http://coveringandauthority.com Fri, 18 May 2012 16:57:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://coveringandauthority.com/the-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-139 Cathy Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:35:51 +0000 http://coveringandauthority.com/?page_id=338#comment-139 This is a much bigger problem than people may be aware of. Even if a church doesn't actually teach about the covering doctrine, it can still be "understood" by the actions of the others in the church that they follow the idea. Another problem is when most of the leaders are in the inner circle with the pastor. Not just the pastor is doing the influencing, but he can be influenced by his friends. His friendship with other leaders blinds him to their accountability (or lack of it), and they in turn protect him. Congregation members may question the actions of the leaders, but the whole inner circle will quietly "shun" you and you find yourself having the welcome mat pulled out from under you, even if only by way of being avoided. Others in the congregation, who wholeheartedly and blindly accept the teachings, will also treat you in the same manner, rather than discern for themselves what all this behavior really is. I have seen this in a variety of charismatic churches and sad to say, it's very widespread. This is a much bigger problem than people may be aware of. Even if a church doesn’t actually teach about the covering doctrine, it can still be “understood” by the actions of the others in the church that they follow the idea.
Another problem is when most of the leaders are in the inner circle with the pastor. Not just the pastor is doing the influencing, but he can be influenced by his friends. His friendship with other leaders blinds him to their accountability (or lack of it), and they in turn protect him.
Congregation members may question the actions of the leaders, but the whole inner circle will quietly “shun” you and you find yourself having the welcome mat pulled out from under you, even if only by way of being avoided.
Others in the congregation, who wholeheartedly and blindly accept the teachings, will also treat you in the same manner, rather than discern for themselves what all this behavior really is.
I have seen this in a variety of charismatic churches and sad to say, it’s very widespread.

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