In one of my ministries, the suggestion came up of commissioning a lay pastor under me. I wasn't quite comfortable with it myself -- but a deacon objected strongly. He told me privately that if I put this man's name forward, he would oppose me, and there were people behind him. So at the next Church Meeting, there was no proposal -- I had told the deacons that I didn't want to embarrass anyone, but I had received strong objection. Then the next deacons' meeting. A deacon asked: "Why wasn't this man's name put forward at the Church Meeting?" Now the deacon who had objected spoke up: "Where is the strong objection? Who? Who? It doesn't exist! It's a disgrace! You stopped a good man!" And so on. OBSERVATION: The proposal was passed at a later date, and the lay pastor was a great asset to the Church. Incidentally, anyone could have put forward the proposal in the Church Meeting -- that is how Congregationalism works -- but no one did.
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