Qs for Pastors beyond essentials* *

If you are looking at a church, are already in one, be sure to examine it so you can find a right church. Do not be bamboozled just because they post the essential core beliefs. You cannot just attend any church but must pick one that stands on Scripture as a whole, and clearly tells you the secondary beliefs they hold to. If they don't tell it - theyre hiding something. They are being deceptive. And that is a red flag. I guarantee they hold to and preach on secondary and tertiary views. They cannot avoid it. Those not clearly stating what they teach are trying to pull a fast one on you hoping that if you get connected into their community that you wont leave. But if you are looking for a church you need to find one thst holds to your views. How can you know if you agree on and can align with that church if they are not honest and refuse to take a stand in writing in their faith statement? Worse yet are the churches who do not even post a faith statement. Avoid those ones like the plague!

If you want to find out what they actually believe on important topics email the Pastor  about the below for his answers. If you choode to call - schedule a 1 hour phone call to "inquire about the church". You can say you are a prospective member and wanted to talk with the pastor about the church. This way he has to tell you the real answers on the fly so he cant have time to craft slick written answers. 

Pastor questions:

Hi Pastor Joe, 

I am looking at churches in your area for [my family/myself/my friend/my cousin] and noticed the church website About Us section doesnt state beliefs beyond the Essentials. 

I understand why some churches do not put that information in their statement, so as a prospective member I wanted to contact you/chat to understand your church better. 

Can you give a brief summary of what you believe about the following secondary and tertiary issues.  

* Baptism

* End Times view

* Are believers a god

* Is Hell eternal

* Who gets into Heaven

* Does God Judge sinners 

* Women in leadership roles

* Women as Pastors

* LGBT

* Pronoun usage 

* Does salvation require

- Works

- Baptism

- Baptism of the Holy Spirit as a secondary falling

* Can salvation be lost

* Is speaking in Tongues a sign someone is saved 

Give an example of how you preach on each of these subjects since the church faith statement doesnt address them:

1. State the example and then 2. provide a link to a couple sermons you spoke in that touches on this topic and 3. additionally provide a link to a sermon where that was the focal topic of the sermon. 

Since the church faith statement doesnt state any information in these areas, do you totally avoid these topics in the pulpit? [meaning you do not speak on them at all in any church teachings, round tables, conferences, church courses, membership classes, or in videos on social media (that are not sermons), nor do any teachers there]?

How can you, or do you think it is unwise, to avoid [listing and preaching/teaching on] these secondary and tertiary matters, as the Shepherd responsible for the congregants spiritual walk - to which you are responsible to God for?

Please share your salvation Testimony. 

What College and seminaries did you graduate from and what were your areas of study the majors and minors.

Why did you leave your prior church to pastor here? 

What was the name of the last church you pastored. Provide church name, city, state (and if more than one church by that name provide the street address name or website address).

If prior to this church was only college, did you pastor or preach at other churches before or during college? Please provide a contact from that church/at least 2 of those places. 

Additionally, what are your views on:

* Are Catholics Christian?

* Can Christians and Catholics join together in causes?

* Are Mormons Christian?

* Does the church require believers who have been saved and baptized to be " rebaptized" to join your church?

* Do you believe in removing a member from membership if they persist unrepentantly in a sin, if so have you ever done that?

*Is the Old Testament important today?

*Do you meet with potential members in a counseling session before they can become a member?

* Does your church have someone who handles spiritual counseling besides yourself, or do you guide believers to professional biblical counselors? If someone internal what are their qualifications? Also if it is the elders or decons and not the Pastor(s) are they certified counselors who have been through nothetic training? 

While the church is non denomination which denomination out there do you think you are most closest to in beliefs? 

Thank you 😊 I will look over the information and hope to speak again. 

Sincerley,

Me

End of email

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If you call instead of email simply ask those things as questions. You are interviewing and just letting him speak. At the end you can say "I appreciate your time with me to answer these questions.  I will think over information and hope to speak again. Thank you for your time today." No need to give him your view in the convo [infact, Dont], no need to give any input into the conversation. Just gather info. 

You could simply say "i see" and move on to the next question. 

You definetly do want to contact that previous church:

1. Look at the church faith statement and see if it is also only showing Essentials, if there's anything wonky in their belief statement (such as the Trinity or salvation), or if it lists their secondary and tertiary views. Since he came from there. He either threw those views away or holds to them too. 

2. Then get ahold of 2 decons who have been in that church since before the pastor pastored there. You can tell them you are looking into a church and Pastor soandso is pastoring there. His current church has declined to post their faith statement so you wanted to ask questions about his real beliefs are on these isssues (list them; the ones above) before visiting it, and since you know him well. Also find out why he is no longer working there. And ask if there were any inappropriate relationships he had with any member, teen or child, if he had any sexual sins he was disciplined over, arrests for illegal things, if he smokes weed, has any rebellious children, is divorced [ask why he got divorced], ask if his wife is quiet and godly or unruly and vocal about her opinions, does she quietly help from behind the scenes or is a co-pastor and/or leads areas in the church. Ask "if he was disqualified to be a pastor from those things, or any other biblical reason for disqualification". Ask if there's anything to be concerned about with him. Ask about his leadership style and how he handles confrontation, deals with member discipline, and hot button topics in todays world culture. 

Add anything else you can think if, but should red flags should start going off, you know that pastor is a NO and his church too. For they are under the authority of the church he leads. And you cannot put yourself under the authority of a pastor who is not following Christ, nitvteaching biblical truths, and living by godly biblical principles. Your soiritusl life will ve in peril.

Heed this warning.