becoming a minister

[crazyheart]

@KayTheCurler I have met few ministers who should or would be role models.
What exactly do you mean by role models?
Have a drink at home but not in front of church members.
Hid the fact that their daughter is married to an ass?

 

[KayTheCurler]

Ummm...no, not that sort of role model. I'm thinking about role models who demonstrate 'right relationship' - showing caring respect for others, being friendly/polite, disagreeing amicably while actually hearing the other person, acknowledging the presence of another person. (I'm not sure it is anyone's right to tell people in general about the failings of their in-laws!).

Possibly the other side of what I'm wondering about includes ignoring someone who is obviously upset, telling someone they are going to hell because they have a different take on faith than the clergyperson, assuming that because someone doesn't go to church they are an ignorant oaf with no spiritual life at all, treating a child differently because s/he has a minority skin colour.

 

[revjohn]

Do you think that clergy only need to act as role models for their own flock?

Depends on the modelling looked for.

I would hope that any and all clergy recognize that they function as ambassadors for the Kingdom of God and that they would comport themselves with the appropriate level of decorum. At minimum that is exhibiting behaviour which does not bring shame upon the Kingdom of God.

The only thing problematic about that minimum standard is that it is far from a universal understanding among all Christians so therefore you find individuals who would insist that they are not embarrassing the Kingdom engaging in embarrassing behaviour. The problem most likely being that they do not recognize those who would be embarrassed by such behaviour as part of the Kingdom in the first place.

If the modelling is doctrinal rather than behavioural there will be similar problems.

It would be nice to think that should some clergy in another denomination manage to make themselves anathema (fit for hell) that it has absolutely no impact upon me. For those in the know it doesn't make much of an impact, for a broad swath of those who are more or less ignorant about the differences and distinctions within the Christian Church it makes a huge impact.