HOME | CONTRIBUTE A STORY! | ABOUT MMI | CATEGORIES OF INTEREST | CONTACT ME

image

Pastor’s New Mustache Alienates Congregation

Orginally published on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 at 3:22 PM
by Todd Rhoades

According to LarkNews.com:  SPRINGFIELD, IL—Pastor Rick Pfeiffer returned from vacation with a new mustache, promptly dividing his church.

"I couldn't get used to it," says Janet Stassey, one of 55 longtime members who left Living Word over the flap. "I like his preaching, but the mustache interferes with his ministry. He should recognize that."

Pfeiffer says he didn't realize his facial hair would upset so many people. Some told him he looks creepy, like a "skinny version of Robert Goulet."

"I like the old look," grumbles Leo Winter, 46, who has considered leaving the church. "When a pastor isn't consistent, things go off the rails. What's next? A goatee?"

Alright... if you didn't already guess... this is a humor piece. smile  All sarcasm aside though, I've seen people leave churches for sillier reasons. smile

If you know someone who could use a chuckle today, please pass it on to them with the 'forward to a friend' link below.  And have a great day!

FOR DISCUSSION:  Just for fun... what's the silliest reason you've ever heard for someone leaving a church?

Todd


This post has been viewed 186 times so far.


 TRACKBACKS: (0) There are 20 Comments:

  • Posted by

    Here are two unique reasons I have been told that people were leaving our church:
    Pastor was wearing shorts
    Pastor was “caught” playing Pokemon video game with younger sibling (I’m the oldest of 7)

  • Posted by

    Once had a family leave the church because we served the wrong food after the father’s funeral.

  • Posted by

    i heard of people leaving a church because they replaced the wooden pulpit that had a cross on it with a clear plexi-glass pulpit.

  • Posted by

    I pastored a church where people left because “there was too many new people”.  In fact a board member was the one to tell me, and she agreed!  aggghhh...I knew I was in the wrong place after that…

  • Posted by

    Because the church used “foam” cups for the coffee time and a brand of toilet tissue they did not consider “friendly to the environment.” We even had a recycling container out to place the used foam cups in. What next --- recycle the toilet paper?

  • Posted by

    I was on staff at a church where people left the church, because we moved the organ?  The organ was moved 4 feet, and it was broken to boot!

  • Posted by

    I served a church where we lost a couple who were offended that I shook their hands with my left hand rather than my right.

  • Posted by pjlr

    If you really want a laugh, check out the article titled “Woman upset over theatre mixup.” http://larknews.com/april_2005/

  • Posted by StrobeAlific

    Get this.  Someone complained and left because the Senior Pastor took a vacation.  We’ve also heard, “No Pastor...no tithe” on times when he is gone or we’ve had a guest speaker.  I guess Gary Smalley isn’t good enough for some people. raspberry

  • Posted by

    Sadly when it comes down to it people leave their churches because they came with the mindset of what can this church do for me instead of what can I do for this church. We have people leave all the time because they say our church is growing too fast. I always answer it the same way. Have you read the story of the Acts church lately? Ha

  • Posted by Shawn Wood
  • Posted by

    We had a couple leave our church because there were no stain-glass-windows… funny thing, we were worshiping in a school gym?

  • Posted by

    In today’s church there is no commitment. Maybe becasue there is no persecution, in other words, church is too easy! Well its kind of sad, and we should all remember it wasn’t easy for the Acts church to get started. It cost a lot of people there lives. We should focus less on “churchy stuff” and more on the author and leader of our Church!

  • Posted by Jim Reich

    No joke - I pastored a church for 1-1/2 years where my associate was downgraded by the leadership team on his eval after he grew a goatee. The rationale was he looked like he couldn’t be trusted… What would Jesus say to that? Funny thing was I’d had a full beard from day one there & nobody ever said a word… Maybe that’s why they accepted my resignation so quickly when the Lord moved me on…

  • Posted by

    I am currently serving a church (been here going on 4 years) and some of the members are upset that I have worked hard and lost 150 lbs. I now am getting comments like, “Don’t like having a sex kitten for a pastor,” or “if I was 30 years younger I’d give your husband a run for his money,” and my “favorite,” since you lost all that fat you aren’t as friendly/good listener/pretty/good preacher/teacher/mother/wife/women’s pastor/fill in blank....as you were before you lost the weight. (Note: the comments about being a wife and mother DO NOT come from my husband or kids.) Or how about this one: “Now that you’re skinny, I can’t come to church because I can’t stand the thought of you and your husband having sex.” I was happily married before they called me. Other female clergy get this one while they are pregnant. I have a friend who even had a couple leave because they knew she would be breast feeding...Urggggh!!!

  • Posted by

    After ministering in many churches and to many leaders and gathering and studying, we composed a study that has been a big “hit” with church leaders: Why Some Folks Don’t Fit In Any Church.  Now we have a second seminar, Why Some (entire) Churches Cannot Be Pastored.  Suffice it to say, some of the problem lies with this very issue I like to call Goldilocks Syndrome: bed too hard, bed too soft, porridge too cold, porridge too hot. I have a beard, and once heard a preacher say that a minister with a beard is not right because he must be hiding something.  (I wonder what skeleton Jesus had in his closet.)

    These two seminars were designed primarily to speak up for faithful ministers that find some folks impossible to please, and also to help churches discern who should or should not be promoted into leadership and influence.  For a copy of one or both, just write!  Thanks again, MMI!

  • Posted by dlf

    One woman in my first church wouldn’t come to church for over two years, because I spoke too long with another parishioner at the door following the service.  She didn’t want to wait to shake my hand, and pushed past us without saying a word.  I didn’t know it for several weeks, and calls to her went unanswered, but she told everyone loud and long about how unfriendly I was.

  • Posted by

    The two things that stick out in my mind the most is the church split over what color to paint the bathrooms and whether or nt there should be a clock in the sanctuary.

  • Posted by

    In one pastorate in a semi-rural area, I was preaching about the disciples on the sea of Galilee “rowing against the wind.” I said that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we feel that we are rowing against the wind and we are tempted to shake our fist toward heaven and shout, “God, life sucks!” When several people gasped, I knew I was in trouble.  They did not leave, but several of them thought that a preacher who would “cuss” in church should leave. (I didn’t leave...)

  • Posted by Pastor Dave

    I never had this happen before!  One man told me, “I’ve learned more this past year (our first year at this church) than I ever did before… so we’re leaving to go to another church.”

    That settles it; we need to keep them in ignorance to keep them happy!

  • Page 1 of 1 pages

Post Your Comments:

Name:

Email:

Location:

URL:

Live Comment Preview:

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Please enter the word you see in the image below: