MondayMorningInsight - Leadership & Encouragement for Church Leaders

Pastor Reaches the End of His Rope… Why Does This Always Happen?

Posted by: Todd
Posted on: Tue, July 26, 2005
Viewed 182
(36) comments so far

(i'll highlight some of the things I found interesting.

PASADENA -- Gordon Kirk, senior pastor of Lake Avenue Church, shocked members of his huge congregation when he resigned last weekend, citing "personal character attacks' and disrespect for his leadership from a vocal minority in the church.

Kirk delivered his formal resignation last Wednesday to the ministry council, the body that guides the 4,000-member congregation. The ministry council includes Kirk and other pastors and about a dozen elected members of the congregation.

Kirk's resignation was not publicly announced until it was read via a letter at the end of services Saturday and Sunday.

"During the last year there has been a spirit of dissonance among a vocal few regarding the vision for Lake's future,' said the letter, which was read Sunday morning by Executive Pastor Chuck Olson. The extent of the disagreement has "polarized and paralyzed the ministry council,' Kirk wrote in the letter.

Kirk has been at Lake Avenue since 1991. He said in his letter that his decision came after weeks of extensive prayer and sleepless nights during which God made it clear that his season at influential, evangelical Lake Avenue had come to a close.

"It is an understatement to say this is sad news,' Olson said after reading the letter. "Personally, I grieve deeply for this loss.'

After the service, church attendees said they were shocked, deeply saddened and confused by the announcement and letter.

"We are heartbroken,' said Harshal Vyas, 59, who has attended the church for about five years with his wife Sukirti. "We don't know the reason, but there are no words to explain it.'

Jane Harriman of Altadena said she's attended Lake Avenue for about a year. Kirk really teaches God's word, she said.

"I know people are going to be very sad and upset and hurt because he is such a good preacher,' Harriman said.

Pastors at the church declined to comment for this story. Kirk said a press release would be the extent of his comment on the resignation. The press release said he was committed to God's "big picture' plan that is "often 'unfathomable' from our limited perspective.'

Bill Podley, chair of the ministry council, said the resignation was a shock.

"I love Gordon. We love Gordon. The board loves Gordon,' Podley said. "This is a very sad day for us all. This is not what we wanted as a council. It's not what we had, in any way, hoped for.'

Podley said some long-standing members of the 109-year-old church felt they were not being involved in the future direction of the congregation. In the past because of the church's Congregational roots a broader cross-section of members was involved in decision making, strategy and direction, he said.

"As we've grown, it's been Gordon's belief, and the council's understanding as well, that you can't have as much input from as many people,' Podley said.

Podley said the ministry council is not polarized or paralyzed. There are various points of view regarding the congregation's involvement in implementing the church's vision, he said. The ministry council wanted to continue working together on areas of concern, he said.

As for the alleged personal character attacks, Kirk is a strong and passionate leader who believed in the direction he was taking the church, Podley said. There were times when discussions got emotional and people disagreed in ways that might have been construed as personal attacks, he said. But it seemed that no one intentionally wanted to attack him, Podley said.

The ministry council discussed a number of issues at a mid- June meeting, and then Kirk had a study leave planned for the first two weeks of July, Podley said. When Kirk came back, he said he wanted to have the meeting with the council. There, he resigned, he said.

Kirk takes his vacation every year in August, and will come back for a farewell weekend in September, Podley said.

Ministry council member Lori Johnson agreed with Podley's assessment of the situation. Kirk's resignation "was truly by his choice and that's why we were all shocked,' she said.

Everyone on the ministry council loves Kirk and tried to work with him in a spirit of unity, Johnson said.

"I think the words 'paralyzed and polarized' were pretty strong,' Johnson said. "I would not use those words to describe our council.'

Just some initial thoughts based on this article (and this article only). These might be observations true to the situation or not:

1. If a council cannot make a decision in a year on direction, I would think that 'paralyzed and polarized' might be words I would use.

2. "There were times when discussions got emotional and people disagreed in ways that might have been construed as personal attacks." Usually, when someone has to use the word 'construed' then there is usually some truth to it. "No one intentionally wanted to attack him". Key word there is "intentionally"

3. "Kirk's resignation "was truly by his choice and that's why we were all shocked." Does this sound to anyone else like another way to say "we're shocked he left before we fired him."?

4. "Everyone on the ministry council loves Kirk and tried to work with him in a spirit of unity." We love you, pastor... but you need to do what we ask. (I may be totally wrong here; but it's been my experience that boards/councils very seldom work with a 'spirit of unity'... hopefully this was the exception to the rule.

5. I'm suprised that everyone was so 'shocked'. Sometimes I think some church boards kind of get a kick out of fighting. Individuals get to express their own way; make their power plays, etc. And for some, I think they find it fun... almost amusing. But for the pastor, it's not fun and games... it's his life/ministry/livelihood. No one should be shocked when a pastor has problems dealing with a board he feels is ''paralyzed and polarized'. Most pastors either will get fed up and leave because of the conflict; or get fed up and leave because of the lack of decision making and the status-quo.

