A Pastor Announced During a Church Service that I Was "Acting Like the Devil"

Years ago, I was invited to go with a group of friends to a small storefront church. I don't remember what the sermon was about that the female pastor preached, but I remember to this day what happened after the sermon.

There is a time in most services where there is an appeal for tithes and offerings. That is appropriate. However, what happened next was iinappropriate on many levels.

A Personal Appeal

After the tithes and offerings for the church had been given, the pastor gave another appeal while distributing envelopes for a love offering for her. She invited the congregation to form a line to present the envelop with their offerings in them while she touched each person to be blessed.

When I refused to accept the envelope and move into a line, the pastor came to where I was sitting and spoke directly to me. She asked, "How do you think I can look this good every Sunday without finances to get a new outfit and my hair and nails done?" The congregation applaused and voiced their "Amens."

I was the only one left sitting while the entire congregation, including my friends were standing in the line with their envelopes. They beaconed me to join them and offered me money for the envelope. I refused their genersoity. For me, it wasn't above the money. It was the principle of the appeal.

The pastor did not call me "the devil," but she came close to it. She said, "That's the way the devil acts." The congregation began starring at me as if they believed what the pastor said.

I never said a word while she singled me out and spoke those words directly to me while her congregation looked on and heard every word she said. She raised her voice while rebuking me during the service. I never opened my mouth because that was neither the time nor the place for a debate.

• I left the service without speaking a word.
• I never returned to that church.

Fast Forward to Years Later

Years later, my friend and her husband called me and apologed. They said they realized that what happened should not have happened. They admitted that over the years they had talked about that incident and I was right not to give the pastor a "love offering" after she singled me out. They informed me that they eventually left that church after they grew in knowledge of the Bible and in their faith.

A Non-Fictional Account

This is a non-fictional account because it actually happened. It is based on facts, not something made up for clickbaits and entertainment.

The incident was WRONG on many levels.

• The pastor used God's time and venture for her own agenda.
• The pastor was the leader and should have been the bigger person in that situation.
• She abused my "free will."
• She sent the wrong message to people who did not know the difference.

Author's Note

This happened back in the 1990s before I became an ordained minister. However, even at that time I knew that a pastor should not try to force someone to give a love offering for the reasons she gave. Also, being touched by her was not a requirement for being blessed. I did not want to be involved in that situation at all. I didn't believe it then, and I don't believe it now.

Before writing this, I contacted my friends and asked them if they still remember that incident. They said, "Oh, yeah, we still talk about it. We did not know any difference then, but we have grown into what you taught us that day, and we thank you."

What Prompted the Writing of This Article?

A question is posted on Facebook: "Have you ever walked out of a church because you didn't like or disagreed with the sermon you were hearing?"

After reading the comments, I remembered what happened to me.

Reasons I Left the Service

I have never walked out during a SERMON I didn't like or disagreed with, even though I have felt like doing so. However, I was forced to walk away from the church SERVICE I just described after the sermon was over.

The service had been interrupted when the pastor began reprimanding me for not giving her a love offering. There was no reason for me to stay any longer. I left to give her the honor of receiving her love offerings and touching the people as she had promised.