Should a pastor call out names of members from the pulpit?

Answer 1

Different denominations have different traditions, that would be a very personal decision based on the church, your tradition, & the pastors tradition. You are free to not go to that church and you are free to speak out against it. One of the main things to take into consideration is whether he spoke the truth or not. There will be consequences, but standing up against any kind of tyranny is a painful decision, but being a leader is never an easy road.

There are times when using the pulpit in this fashion is purely bullying, other times it can be a kind of coaching or leadership.

Answer

I'm not sure of the context in which this was done. By use of the term 'Pastor' I'm assuming you're referring to either a non-denominational church or perhaps a Protestant church group such as Baptists, Assemblies of God, Free Church, etc.

If the Pastor were sharing a warm anecdote and were to have mentioned your name in part of the story, it should be assumed there was no malice intended, whatsoever, nor was the Pastor mentioning you for the purpose of causing you embarrassment in any way.

However, if the Pastor were using you as an example, or making a public accusation towards you, this not only is inappropriate, but may 'possibly' verge on the illegal, especially if what you said to the pastor was revealed as part of a confession!

In Canon Law, Canon 983.1 (para) states"...It is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word, or in any other manner, or for any reason."

The Canon goes on to assert: (No.2490), "A priest, therefore, cannot break the seal to save his own life, to protect his good name, to refute a false accusation, to save the life of another, to aid the course of justice (like reporting a crime), or to avert a public calamity. He cannot be compelled by law to disclose a person's confession or be bound by any oath he takes, e.g., as a witness in a court trial. A priest cannot reveal the contents of a confession either directly, by repeating the substance of what has been said, or indirectly, by some sign, suggestion, or action.

Further to this law, a Decree from the Holy Office (Nov. 18, 1682), mandated that confessors are forbidden, even where there would be no revelation direct or indirect, to make any use of the knowledge obtained in the confession that would "displease" the penitent or reveal his or her identity.

Additionally, to publicly mortify and humiliate someone in public, with information which can be proved patently untrue may be considered as defamation. Again, not knowing the context in which it was mentioned makes it impossible to clearly assess the situation.

For those of us who have theological degrees, which would have included comprehensive studies in homiletics (preaching), the bulk of us would have learned that from the pulpit using the word 'we' over the word 'you' and especially outright naming someone would always be the appropriate form. Regardless of the denomination, no one holds a divine right to cause you embarrassment or shame. The 'reason' is irrelevant.

To state that 'we' all can cause pain to others is far different than stating 'You' have caused pain to others.

As my children grew up I had the pleasure/responsibility of conducting the church school's Wednesday morning Assemblies. My children were always present, seated with the rest of the children. I always felt a slight twinge of compassion for my children as I imagined that they might sometimes get flak from the other children because their father is a priest.

However, it was quite the opposite. My children's inviolable rule was that I could say anything I wanted and I could even mention their names. However, under no circumstances was I to ever choose them among other children to come up and participate in any of my 'creative' experiments. They appear to have survived those years relatively undamaged.

If this Pastor has offended you, it's important that you speak with her or him directly and explain why you were either hurt or offended. They too are human and simply may not be aware of what they have done.

And if they revealed any personal information about you, which you gave under the bonds of parishioner/priest confidentiality, you may consider taking this further, such as to their Bishop or church elders.