Why did Faith Baptist Church in Layton Utah change its constitution to allow Pastor Chuck Beickel to continue as a divorced pastor?

Answer 1

Because the congregation is obviously and blatantly ignorant of the Biblical requirements for local church officers.

OR…

There are folks there at FBC-Layton whose attitude is like this: "I was here before Chuck Beickel was and I'm not leaving…he should leave not me…It's my church…"

I Timothy 3:2-7 Lists the BIBLICAL qualifications for the office of pastor. Included in this list is:

(1) "...the husband of one wife..." [i.e. not a divorcee ... marital integrity]

For centuries reliable New Testament scholars understood this phrase to mean: "not a divorced man". Within recent years however, this sound interpretation has changed. Why ? God's Word is now being twisted in order to accommodate ministers with marital problems & divorcee status.

(2) "...one who rules his own house well ... if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God ?

A Christian minister's first and most important God-given obligation is to his own family.

Family BEFORE ministry... this is the biblical order.

Pastoral family qualifications are also listed in Titus 1:5-9

Notice here even a minister's children are mentioned, "...having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination..."

There must be domestic and marital stability within the home.

When a Christian minister demonstrates domestic instability and fails to maintain marital integrity, he should do the right thing and humbly STEP DOWN.

A Christian minister's first and most important God-given obligation is to his own family.

Family BEFORE ministry... this is the biblical order.

These passages taken together indicate clearly that a Christian minister who has domestic, i.e. family, conflicts - between husband & wife, or serious problems with children - is not qualified to hold the office of pastor.

Pastoral qualifications are also listed in the following passages:

(a) Titus 1:7

"For a bishop must be... not self-willed..."

A pastor is not to have an attitude like; "It's either my way or the highway... I'm in charge here, if you don't like it, get out"

Commentaries on this phrase:

-- Not one who is determined to have his own way in everything; setting up his own judgment to that of all others; expecting all to pay homage to his understanding. (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)

-- [He is not to be] dogmatical, impatient of contradiction, and unyielding. Such a man, evidently, is not fit for the office of a minister of the gospel.

(from Barnes' Notes)

Unfortunately, many Independent Fundamental Baptist pastors operate by self-will and are in violation of this Bible passage.

(b) I Peter 5:1-4

"...nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock..."

A pastor is not to function as a dictator within the local church but to act as a model for others to follow.

In IFB (Independent Fundamental Baptist) churches too often this verse is ignored and the pastor is an overlord & sets a really, REALLY BAD example.

In which case he is no longer qualified to lead the church even if he's a good preacher, friendly, God-called, etc., etc.

If these qualifications are ignored, the results will be:

(1) A negative testimony in the community

(2) A defective example within the local church (Who in their right mind would go to a divorced pastor for marital counseling ?)

(3) Moral-spiritual breakdown of Christianity in general.