Offer For Pastor Saiko Woods

 

Pastor Saiko Woods was offered a lucrative salary along with other financial and recreational perks to pastor a “Free Grace” Church in a heavily wooded, masterplanned community in Houston Texas.  One of his benefits would be a great health care package for him and his family.  If he wished to get a theological education, The church would pay $2,000 in tuition and books a year.

Along with a competitive salary and benefits, the Church would structure raises as the church grows.  The church pays for medical/dental insurance premiums up to a maximum of $625 a month and would pay $1,750 of the first part of an individual deductible.  They would pay $7,500 for each birth.  They would pay $37 a month towards his cell phone bill and a discretionary expense allowance.  The Church would also reimburse mileage at the current rate of $0.505/mile.

 

He would get ten work days as vacation for the first year, fifteen days after five years, and twenty days after ten years of employment.  He would get nine holidays and one floating holiday at his discretion.  The church has a retirement plan.  In the first two years of service, the Church would match his 2% contribution.  After 3-5 years, they would match 3%.  After 6-7 years, they would match 4%.  After 7 years, they would match 5%, which means that he would be saving 10% of his salary and it would grow tax free.  The Church has a sabbatical policy that is being formulated right now and they will probably grant 3 months sabbatical after 7 years service.

 

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Pastor Saiko’s Reason For Rejecting This Seemly Great Offer

 

Dear ______________,

 

Thank you again for the opportunity to candidate for the position of Worship Leader & Youth Pastor @ ____.  It is truly an honor to be considered to serve in such a capacity such as this. I am certain that there are others that are more than qualified to minister with you and the ___ family. For that my family and I are truly grateful.

 

After reviewing your doctrinal statement and Pastor’s info for prospective candidates, I concur with most of what your Church teaches and affirms. However, upon reading the first paragraph of Pastor __________’s letter, there is one area that I would like to bring to your attention that I believe is of theological importance.

 

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, my faith in the finished work of the Savior’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin and the certainty of eternal life is paramount and essential. It is the hinge of which holds Christianity together.

 

Although salvation in Christ is the hinge that holds our faith as believers together, repentance from sin is the means (which is a gift granted by God; cf. 2 Tim. 2:25) that allows us through the door of salvation in Jesus Christ.

 

I in no way endorse nor support any teaching that expresses that a sinner must do something in order to be saved. That of course is salvation by works. But the fact that God commands man to repent from his/her sin in order for them to receive the free gift of salvation is from my humble study of the Scriptures, a foundational doctrine that has been proclaimed since the Old Testament and carried over into the New (Isa. 55:6-7; Ezek. 18:21-22; Matt. 3:8, 4:7; Lk. 5:31-32; 15:10; Acts 17:30; 2 Cor. 7:10).

 

In light of this conviction, I do believe that a person must repent of his/her sin in order to be forgiven by God and that repentance is a gift that is granted by the prerogative of an Omniscient God who knows the heart of all men (Acts 3:19; 11:18).

 

Therefore, in understanding what your Church believes with regard to the doctrine of repentance, I could not in good conscience, faith and conviction of the Scriptures, fully minister in a way that would honor God and provide blessing to His people knowing that my theological position would have the potential to bring confusion and disorder to the body of Christ. That is something that I would never intend to do.

 

Though I would love to become a part of your Church and to use my gifts to honor Him, I unfortunately must decline the potential offer to be considered Youth Pastor/Worship Leader.  If you have further questions regarding my decision, please do not hesitate to give me a call.

 

I still look forward to fellowshipping with you and your Church family if you need my service to minister in the future.

 

Thank you again for your consideration. Please continue to pray for us as we will continue to pray for you and your family as well.

 

In His Service,

 

Saiko K. Woods

Posted: 10|20|08 at 8:44 pm. Filed under: Ministry News.
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