The eighth generation church member and pastors’ suspicion of multi-generation church families
“I had been prepped to be wary of family-dominated churches, of people whose people had been in the church for multiple generations. It was an unwritten rule that many generations in a church was probably not healthy, that those people would reflexively side against their ‘outsider’ pastor. Bah, humbug. Bad advice.” - SBCVoices
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The author does not gloss over some of the issues you’ll see in multigenerational churches, but rather simply proposes the Bible’s answer to immature or unregenerate church members; disciple them.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
I’ve twice been warned, by previous pastors of churches I pastored, of two men in leadership who would certainly give me problems. The problems never happened. The church I currently pastor has a large, multi-generational family in it. I was warned about them by a “concerned” parishioner. Many years later, the problems the, now former, member said would come never did. The family (families) are a total blessing.
I’ve learned to ignore stereotypes about churches and to ignore other people’s perceptions of or past experiences with other people. Like the article said, “Treat people like people.” If things arise, deal with them Biblically. There might be trouble, but if you go looking for trouble, there will almost surely be trouble.
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