So I just learned that the church my family went to when I was a little kid has since been taken over by a new pastor and apparently has converted it from a Baptist church into pretty much a cult church that requires him to call all of the shots of how the church worships, who will be allowed to be on staff (i.e. deacons and elders and such), who can be baptised and when (i.e. no children will be permitted to be baptised), requiring all congregants to sign a contract that stipulates a percentage of their income will go to the church (more specifically towards his own finances), and if anyone exhibits even the slightest little inkling of perceived insubordination, they can be interrogated by the church's staff, and possibly even be kicked out.
It's some kind of denomination I've never heard of before.
A church like that won’t last too long.
1) A pastor can call a lot of shots, but it’s hard to run a church without people to handle administrative tasks. That’s to free the pastor to concentrate on his ministry and let a treasurer balance the budget.
2) Deacons and elders are voted on by the congregation.
3) A pastor can encourage people to tithe, but he can get in hot water forcing people to fork over a percentage. Giving is supposed to be voluntary. It would be one thing if the church had a specific goal to give ten thousand to a food bank. But just to line a pastor’s pockets, leave! And suppose you’re unemployed and you have little or nothing to give. That’s when a church is supposed to help you.
Every church does have a charter, which states its mission statement, bylaws, doctrine, and that’s for everybody to see. That keeps the church transparent.
Baptizing babies is a predominately Catholic thing. I was baptized as a baby, and again in 2019 to renew my commitment with God. Getting baptized is a personal matter and a huge commitment, and it’s up to an individual when he’s ready to make that step.
What denomination is the church? If you know, that can give me an indication where they stand on the spectrum.