Hello Beloved Family, there was an incident on Sunday between a female church sister and me in which she showed me a personal video of herself. It was an inappropriate video to show me. It was my mistake to treat it so casually.
Through the years, and with so many of our members being here for a very long time, I felt like we could be a close family that could be personal. But God is helping me realize, we cannot be personal. It must be strictly spiritual church business. We are in spiritual war, and many of our people are just too immature and childish to realize the dangers of refusing to grow up. Becoming personal or close to female members brings danger because some sisters take my kindness and friendliness as a wrong sign. I require all my members, especially females, to treat me as a pastor with due respect and not a close personal friend treating me so casually. I am not your friend. I am not your husband. I am not your boyfriend. I am your pastor who is very happily married and you need treat my wife and I with due respect and position. Your motive in serving must be in truth. If you are a female member, do not directly bring me any gifts, but if you do, it must be given to my wife, Pastor Yoojin. Coffee, food, and drinks may be served at our request. If you serve us with food and drinks, make sure you are serving me and not for a weird motive.
All female members will treat my wife, Pastor Yoojin, with the utmost due respect. Unless you are 10 years or younger, there will be no hugging between any females and I – only hand shakes. If you need a hug, go to Pastor Yoojin or another female leader.
For our leaders, all members are required to treat our elders, pastors, and assistant pastors with due respect and not as a personal friend. And for our leaders, you need to draw a line between yourself and lay members. If you act personal, childish, and immature unable to distinguish the line between you and lay believers, then you will be required to turn in your positions of authority. Leaders, you cannot become so personal with your people to make them think they are your buddy. If you want to be their buddy and do buddy hand gestures, shakes, and talk like buddies, then voluntarily step down to a lay level member.
Thank you.
Senior Pastor Steve Kim
Additional Comments:
Let us be more mindful 🙂 When God becomes your center of everything, you will make the right choices. Christians are supposed to have better discernment. However, if you don’t, your center is compromised by other things. Let us humble ourselves and search it out, and rid ourselves of it.
Senior Pastor Yoojin Kim