Sign Your Name Or Forget It

SIGN YOUR NAME OR FORGET IT

J. Vernon McGee tells of an incident that happened in one of his pastorates. A man came to him and said, "I want to tell you about a certain situation." He told him about a certain man who was involved in a particular sin. The man wanted to do something about it. He said, "You ought to bring this up before the board, and if they can't handle it, then it should be brought before the church."

McGee answered, "Fine, that is the way it should be done. What night can you come?"

"Oh!" the man said, "I don't intend to come. You're the pastor, you are the one to handle it."

McGee answered, "You are right, I am the one to handle it. I am the pastor. However, you will need to be present to make the charge."

"Oh," he said, "I won't do that."

So McGee told him, "If you are not willing to sign you name to the charge, we will forget it." And they forgot it, because the man refused to back up the charge with his name.

All too often unsigned critical letters are received by Christian leaders, finding fault with either the pastor or some other member in the church. How many times has vicious gossip from the mouths of nameless (and spineless) church members led to the destruction of their own church!

(From a sermon by Capitan Gerardo Balmori, God Hates Discord)