Pastorless Churches are Satanic
Pastorless churches are at great risk. Vacant pulpits create leadership voids where Ha Shatan often emerges. As a former Interim Pastor, I have witnessed the chaos that ensues when a church loses its leader.
While I would never advocate for a hasty hiring process, it is crucial not to be complacent.
Jesus said, “Fear not him who can kill the body. Rather, fear Him who can kill both body and soul in hell.” Churches without a Pastor are among the most dangerous places on Earth for this reason.
Nuclear war is horrific, as it was for the people of Japan at the end of World War II. However, nuclear bombs can kill, but they do not determine the fate of souls.
People decide their eternal destiny before death. Churches, however, are different because the choices made there influence where souls will spend eternity.
This is why I vigorously oppose wicked and negligent church leaders.
Surprisingly, many do not fully grasp the eternal consequences of their actions.
This must be true because if they did, 95% of the wicked behavior we witness would cease!
Pulpits Remain Vacant for Congregational Control
I have seen congregations deliberately delay the hiring process to maintain control.
In other words, they seek a period of unaccountability and freedom to act without restraint.
Additionally, some congregations have dismissed Pastors not for any wrongdoing but simply because they refused to follow. I have witnessed this firsthand.
When I was a new associate Pastor, I encountered a church that opposed our young Pastor.
This opposition was led by a rogue deacon who, in my view, was demon-possessed. There are few times in ministry when I have so clearly seen “scales” over someone's eyes. Ironically, he was celebrated in the community as a great and loving police officer.
But in the House of God, he was Satan’s follower. This man sought control of the church and refused to submit to the Pastor’s authority. The Pastor, although young, was equally stubborn, if not as vicious and destructive.
Churches without a Pastor are dangerous. However, churches that resist a Pastor, even when one is present, are just as dangerous.
There are also instances where congregations simply cannot find a Pastor, as is the case in the great state of Maine.
Pastorless Churches May Have Someone in the Pulpit
In a previous article, I mentioned three candidates who were considered for Pastoring our church. Each had a distinct preaching style, reflecting a broad spectrum of approaches.
In this process, I sensed God’s presence. We had three distinct choices, each representing a potential future direction.
This was not a typical case of narrowing down external candidates; these were internal ministers from a small church with limited resources.
The first minister was the deceased Pastor’s handpicked successor. It was evident that he reminded the Pastor of a younger version of himself. Before his passing, the Pastor told me, “I will be gone soon. I need you to stay here and help him.”
The successor tried to win favor by emulating the Pastor, but he was trying to wear armor that did not fit. The only way to honor God is by walking in who you are and understanding what that means.
Anything more or less is akin to calling God a liar and questioning His sufficiency. There is a reason He created you as you are and placed you where you are.
His Word says, “His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways.”
There are situations where, even if a Pastor is present, the pulpit remains vacant in spirit. If we do not show up as who God created us to be, it is as if we are not present at all. This is often evident in internet searches.
It is heartbreaking that "by-laws" (man-made laws) rather than the Word of God are used to remove church leaders. However, when it reaches this point, the church is already in chaos, and no Pastor (leader) is effectively present.
Nevertheless, every Preacher must be an original. The Bible says, “No lie is of the truth.” Therefore, if you are living a lie, through spiritual cloning, you are not walking in truth.
Too many are mere clones of those who trained them, often referred to as ‘fathers in the ministry’ in church circles. Paul had a ‘son in the ministry’ named Timothy, but ‘son’ should never mean ‘clone.’
Having a role model is valuable, but there is a difference between admiring someone and reimagining yourself as them! Being a disciple, meaning an imitator of Jesus Christ, is a Holy Ghost endeavor.
If Jesus created you (as stated in John 1), then you must accept that He knows you.
If He knows who you are before creating you, why imitate someone else instead of Him? Your Savior approves of who you are. Who cares if these so-called ‘fathers in the ministry’ don’t?
