FAQs

You may email them to our office at leecountyba@gmail.com or send them by postal mail to: Lee County Baptist Association, PO Box 2640, Tupelo, MS 38803 attn: Brian Tillman, AMS. All resume information will be confidential and only shared with official members of Search Committees. You may also send resumes directly to churches or through the Mississippi Baptist Convention Pastoral Relations Department at www.mbcb.org.

I want to go on a mission trip but I can’t afford it so what should I do?
1. Pray. God will provide your every need.

2. The LCBA  has mission mobilization grants available for members of SBC churches.

3. Also, your local church, friends and family may be willing to help with the cost of your mission trip.

How To Biblically Resolve A Conflict With Your Pastor By Marc D. Howard General Principles • Even if you don’t respect the person who is pastor, honor the position of pastor. (I Thess. 5:11-14Hebrews 13:8, I Peter 5:1-7, Romans 13:1-7, Ephesians 4:11-12, I Timothy 5:17-18)) • Give the pastor the benefit of the doubt unless he has clearly violated scripture and you have witnesses who agree. (I Timothy 5:19) • Consider the situation reverently and with fear and trembling and much prayer. (I Samuel 26:9, Psalm 105:15, Numbers 12) • Treat the pastor with grace and love being kind and tenderhearted, (Ephesians 4:29-32) What To Do When The Conflict First Happens • Examine your own heart realizing that Satan desires to sever your relationship with your pastor because it is vital to your spiritual growth and kingdom work. (I Peter 5:8-10, Romans 14:7-13), Romans 2:1-11, Matt 7:1-5))) • If you are at fault, confess it to God, accept His forgiveness and forgive yourself.(I John 1:5-10; Matt. 5:22) • If you still believe that the pastor is at fault and you can’t find grace to let it go then ask to talk to your pastor privately (set up a time so that you and the pastor can give full attention to the matter) (Matt. 5:24-25; 18:15) • Approach your pastor prayerfully and with the goal of reconciling the relationship.(Matt. 5:24, I Peter 3:8-17) • Do not attack the pastor with “You” statements but rather state how you feel by using “I” statements. (For example: Say “I felt angry when I wasn’t called after missing church Sunday” rather than “You didn’t call and check on me after church Sunday and that aggravates me”) • Talk to God about your pastor before you go to your pastor for many times God will give you grace to let the offense go.(Matt. 5:39; • Go to your pastor privately before telling anyone else and do it quickly. (Matt. 18:15) • Should the pastor ask for forgiveness let him know he is forgiven and let it go which means you don’t bring it up to him or anyone else again. (Luke 17:3-4) • Should the pastor not agree with you that an offense has occurred pray for him and reexamine your heart. • Should you believe that God will not give you the grace to let it go and that the pastor is out of the will of God considering this matter then choose two more Godly people with you to talk to the pastor about the problem with the goal of reconciling the problem(Matt. 18:16) • The goal is to involve as few as people in resolving the conflict as possible as the more people you involve the more complex it will become. • Using the polity/organization of your church to handle such church matters present your problem to the church and let the church rule on the problem. (Matt. 18:17) • Bring in other counsel such as your Director of Missions, State Convention consultants to try to resolve the conflict.(Proverbs 11;14) • If the problem can’t be resolved with the pastor and you can’t make yourself spiritually accountable to the pastor any longer then that person can’t be your pastor. • If that person can no longer be your pastor you have a very serious spiritual crisis in your life for you are left with two options (1)You have two choices: You go to another church and put yourself under another pastor (Heb. 13:7)(2) You can initiate the process to have the pastor removed and help get the church another pastor. What To Do If There Are So Many Conflicts That It Is In The Best Interest of The Church For The Pastor To Leave • Treat the pastor with honor and dignity. (I Thess. 5:11-12) • If there is great moral failure the pastor is to be rebuked publicly, yet with the spirit of reconciliation. ((I Timothy 5:20) • Give the pastor time to find another church if at all possible. (Acts 8:26-40) • If it isn’t possible to give the pastor time to find another church, then give the pastor the opportunity to resign of his own free will.(John 10:11-18; I Timothy 3:1-7)) • If the pastor resigns of his own free will without another church to immediately go to then give him a gracious severance package of up to six months salary and benefits that will be in effect up to six months or until he is in the employment of another congregation (not to exceed six months). (Matt. 5:40-42) • If the pastor refuses to resign then allow the church to vote on whether to retain the pastor by calling a meeting with at least one weeks notice where members can vote by secret ballot. (Acts 13:1-5) • If the pastor is dismissed give him severance pay based upon the time the bylaws say the pastor should be given notice of his termination by the church (usually two weeks to one month) (Acts 15:36-41; I Timothy 3:1-7). • Treat the pastor just as you would like to be treated under the same circumstances. (Matt. 7:12) BE CAUTIOUS AROUND PEOPLE WHO DO NOT CHOOSE TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS IN A BIBLICAL WAY (James 3:14-18)