In 1 Thessalonians 5:22 there is a verse which legalistically speaking is troubling. I once had a pastor friend who went into a liquor store to get some 7up for his son. Coming out the verse troubled him, so he walked out with the 7up held high so no one would think he went in and bought liquor. He was passionate about the idea that in his conduct he would avoid even the Appearance of Evil.
He's still a pastor today in a Lutheran Church in Minnesota. He's one of those Pentecostals who took a Lutheran Church because today's denominational seminaries can't or won't turn out the numbers needed to fill all the pulpits across the nation. That church since he became pastor has swelled from 150 to nearly 300 in less than a year. Funny what the anointing will do.
In any case. it's not because Pastor Curt is passionate about avoiding all appearances of evil. He's just a good pastor who wanted to serve God. The Lutheran congregation called him on the recommendation of a Lutheran Pastor from a neighboring town. Now that the church is "Successful" and can support a denominational pastor they will probably displace him and the church will dwindle back to 100. That's what happened in Ada MN to a Pentecostal Pastor Friend of mine. The "New" guy came in after he made it work and now that Church is about to close. DUMB!
The story below is disturbing. It represents what is horrid about religion. I don't know the credibility of the story, but if the Pastor mentioned in this story has any fear of God at all he must avoid the appearance of evil. If there is another side to this story it must be told. We have a bad enough reputation as a church as it is. People don't trust us. We don't play by the rules. We cheat. We are crooked. We have to stop this. I wish I know someone who knew this Pastor and was in a position to call him to account. He sullies the name of Jesus with his arrogance.
Read this story and tell me if you think I am wrong:
School fails to pay up, teacher says
By Jon Yates
During Jennifer Garrison's final performance review in March, a St. Luke Academy administrator asked if she planned to return to the school this fall.
The schoolteacher thought a moment and decided it was best to be honest.
"No," she said.
It seemed innocent enough at the time, but that answer wound up costing her more than $5,300 -- money Garrison said she both earned and deserves.
The pay dispute began last year, when Garrison signed a contract with the private Lutheran school to teach 3rd- and 4th-graders. She was promised a salary of $32,000 a year.
She said she was told at the time that she would be paid in 12 monthly installments even though she would teach only 10 months. The July and August paychecks were designed to give her income during the summer break.
Garrison said the July and August paychecks are for work completed during the school year.
The school, part of St. Luke Church in Lakeview, has another interpretation.
St. Luke informed Garrison that it will not pay those two months because her contract has been terminated.
After arguing with school administrators and getting nowhere, Garrison gave up and e-mailed What's Your Problem?
Garrison, who lives in Chicago and was married at St. Luke Church, said the dispute boils down to trust. Some schools pay on a 12-month schedule so teachers get even paychecks throughout year, some pay the entire amount during the school year and others give teachers a choice. Garrison said she didn't challenge the 12-month schedule because she thought the summer paychecks were guaranteed.
"I didn't ask because I trusted them," she said. "It's a Lutheran school. I didn't think they would do this to me."
Garrison forwarded a copy of her one-page contract, which does not mention how many months she would be paid. The contract simply states she would be paid "$32,000 a year," and that the agreement was "subject to review in the month of May 2007." The contract could be terminated by St. Luke or Garrison no sooner than June 15, it said.
Garrison said she was asked by the school to return in the fall, but said she told the administrator in March of her plans to move on because she thought that would give the church more time to find a replacement.
"I didn't want to go the whole summer with them thinking I was coming back when I wasn't," she said. "But that's really what I should have done because I'd still be getting paid."
The Problem Solver called the church's pastor, Rev. David Abrahamson, who said he could not talk about Garrison's case.
"As you can well imagine, that's a personnel matter," Abrahamson said. He said school and church policy prohibited him from talking about such issues. "This is a matter between the school and Jennifer."
When asked if he could speak in general terms about the school's salary policies and contract, Abrahamson again declined.
"That's really none of your business," he said.
Spokesmen for both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the ECLA declined comment, saying St. Luke operates independently of those institutions.
Garrison said St. Luke continues to tell her it is abiding by the terms of her contract and will not pay her the final two paychecks.
She remains hopeful the school will reconsider.
"It's important to me," Garrison said. "I don't know anyone who would sneeze at that kind of money. Two months pay is not something you give up on."
The schoolteacher thought a moment and decided it was best to be honest.
"No," she said.
It seemed innocent enough at the time, but that answer wound up costing her more than $5,300 -- money Garrison said she both earned and deserves.
The pay dispute began last year, when Garrison signed a contract with the private Lutheran school to teach 3rd- and 4th-graders. She was promised a salary of $32,000 a year.
She said she was told at the time that she would be paid in 12 monthly installments even though she would teach only 10 months. The July and August paychecks were designed to give her income during the summer break.
Garrison said the July and August paychecks are for work completed during the school year.
The school, part of St. Luke Church in Lakeview, has another interpretation.
St. Luke informed Garrison that it will not pay those two months because her contract has been terminated.
After arguing with school administrators and getting nowhere, Garrison gave up and e-mailed What's Your Problem?
Garrison, who lives in Chicago and was married at St. Luke Church, said the dispute boils down to trust. Some schools pay on a 12-month schedule so teachers get even paychecks throughout year, some pay the entire amount during the school year and others give teachers a choice. Garrison said she didn't challenge the 12-month schedule because she thought the summer paychecks were guaranteed.
"I didn't ask because I trusted them," she said. "It's a Lutheran school. I didn't think they would do this to me."
Garrison forwarded a copy of her one-page contract, which does not mention how many months she would be paid. The contract simply states she would be paid "$32,000 a year," and that the agreement was "subject to review in the month of May 2007." The contract could be terminated by St. Luke or Garrison no sooner than June 15, it said.
Garrison said she was asked by the school to return in the fall, but said she told the administrator in March of her plans to move on because she thought that would give the church more time to find a replacement.
"I didn't want to go the whole summer with them thinking I was coming back when I wasn't," she said. "But that's really what I should have done because I'd still be getting paid."
The Problem Solver called the church's pastor, Rev. David Abrahamson, who said he could not talk about Garrison's case.
"As you can well imagine, that's a personnel matter," Abrahamson said. He said school and church policy prohibited him from talking about such issues. "This is a matter between the school and Jennifer."
When asked if he could speak in general terms about the school's salary policies and contract, Abrahamson again declined.
"That's really none of your business," he said.
Spokesmen for both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the ECLA declined comment, saying St. Luke operates independently of those institutions.
Garrison said St. Luke continues to tell her it is abiding by the terms of her contract and will not pay her the final two paychecks.
She remains hopeful the school will reconsider.
"It's important to me," Garrison said. "I don't know anyone who would sneeze at that kind of money. Two months pay is not something you give up on."
From the Chicago Tribune on July 4th, the Problem Solver
2 comments:
what ARE the terms of the contract? seems to me there was not enough 'fine print' in the contract. . . .
Gene, not enough info, but at face value it seems "appearance" of evil isn't what needs to be avoided.
Post a Comment