Reverence: To Call Your Pastor(s) Daddy and Mummy or Not?

📌This post was inspired by my ruminations after recently seeing a Chude Jideonwo's clip where he and his guest extolled the simplicity and authenticity of the leadership principles of Pastor Nike Adeyemi, as part of celebrating Daystar@30.
📌Chude mentioned in the clip that he had been a member of the Church for about two decades, as the duo testified about Pastor Nike, especially her stance on never encouraging members to call her 'mummy', while also insisting on being an 'everyday person' (#noairs).
📌It struck a chord with me. It also made me wonder if this would make sense to many fellow Christians of her ranking. For instance, I'm surprised at how quickly congregants name many young and impactful Christians in their line of duty to the world as 'mummy' or 'daddy', 'papa' or 'mama'.
📌I have two sincere worries here: first, whether this trend is indeed a true mark of honour or just a way of making the men and women of God believe they are valued. I hope it's not possible that you call a pastor 'daddy' or 'papa' and then slander him behind his back.
📌Secondly, what if there are members of a local assembly who don’t refer to their pastor(s) as 'Daddy' or 'Mummy'? Should they be taken as rebels?
📌Could their reasons for this be respected? Some worshippers don't feel constrained to practice what they aren't convinced about.
📌It's essential to establish that the people in this category are well-intended, loyal, and committed Christians. They value the roles and sacrifices of their pastors and heartily appreciate them in many other ways; they just can't yet embrace the culture. So, they mean no disrespect for not seeing their pastor(s) as a 'dad' and 'mum' but more as spiritual shepherds and leaders. I believe they should not be judged for this because every culture needs buy-ins.
📌This happens mostly for people who were raised in very closely-knit biological homes while growing up with an effective dad and mum. It makes it difficult for them to assign that same status to others.
📌Some other times, it depends on what point the worshippers already were in their lives or spiritual journeys when they met their current pastors or even their previous experiences, good or bad.
📌In all these things, people in this category should not be thought of as showing lesser reverence for their pastor(s). In fact, fear the ones who call you, "Lord, Lord with their mouth, but their hearts are far from you." #balance
📌The irony is that pastors may find it easier to call their members or converts 'their children', but it may not be automatic for all members to return the same gesture of calling them 'daddy' or 'mummy'. It should be allowed to happen based on conviction.
📌It may be difficult to make everyone respond to something the exact same way all the time.
📌People shouldn't call pastors 'mummy' or 'daddy' when your hearts feel differently.
📌We should, however, keep encouraging believers to mind the things that are integral to their walk with God. The highest form of sincerity and honour from the heart should be encouraged in the church in every way.
📌Please note that this is not about whether this culture of nomenclature is right or wrong, it's just about context. Note also, that what this piece addresses is different from the biblically-established pattern of spiritual fatherhood and sonship, (as in Paul and Timothy).
I hope this helps someone. God bless our pastors🙏🏽
Happy Sunday.
I'm Bosede Olusola-Obasa, Character Development Trainer, Trust Culture Strategist, and Best Workplace Attitudes Advisor. (c)
#mindyourcharacter
#SundaySpecial #BalanceAndBoundaries #series #churchculturesensitivepost #fordiscerningminds #CultureShaping #noairs #hypocrisy #conviction
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