Annual Meetings

Tomorrow at The Fort we will hold our annual meeting during our Sunday School hour. In the ten years I have been here at The Fort I have only had one Annual Meeting that I sincerely regret. It was way back when we jumped to two services and were in the heat of the worship wars (contemporary vs. traditional music).

At that meeting one lady got up and read a letter which absolutely infuriated me. I stood up, told her exactly what I thought about her letter and walked out of the meeting. Although it was high drama, I really regret that moment.

I didn't treat her with respect, even though she definitely wasn't giving me any respect (it didn't mean I could give her the same treatment). Also a lot of folks thought after my actions that I was going to leave the church...I didn't and they know better now. But it still wasn't cool.

The Bible is very clear. Read James 1:19. We have no excuse for spouting off at the mouth. The Bible never affords us that kind of lack of self control.


But I will say one thing though, it seems like people get really shocked when a pastor does something like this. Most people like it when a pastor will keep his mouth shut and just take whatever foul treatment is dished out at him. All I can say is...not this one. I wouldn't encourage it. I have definitely matured since that regrettable moment at that annual meeting so many years ago, but I still lose my temper and go goofy on people when they are just being a jerk.

I had one woman get all over my case a couple of years ago because she didn't think I had come to visit her enough (even though every time they were in the hospital I was there...every surgery, every crisis, every family member's funeral)...that still wasn't good enough. In the midst of her getting on my case I asked her when the last time it was IN THE PAST EIGHT YEARS that she had come by my home to see how I was doing? When was the last time she had picked up the phone to see how my family was doing? The answer was NEVER.

But she expected me to continue to do that for her. I may have signed up for being a pastor...I am still a person. And people in the church better not hold their pastor to a standard they are unwilling to live by themselves! But I digress.

Tomorrow's annual meeting should go well. They always seem to. We haven't had any real conflict for a number of years. We aren't perfect, mind you. But the days of the crazy soap-opera stomp out of the room annual meetings are over. But hey, you never know? We just might have a good one like that for old times sake!