The Monarchy Of The Church

Does Nepotism Rule the Church at the Expense Qualified Candidates?

Bermingham Bureau 01/26/2011
By - Author of "Zombies In The Church" - Particia Davis

In a church that was built by the financial support of its members, a disturbing development of leadership or dictatorship has risen and taken over like that of an old Egyptian Pharaoh who has the power to pass on the throne to his heirs. Rev. Tommy C. Chappell has served faithfully as pastor of New Rising Star Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama since 1975. Since that time many ministers had served for years under his leadership. Most recently and to the surprise of many, the New Rising Star Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama pastor Rev. Tommy C. Chappell “passed the baton” of leadership to his 28 year old grandson Rev. Thomas Beavers.

Rev. Chappell pastored the church for over 35 years and he is now being honored as the Pastor Emeritus and Rev. Beavers has assumed the position as Senior Pastor. Some have commented that he is too young to fill the shoes of his grandfather, whereas others have expressed that his youthfulness will attract more members and increase their membership.

In a church organization which promotes high standards of ethics and morality, is the practice of nepotism beneficial or used as means of protecting ones legacy. Nepotism is not new in the church, in fact it gained its name in the Middle Ages when some Catholic Popes and Bishops who had taken vows of chastity and therefore usually had no children of their own would give their nephews positions of preference, as a father would a son.

In ones personal business (family owned) the practice of nepotism can be justified. In passing the baton in a church organization that relies on the support of the congregants, can the members comfortably expect resolution of conflicts and or concerns to be addressed and upheld with the highest standards of ethic and moral accountability when most or all of the committee leaders are linked through nepotism?

In any case passing the baton of church leadership should be all about passing the baton to the best candidate not because of nepotism.

Keeping The throne In the family

The issue of passing on the Throne / Pastoral Leadership to a son of a pastor rather than considering more qualified associate pastors has been a practice that has gone unchallenged in congregations across this country. The main question that has arisen is simply this; just because he is your son does that mean that God called him to pastor this congregation?

We have witnessed the passing of a church to “ Junior” on several other occasions and some have gone off without a hitch. Others have proven disastrous as the son has tried to continue the legacy of the father, but lacked the anointing that was vital to building that congregation. Such was the case with Pastor Robert H. Schuller.

Pastor Schuller attempted to pass on the Crystal Cathedral to his son Schuller Jr. and it sparked the beginning of a series of issues that has landed the church into bankruptcy. Despite the families attempt to downplay the decline of the ministry during the reign of Pastor Schuller’s son, it has become very apparent that the drop in membership and donations was accelerated once the torch was passed to Schuller Jr.

If the legacies of their fathers told the stories of men that gave away their wealth in an attempt to change the lives of the less fortunate members in their congregations then we would celebrate the coronations of their sons. In frightening parallel to the Pharaohs of Egypt and the Tudors of England, the only thing we can expect from the sons of over indulged pastors is more of the same.

Source here