Frank Harber, the pastor-ruler of First Baptist Church of Colleyville, wants to relocate the congregation. Some members of his congregation questioned the wisdom of the move. On February 20, 2006 four of them received notice via Fed Ex that they were "being removed from the membership" of the congregation.
Despots and tyrants often brook greater dissent than some of the new pastor-rulers in Southern Baptist Churches.
It's just a matter of time before all the churches that adopt the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement face some kind of crisis like this.
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The Assassination Bureau
50 minutes ago
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How sad that you can sum up the situation in a few paragraphs. The purchase of land to expand the church was approved with over 80% of the vote.
These people were removed from membership according to approved bylaws.
"It's just a matter of time before all the churches that adopt the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement face some kind of crisis like this." does not reflect the many baptised EVERY WEEK during our services because of the powerful messages from Dr. Harber.
Your opinion of the situation is flawed.
No, his/her opinion of the situation at First Baptist Colleyville is NOT flawed. I'm a former member of FBCC, who joined when Frank came to the church. We've long since left after watching Frank become very secretive with his finances (staff salaries); refuse to comment to local newspapers who have questioned his financial dealings, the latest being his proposed building of what has been touted as a $1 million mansion (and a VERY shady land exchange) in one of the most exclusive areas of Colleyville (See Southlake Journal - Friday, August 11, 2006 - Frank would not return calls to the reporter, as he never does, according to the paper); his treatment of the senior members of the church when he locked them out of the Vineyard for their Sunday School class, because they were no longer authorized to continue their long time class, after daring to disagree with his expanionist plans; his apparent desire to join Ed Young, T.D. Jakes and other mega-power structure building, wealth-driven, CEO preachers, by overstating the membership at FBCC, and the planning of what appear to be surreptitious land deals to try to build a mega-church in the area of the Texas Motor Speedway; his unavailability to anyone but the wealthiest or most influential church members; his refusal to answer emails; his alleged moving of his office to his house, out of the church office building; his recent entry into a Hooter's golf tournament (Google his name if you don't believe me - (http://www.localnewsonly.com/2006lno/news/
july2006/06_07_30harber.htm); and other behaviors that look more like a ladder climbing executive than a pastor who has God's interest in mind. Frank has also reportedly made, through his proxies, changes to the by-laws of the church, through his supporters, giving him ridiculous autonomy to make all the decisions of the church, such as changes to the church's by-laws to run dissenters off, who, incidentally, have a Biblical and moral obligation to point out what they believe to be error on the part of other Christian brothers. That appears to include church staff as the Family Minister, whose name I won't mention for his own privacy, but who was a wonderful, available man of God, was reportedly squeezed out of the church by Frank and another one of his hires. That Family Minister had to move from Texas to Georgia, to move on with his career, if I recall correctly.
NONE of the people who were run off should have been and that was nothing more than a power-play by the new power structure.
God forgive me if I have mischaracterized any of this, because I don't want to be guilty of smearing anyone who doesn't deserve it. But the Bible clearly says that teachers (including pastors) are CLEARLY held to a much higher standard than other Christians. The pastor and church should be entirely transparent, which this one is definitely not, if for no other reason than appearances in these corrupt times. Non-Christians/Atheists/liberals eat this stuff up and use it as fodder to point out the hypocrisy in the church, in effect driving people away from Jesus Christ who knows no sin or corruption and who gives us Eternal Life FREELY.
I'm all for wealth building and living in the manner that you can afford, but it strikes me as odd that a pastor of a medium sized (certainly not large) church, whose membership appears to be stagnating, not growing, should live like the top 1% of American wage earners. He ain't selling that many books.
You keep repeating what has been said over and over again in the Local News Only gossip column. It does not change the fact that you are spinning facts out of control to fit your agenda. The personal attacks on this person regardless of the whole truth is shameful. You can talk until your blue in the face but it will never justify the transparent attacks on this person because 'someone' lost control due to an untrustworthy and bitter attempt to regain/retain control no matter what the means. You should be ashamed of your self for proscuting someone w/out all the facts. You dont deserve the details because you yould only use them to further your agenda.
You're painting churches who have adopted the BFM 2000 with a pretty broad brush, eh?
I would say your assertation about such churches is ridiculous and doesn't have a leg to stand on.
I think it's interesting that Harbor has since been asked to leave FBC Colleyville. My husband and I visited the church while looking for a church home in the area. Call it intuition, but less than half way through the sermon I felt like a black cloud was hovering overhead. We joined a different church. All this just confirms our decision!!!
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