ready for the next chapter

   I have been agonizing over whether to leave or stay at One Way Baptist Church for almost a year now.  I love the church and have worked hard to make the building and grounds presentable, to teach the best Sunday School class I could teach, and to make each and every person feel welcomed.  Many churches have a part of their service where the congregants are supposed to  mingle and greet one another but I was never in favor of that.  Don't shake my hand and say "welcome, glad you came' only when instructed too.   To me, that reeks of insincerity.  if you are really glad I came then greet me with a smile and a hardy hello when I come in and stop by to see me at the end of the service to chat a minute afterwards.  That is one of the things I brought to One Way Baptist and people are always saying they can really feel the love in that church.  After the service has ended people often hang around and talk  for the longest while, especially after the evening service, because they really care about each other.  That is something that most churches don't have, 
    Another thing I introduced at One Way Baptist is the nine o'clock prayer.  Everyone at the church is supposed to pray a nine o'clock each night and that has done wonders for the church.  One Way grew from seven members left in a dying church to around thirty five and a new building in just a few years time.  Prayer does indeed change things. 
    Working at the church and for the church has been almost like a full time job but one I absolutely loved doing.  So why would I consider leaving an institution and a people that I dearly love and have worked so hard for, especially since I financed their new building.  One would think I would really want to stay and make sure the church succeeded.  Well, that part really doesn't matter and if you really want to know why ask me and I'll explain. 
     When I first started going to the church there were two ladies who loved the church but because of health issues were not able to attend.  I purchased a video camera and faithfully made and delivered DVD's at my own expense for them.  Then people were wanting me to videotape funerals and services they missed and to make extra copies for them to take home and share and the pastor wanted a copy for his records and then a woman wanted me to make a copy of this Sunday's signing for her and was upset when I said no.  What I was did out of love was becoming an expectation and even a hindrance to the church. 
   When I first came I asked to mow the grass and when the weather turned too cold to mow I worked on clearing the lot that was littered with dead trees and overgrown with weeds and briars.   I purchased a mower for the church  and then later I purchased a riding mower that I used   as well as a weed eater and a chain saw.  Then one day a man asked the preacher to tell me to come mow his lawn because he didn't want to take the time.  I mow the church lawn every Friday and have done so for four years.  This past Friday someone got upset because I mowed the grass the day before the carnival "because someone may track grass into the church."  What I once did  out of love for my church became an expectation and the a hindrance .
     The pastor lives in Thomasville and does not receive a salary although he is allotted a gas allowance of $150.00 a month.  The church has never been able to establish and maintain a viable visitation program.  We once did it on Wednesday night because we didn't have enough members to hold service but it seemed like a long time between Sundays.   Then we changed it to  every other Saturday but no one every came so then we changed it to the Saturday after men's prayer breakfast but that so fell by the wayside as some men had jobs to go to, some say they forgot, and others made other plans. 
    Then the church finally decided to make Thursday night visitation night but no one every showed up for that.  As the original deacon, I made the decision when we added a second deacon that we would visit the membership on Tuesday night.  Thursday would still be the church visitation  or Saturday, whatever would be finally decided on.  But then we started on the building so the other deacon busied himself with that and when that was over he conveniently forgot so I finally drafted my wife to go visiting with me. 
     At our monthly  deacons meeting the pastor wanted to discuss a visitation program (I think he was feeling the pressure from me to get a viable program started).  I mentioned that the deacon visitation night was Tuesdays at six but since the other deacon had not been available to go in several months I go every Tuesday with my wife.  He informed me that deacons did not run the church, that hanging posters and other maintenance jobs around the church were more important than visitation, and I was forbidden to go visiting during the week. 
    I disagree with the pastor.  The bible never said we were to build buildings or hang posters but the bible does tell us to go.  It is the  common held belief that the only reason Christians are left of earth after becoming a Christian is to seek out those who are lost. If my pastor is going to accuse me of up surging his authority and to remove me as a deacon if I didn't get in line and just do whatever he tells me to do then he has become a hindrance to the work of Christ.