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Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary The Triangle Area
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Old 02-21-2010, 05:30 PM
 
4 posts, read 4,615 times
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Does anyone know of a church in the Triangle area in which the pastor (or any of the pastors) is employed in a business outside of the church? I have grown a little tired of visiting churches in which the pastors are clearly acting as though they are running/ growing a business.

No flames, please... I really don't mean any offense to any church-goers here, and I don't want to start an anti-churches-in-the-Triangle thread. I'm just curious to find out if there might be a church nearby that approaches things differently and doesn't employ pastors/ leaders full-time.

Also, I'm open to visiting a church of any Protestant denomination. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
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Old 02-21-2010, 05:46 PM
 
Location: Raleigh NC
3,644 posts, read 8,556,937 times
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You didn't state if you were looking for a traditional-style church or not but you should at least check out Journey church.

Journey Church - Raleigh, NC
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Old 02-22-2010, 07:30 PM
 
4 posts, read 4,615 times
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I might prefer a "traditional-style" church but am open to other options. Thank you for the suggestion.
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Old 02-22-2010, 07:52 PM
 
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I know that the pastor at Celebration Christian Fellowship is employed at IBM.

Celebration Christian Fellowship - Family church in Raleigh North Carolina

Sometimes someone is bi-vocational because they want to stay in the "real world" so they can relate better with their congregants. Sometimes it is simply because their church members don't give enough in offerings for them to be able to afford a full-time shepherd.
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Old 02-22-2010, 08:27 PM
 
Location: New England
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FWIW, being a Pastor IS a full time job (Granted some float through) and IMHO you won't get a good Pastor if he has to 'huff it" 40 hours a week and then in his "spare" time prepare a sermon, counsel, be there all hours of the night etc etc AND try to have some semblance of "family life".

Pastors have one of the highest burnout rates in the nation.

I do hear you and agree that some are "building a business" and again, IMHO it's because paying for a large building, staff costs etc etc DOES take monthly money like a "real" business does.

Perhaps find a "gathering" that meets in a local school or something where the majority of their income doesn't go towards building and maintenance costs would take some of that out of the picture. That or a simple, small storefront church.

What I do know is you can't "want" a 30,000SF church with full time staff and programs etc without the understanding that you have to pay for it in some way.

Just a thought.
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Old 02-23-2010, 05:53 AM
 
222 posts, read 544,577 times
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I think smaller, more established churches might be the way to go, especially if you want traditional. I know what you mean about buiness-minded pastors. I think that tends to happen in newer congregations and in big, fancy facilities. Even though they are often full-time pastors, they don't have to worry as much about paying the mortgage if they've been in that building for decades, etc.
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Old 02-23-2010, 05:59 AM
 
312 posts, read 865,708 times
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Actually, there is a group worldwide that has no paid leadership yet they do manage as a body of elders to do all that and more- without being paid. They have "real" jobs, raise kids, pay their own mortgages, cut the grass, fight traffic and live to tell about it...

The maintenance on buildings and the bills are paid through voluntary donations only. No collections are ever taken but if your heart moves you to contribute, drop it in the box at the back... The bills are always paid though...

Jesus said "You received free, give free." which is what they do while teaching the Bible to millions of people each year. If interested in more info will provide by DM.
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Old 02-23-2010, 06:07 AM
 
2,459 posts, read 8,057,345 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JViello View Post
FWIW, being a Pastor IS a full time job (Granted some float through) and IMHO you won't get a good Pastor if he has to 'huff it" 40 hours a week and then in his "spare" time prepare a sermon, counsel, be there all hours of the night etc etc AND try to have some semblance of "family life".

Pastors have one of the highest burnout rates in the nation.

I do hear you and agree that some are "building a business" and again, IMHO it's because paying for a large building, staff costs etc etc DOES take monthly money like a "real" business does.

Perhaps find a "gathering" that meets in a local school or something where the majority of their income doesn't go towards building and maintenance costs would take some of that out of the picture. That or a simple, small storefront church.

What I do know is you can't "want" a 30,000SF church with full time staff and programs etc without the understanding that you have to pay for it in some way.

Just a thought.

Great post. We used to kid the pastor at our previous church about only working four hours on Sunday. Some folks apparently believed that.
Our current church meets in a movie theater which has worked well for a church plant. I actually think its a great environment for services and it allows the church to focus its financial resources on areas that directly help the community.
The lack of a large group meeting space that is available during the evenings is a downside.
Ironically enough, we're about to embark this weekend on a three year fund raising project for a more permanent facility.

Frank
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Old 02-23-2010, 07:35 AM
 
100 posts, read 294,500 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luv2gardn View Post
Does anyone know of a church in the Triangle area in which the pastor (or any of the pastors) is employed in a business outside of the church? I have grown a little tired of visiting churches in which the pastors are clearly acting as though they are running/ growing a business.

No flames, please... I really don't mean any offense to any church-goers here, and I don't want to start an anti-churches-in-the-Triangle thread. I'm just curious to find out if there might be a church nearby that approaches things differently and doesn't employ pastors/ leaders full-time.

Also, I'm open to visiting a church of any Protestant denomination. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Are you open to an Episcopal church?
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Old 02-23-2010, 08:46 AM
 
Location: NC
4,532 posts, read 8,846,487 times
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There's also the Mormon Church. What about Quakers? You might want to look into Anglican, Episcopal. They are more traditional, reserved, and they don't go for the mega church environment.
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