I admired NBA legend Kobe Bryant, but when I watched him play, I saw a mere copy of Michael Jordan. I believe Kobe was more athletically gifted than Jordan.
Furthermore, I hold the view that Kobe could have surpassed Jordan. But we will never know for two reasons.
First, Kobe retired, and second, he copied Jordan’s moves and style instead of creating his own. The only way to be yourself is to reinvent the wheel.
God’s Leaders are Original, Never Copies
I was speaking to my 7-year-old granddaughter about rule-breakers. On one side are those who break rules negatively and end up in legal trouble.
On the other side are positive rule-breakers who are fiercely independent and change the world.
I advised her to avoid negative rule-breaking. She was confused, and I struggled to clarify. Then she jumped in and crystallized it: “Papa, so positive rule-breakers write new rules.”
Admire your teacher, but never sacrifice who you are in worshiping who they are. Being authentically you means writing new rules!
The second minister, and Pastoral candidate, was one of the most effective Bible teachers I’ve had the pleasure of serving with. His family is beautiful, and I would have been honored to serve under him as my Pastor.
Unlike the Pastor’s chosen successor, his style was less theatrical. He spoke in an even tone, which is less familiar to traditional congregations. This approach is commonly known as ‘slow-walking’ in preaching vernacular. He was, in every sense, a disciple-maker.
However, the African American church has not traditionally favored such even-keeled approaches to preaching. Our emphasis has been on the ‘Art of the Preach’ rather than the ‘Art of the Teach.’
Although this is changing, and praise Jesus for that, many traditional congregations still demand little in terms of biblical education. Unfortunately, if you can sing, whoop, and dress well, you are 75% of the way to becoming a Pastor. Let those who have an ear, hear.
A senior member of a congregation’s Pastoral selection committee once said, “We are so blessed to have this new Pastor. When he came, he sang, and that was something we were looking for—a singer.”
Thank God, in this case, the new Pastor was much more.
Future Pastoral Candidates Must Remain Original
To future church leaders, be warned: never compromise who you are to gain favor.
In the end, you will face disappointment or worse. Either God defines you, or He doesn’t. The current trend of a ‘flexible’ approach to Christian identity is deeply problematic.
Let’s consider the Pastor’s chosen successor as an example.
Although he had his flaws (and who doesn’t?), God certainly called him. I believed it then, and I still believe it today. Too often, we see someone’s un-Christlike behavior and wrongly denounce them as false.
While obedience can affect the effectiveness of a call, it does not negate the call itself. This man struggled with basic tasks and operated on pure illogic. Trying to reason with him was like reasoning with my seven-year-old granddaughter.
I don’t say this to be harsh—it’s simply the truth. However, when he preached, his call was undeniable! I still marvel at this today. Truly, God is able.
I am not one to shy away from calling out a false prophet. I was made for such a task. God’s Word gives believers the authority to “try those spirits, whether they be of God or not, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Vacant Churches are Places of Confusion
Choice brings enemies, while a lack of choice brings both confusion and enemies. God has spoken it, ordained it, and kept you alive to walk in it. So why resist originality? (Jeremiah 1:1–9)
From Jeremiah’s call, we learn that obedience, even amid doubt, must be maintained. Jeremiah thought he was too young and lacked the skills to fulfill his ordination as a Prophet.
God rebuked him and touched the Prophet’s mouth, filling it with His Word. Interestingly, God told him, “Do not be afraid of their faces.” If you are changing for others and refusing to be who God created you to be, you are a coward. No apologies!
Even I was tempted to be a ‘clown preacher,’ but I repented. A God-ordained preacher must understand that what people expect and what God provides are separate paradigms. God knows what you and any congregation need.
Whether they accept it or not is an entirely different matter. I trusted and agreed to follow Minister #2 if he were elected Pastor. The reason was that throughout his time at the church, he maintained his integrity and never ‘played to the crowd.’
His style, although not favored by the congregation, remained consistent.
In contrast, the Pastor’s successor was
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