OK... I'm stepping down off my soapbox. It just doesn't seem like it should be that hard for churches, pastors, boards, councils, parishoners, and staff members to get along.

But somehow... it is.

Please add your two cents worth to the comments I've made here...

Todd

Why does this happen all the time in the church? Bickering, people taking sides, playing meanly, manipulating the facts, acting un-Christlike? It takes its toll on everyone; and it hurts people and churches everyday. Pastors take the brunt of much of the conflict (and sometimes pastors actually cause the conflict). But what really got me about this ‘version’ of the story (I really have no idea what the situation was or who was right) was that everyone appeared so shocked that the conflict had finally taken a toll. Give a quick read to this story from the Pasadena Star News and let me know what you think…

Comments

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Robin Hall on Sat, September 10, 2005

I was a member at Lake Avenue for almost 30 years, and I dearly love Pastor Gordon. Sadly, I have seen very similar things happen to the two previous pastors before Gordon, to Ray Ortlund and to Paul Cedar, so it is not a Gordon abusing power thing. I have heard the kinds of things that were said and written to him over the years, and I was grieved at how callously people could hurl abuse his way, when the church was reaching out in wonderful ways that had not been done in the past. I only left the church 2 years after moving quite a distance away, and only because I felt that the Lord finally wanted me to plug in close to home so that I could get more involved in ministries at church. Lake has had a group of older members who have, I think, opposed any efforts to change things about the ministries of the church and the services for years and years. I always felt very sad about that divisive spirit within the church that never seemed to repent. I don’t think it was the Holy Spirit causing the critical vocal minority—it was a spirit of dissension, a very unholy one. Probably we as a congregation did not give Gordon enough prayer covering, and he ended up getting shot at and wounded over the course of the years. I was always amazed at how graciously he responded. I found him to be a very godly and wise spiritual leader. I felt that we were blessed to have him at Lake for so many years. There’s my two cents!
Douglas Gwinn on Thu, March 09, 2006

The first church I ever attended was Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, my father being the Youth Minister at Lake when I was born. My wife and I have been members at Lake for eight years and I had attended since Pastor Gordon’s first Sunday.

Gordon Kirk is our favorite Bible teacher and we grew to love him as our pastor and friend. We miss him terribly, and I offer no excuses for the treatment he received from the Ministry Council. My own interaction with the Ministry Council bears out the problem. They are set in their ways. Their policy is largely, “Here’s how we do things, and if you don’t like it, too bad.” They are anything but flexible, even if you want to show them something from the Bible to change their minds. God has already instructed them, and that’s that.

I’m sorry that Lake Avenue Church treated Pastor Gordon so poorly. It was undeserved. To Gordon, I say, I’m sorry. I believe that Gordon made the right decision to leave. We look forward to wonderful things from the Lord for Gordon and Patricia.
Ross Turmell on Sun, April 09, 2006

I remember when Pastor Kirk was hired and the excitement we all felt at his appointment to the Senior Pastor Position. He fulfilled every possible expectation we could have had and he even went above and beyond. My Wife and I were married at Lake. We have been part of a church that transformed into a model of what Paul had in mind for churches while Pastor Kirk was our Sheppard. We hope that he comes back to the role God so obviously equipped and gifted him to fulfill. When he does find a new church family if anyone finds out where -please post it-.
David on Fri, May 05, 2006

This all sounds too familiar. In my days long before I became a pastor (I’m a United Church of Christ pastor) I served in the Marine Corps. Would you guys believe that I have experienced more grace in the Marine Corps than I have in the church? I’m not kidding—this has been my experience. I’ve known many a “Gunny” to have a kinder heart than many of the church people I’ve known.
Pastor Al on Fri, May 05, 2006

After two turbulent years of “personal attacks” “deliberate lies” and “a refusal to do anything,” I walked into a board meeting with a letter of resignation. This was a year ago. It was the best decision I could have made for myself and my family. On my last Sunday, I preached, shook hands with those who came, we got into our van, left the city, state and met our furniture 1500 miles away. I stopped outside the city “kicked the dust off my shoes” and have never looked back. God had our case well in hand and wonderfully opened up another avenue of ministry and we have never been happier as a family. We are surrounded by loving people who desire to do all they can for God. Praise God! I know God has a “plan and an new hope” for Dr. Kirk as well.

Don’t let those who refuse to grow stop you from growing and moving on.

Blessings,

Pastor Al Stefan
Ref. Dr. John Gilmore on Thu, May 18, 2006

Sorry, I was a little late to read all the preceding excellent comments on the rub/rupture at Lake Ave.

Blog readers would profit from the discussion at other levels in my book, Pastoral Politics—why ministers resign (AMG, 2004). Phil Ross had some interaction in the writing of it.

Get back to me if you want an autorgraphed copy. 245 pgs. Foreward by Warren Wiersbe, commended by Dr. D. James Kennedy and Jay Adams.

Cordially, 4 C member

John Gilmore