's sight the mini ster's sins are no greater than the sine anyone else commits. It's just that when a minister gets "Let (Me Worf^ lTor you u • k. • .. *'» , Paul Recard City Council, District 3 Primary Election September 22nd WOODY’S 19th ANNUAL W PorDtictloni «id Mormtfon: CALI 847*0180 WOODY REDFERNj caught it's news. " lyhat infuriates me", began Rev. Riddick is that people in the church can be shacking up, com mitting adultery and getting di vorces and they don't lose faith, but time the minister does some thing, they lose faith. To me, that is mindless stupidity. Everyone should practice what they preach, not just the ministers." I think it would be wise as a society to realize just that there are some great doctors, there are some quacks. Such is the case in the law profession. You' don't eliminate the law profession be cause of one lawyer," com* menced Rev. Davis. "We need to quit shooting our religious leaders down. And learn how to pick them up, heal them and get them back in the battle. They are worthy of service somewhere. If the Christian takes seriously the Christian life, then he or she would be equipped to handle situations like a mini ster's fall. While we must learn to heal, reconcile and forgive, we have yet to understand and com prehend the power of forgiveness" concluded Rev. Davis. "What we are experiencing is nothing new in religious commu nities, but often, it is only after the crucifixion, death and burial that one can experience the res surrection of life, truth and wholeness, " replied Dr. Jones. Black Churches Unite* To Save Black School CINCINNATI, OH - As answ er step to aid financially strapped blsck colleges, four of the nation's. top Black religious leaden have Joined together to help establish an educational trust. It is the first time in history that Presidents of the three major Baptist conven tions have united behind a single fundraising program. As national ■ co-chairmen of the Dr. Lacey Kirk _ Williams Educational Trust, tha^ leaders plan to provide a historical; perspective on the contribution#?, mads by black ministers t# thS'-1 growth and development of Black * America. jr'^f The organization was esta blished in 1986 under the direction of Dr. L. Venchael Booth, founder of the Progressive National Con vention, Inc., along with the assis tance of Dr. TJ. Jemison, presi dent of the National Baptist Con-, vention, USA, Incorporated, Dr. Jf; * Alfred Smith, president of the pi***/! gressive National Baptist Convs*».I tion. Inc., and Dr. E. EdwnpA^i Jones, president of the National*! Baptist Convention of America. *<§ Named after one of the most dy namic Black ministers of the cen tury, Dr. Lacey Kirk Williams, the organization was formed to pro vide on-going educational aid to,, students seeking a career in tha . ministry and to support historical- * ly black colleges offering theolcgi- '■ cal programs. Dr. Lacey Kirk Wll> * > liams was a former President dfi1 the National Baptist Convention,' USA, Incorporated and formsr y vice president of the Baptist WorldT‘ Alliance. The school of divinity at Bishop College was named in his honor. _ : . ---— . Ffi/T & GEL SHOLDS & HOLDS HOLDS toocm mtamaUonri PO *0x793 PtMnta, Georgia 3030 Low Cost Life FOR CHILDREN Sample Rates For WHOLE LIFE Rate Under 6 Mos. $ 6.75 5 $ 7.05 10 $8.10 15 $ 9. 60/Month / This Is whole Cash Available through FORA CALL JOHN, September let and At Carolina South Eye / As part of Sight Saver Month, Carolina South Eye Associates is offering free cataract and glaucoma screenings to all adults over the age of 50. Glaucoma affects over 2 million Amerioans. Cataracts affect about 3.6 million Amerioans. Could you be one of them? A simple eye screening may help determine whether or not you need medioal treatment. We will help refer you to a family eye doctor near your home should your condition re quire further attention. 4 •; % i<. 1 Ait 89
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Sept. 3, 1987, edition 1
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