Open Letter To This List

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Harrell01@Aol.com wrote:
> 
> >> Now I'm not saying pastors and their wives shouldn't discuss things
> >> (after all, they are a team)
> 
> NO THEY ARE NOT!! The pastor is the pastor, and the pastor's wife is
> just that...THE PASTOR'S WIFE!
> 
> The pastor SHOULD NOT tell his wife ANYTHING that someone tell's him
> in confidence. She is to be his "help meet" IN THE HOME, but in the church
> she is just ANOTHER MEMBER as it relates to the public ministry.

I was recently in an email discussion with a person that atteneded a
mid-west UPC church about this very item. She confided some very
sensitive info to the pastor and he asked his wife for her opinion (he
told the lady this later). Well one of them told someone else and the
info got out to the general church body and she got "cold shouldered"
right out of the church. So if the pastor tells anyone then he should
assume full responsibility for that person and I think he should tell
the person upfront that he discusses it with others. Trust is a key
issue here and violating a persons trust will cause a great deal of
strife - its better to tell them upfront or not tell anyone!

Bill Clifton
woodrow_@geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/1226/index.html