“Bridge Builder” <> wrote in message . >

> “Mark Tindall” <> wrote in message

> .

> > Bridge Builder wrote:

> My thinking (I have not had huge experience – someone like Rowland

probably > has) concerning the motivations of pastors who clash with those

disaffected > is that they often motivations of insecurity. The disaffected person

> represents to the pastor a failure on their part and thus the motivation

is > to drag the disaffected person back into the fold so as to cover up that

> failure. My aim is to be wary of this motivation. Such motivation is

also > a lack of faith on behalf of the pastor as it is probably an unconcious

> attempt to usurp the role of God in guiding the particular person “back to

> faith.”

Right for most about the insecurity…

Also a problem of time: such people really require a lot of time to hear them empathetically…

But, yes, churches should have a feedback system to let the leaders know why people drop out.

The church where my wife serves as a pastor (is that OK Bridgebuilder: what kind of Anglican are you?) has a team of pastoral carers who phone people after they’re away for three weeks – not to police their absence as such, but to ask is everything OK?

Rowland Croucher