[Does your church have accountability measures in place to make sure these two stories don’t happen to you?] Yes. I have absolutely ZERO dollars in my budget that I don’t have to report specifically how they are used. No “discretionary” fund, no “slush” fund. I like it this way. I also have no access to any financial info except reports on the ministries I’m responsible as they are given to me.

However, as I finalize my projected budget proposal for next year, I am putting a helicopter in there. Because I think I’m worth it.

I have a guy who drives me to church in a Pinto and makes helicopter sounds when we travel to church, but that is about it.  As for accountability we have a financial oversight team and an executive team.  Pastors do not handle money except for trips and events and usually even then someone else handles it. 

There have been several people who hired or encouraged atheists to go to a church and give feedback.  My struggle is the bible declares this person a fool. “the fool has said in is heart there is not God” and yet for some reason we have people stop and listen to them as though they are not actually denying the existence of the God I love.  Every atheist I have ever met in some recess of his or her mind thought they were smarter than me because they did not subject themselves to the silliness that is faith in God. 

No thanks I would rather get my feedback from the Holy Spirit, the bible, my staff, our church, my new Christian buddies finding Christ and my helicopter sound making driver

I’ve worshipped at Abysinnian Baptist on a couple of occasions. It’s in the heart of Harlem. A wonderful church. I don’t know if I would describe it as a megachurch. I guess in terms of size it is and has been for a long time, but I don’t see it in the same way as I see Willow or Saddleback “mega”.

On female solo pastor’s making more. Did the study do adjustments for urban vs. rural? I would guess that the majority of female solo pastors would be in the highest cost of living areas (northeast and northwest US) and as a result would be paid higher (on average) than male counterparts which are probably more heavily concentrated in the south.

On approved prayers… I have turned down numerous opportunities to offer “civic” style prayers because I was given a list of prayer rules which included being nonspecific in reference to diety. My issue is that since I am a Christian - there is only one name I know of to pray in. I suppose I don’t have to say it like a magic phrase at the end of each prayer - but when I’m told explicitly not to - that makes it hard.

As an African American, I do know that Abyssinian does have a rich history with Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. being one of the pastors in the early years.  He was very socially minded which put the church in the forefront on many issues.  It would be considered an historical black church.  Check the link out and click on “About ABC” to read more of the church’s history.

Some interesting facts about the Abyssinian:
Holy Scripture and theology

In the Bible abissintsy comprise 81 books, including here, along with the canonical, read their books and Noncanonical apocrypha (Book of Enoch and the Book of anniversaries). In doing so, they have a rare manuscript of Psalms, the Gospel, and missal not profaniruetsya contentious and sometimes explicitly blasphemous base, where the selection of senseless combinations of sounds announced the names of God with magical force, in the mouth and the Holy Mother of God vlagayutsya strange texts, and about them tell incredible stories.

In Ethiopia, there were unusual hristologicheskie theories, including the doctrine that the United Divine and human nature in Christ occurred only after his pomazaniya with baptism. The exercise has not officially recognized, and most of them disappeared [2].

Temples

For a multitude of churches Abissiniya can be sravnivaema only with Russia: the church see the cross on each hill, every hill, every hill. All Abyssinian temples are built far away - far from cities or villages, which belong, a place for them is chosen will certainly sublime, figured prominently. In addition to rectangular with a flat roof and carved into the rock cave temples, the abissintsev now mostly built round, indoor trostnikovoy conical roof temples, where the altar is arranged in the middle of a square room with doors on all four corners of the earth, with the eastern always locked .

Icon

Icons neblagoobraznoy, naive and colorful paintings and different extreme meanness, but in general church utensils similar items Orthodox churches.

Divine service

Abyssinian Church recognizes seven sacraments, which ranks close to the Orthodox. The baptism of children is committed by (mostly through pouring) in connection with miropomazaniem priest in the Church: on the male sex in the 40 th over the women’s 80-day. Committed to the abissintsev and rite of circumcision, but to explain the defenders Abyssinian Church of the charges it iudeystvovanii, circumcision is taken from abissintsev not to execute the law of Moses, as Jews, but for the sake of folk custom. Apart from circumcision in the Ethiopian church, there are other religious traditions peculiar to Judaism, for example, the use of food and Saturday in observance of the Sabbath (as in Sunday’s) day. This is probably due to the fact that Christianity arrived in Ethiopia directly from Palestine through South Arabia. It is believed that Judaism was known in Ethiopia before the arrival of Christianity.

Prichaschenie taught under the two types apart. Sacrament of Marriage deterred almost only for clergy and kings, laity, in most cases live in civil marriages who are sometimes in polygamy. The church is fighting against the exclusion from Communion, leaving for the sacrament prichascheniya begin almost only the elderly and children.

Ordinary service, the same as that of the Orthodox.

The Ethiopian liturgy is Alexandrian (Coptic) origin, but she has been exposed to the Syrian tradition. Until recently, the liturgy served on the ancient language of Geez. Now, in the parish are increasingly using modern Amharic language.

The prerequisite for the commission of the liturgy is the presence on the throne of the ark, or tabota (wooden planks with the image of evangelists in the corners and crosses the middle), who also made a obernutym in silk and fees during the godfather of moves. Liturgy always serve at least three priests and two deacons. The Gospel is read by a priest, not the deacon, the last reading only apostle. After a deacon shout: “Pray for peace and kiss each other” (corresponding to our: “love one another ..."), in most churches is Abyssinian mutual kiss. All responses to the clergy vozglasy delivers all the people standing in the temple. In some liturgiynyh prayers and songs are Trisvyatoy monofizitskie appendix.

Liturgical singing accompanied by the ringing sistrov (drevneegipetskih musical instruments), drums fight, slam’s hands, blows staff on the floor, encouraging moves in ecstasy, begin movement, born a sacred dance, which involved priests.

On the night of Epiphany is religious procession in the water, accompanied by dancing, and committed a great vodoosvyaschenie, which cross submerged in the shooting is done. In this holiday before sunset, all go into the water and bathed in the prayers of priests.

Before the holiday Cross Lord put on the area or on the mountain outside the city a huge sheaf of poles, perevyazannyh bright mothers; night, it goes religious procession with torches, which in the Tube sound and shot three times, bypassing the bottle, after which the last strike torches when singing religious Stichera .

Generally, when its proximity to the Abyssinian Orthodox church along with monofizitskimi inserts obscure and also various kinds of rites taken from other religions.

Posts

Posts in time duration and severity of close to the Orthodox, with one difference is not put to us during our week publican and Pharisee of the total for all monofizitam and nestorianam.

Except for all those abissintsam inherent characteristics that are alien to the true Church of Christ, in the rest of faith and worship Abyssinian or Ethiopian, the church remains close to Orthodoxy, and, according to some modern abissintsy consider themselves quite edinovernymi with Greek, Russian and other Orthodox nations Despite the fact that, as monofizity are in communion with them edinovernymi Coptic and Armenian churches.

Its really nice information. Thanks for sharing.