Plagerism In the Pulpit: its more common than you think

I can't tell you how GLAD I am that someone has FINALLY taken on the sin of plagerism in the pulpit.

ITS ABOUT TIME!

Here is the article. I got the heads-up from Slice of Laodicea this morning. But this has been a concern of mine for years.

I remember about six years ago, while our church at the time was without a pastor (that is another problem, but I'll save that for another time). They had "guest speakers" come and speak for four weeks at a time (yet another problem, considering out of about 9 elders, two of whom were professors at a local seminary, hardly ever taught---Scripture demands that the elders are able to TEACH). One guest came and taught. He came under the approval of past association with a well-known pastor in the LA area. Assuming he was faithful, he started his sermons. Week one was ok. Week two was ok. Week three was when he apparently had no time to study, because that's when he plagerized from "Evidence That Demands A Verdict" by Josh McDowell. I know, because just prior to that my husband and I were looking at that book. We looked at each other and afteward laughed in absolute astonishment that this man passed off his message as his own, when in fact it was someone else's. He never gave any credit at all to McDowel.

If that weren't bad enough, later I was talking to a former elder and his wife at the same church. I said how it bothers me that pastors plagerize. These two people said it doesn't bother them. And the man is a librarian at a local Christian college! HELLO??????? I maintained my position that is deceitful and its lying. I couldn't believe this couple wasn't upset with plagerism. But then, after all, ALL pastors do it. HUH? No they don't and if they do, they disqualify themselves from that position. Lying is not only wrong but violates Scripture:


1Ti 3:2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

Someone who steals another man's sermons proves he is not able to teach, is not above reproach, and is not respectable. Period. It also shows a lack of conscience before God, man, and a lack of desire to spend time in Scripture. He is a hireling at best, a wolf at worst. But he's NO shepherd of God's people.

This guest speaker continued to get worse. His fourth and final week he told a lot of stories, mentioned one verse out of context, and that was it. He did this for both services. The elders later sent out a letter of apology. Of course, the elders were ultimately responsible for this, because he should never had been asked to teach, nor allowed to continue for the second service that last Sunday. And the elders should've been the ones teaching every week. But the problem is, most men don't WANT to preach.

The article I link to at the top of this entry mentions laziness. I agree. But its broader than that. Its laziness by pastors everywhere, even if they don't plagerize. I've seen this happen with well-known pastors and local pastors: they go on a speaking engagement, have no time to spend in Scripture, so they use an old sermon, update it a tad perhaps, and then present it to the sheep (not their sheep).

I have a problem with that. It shows laziness and a lack of taking seriously this group of sheep. Maybe there's a lack of time involved, but that only leads back to the issue of being a hireling. Why aren't the elders of that church doing the teaching? Is there nothing new in Scripture they can be bothered to spend time studying? Have they truly exhausted ALL of Scripture so now they must resort to used sermons? It is laziness on both the speaker and elders' part. Even on the part of the congregation.

If congregations are willing to accept lies as "from God", stolen property as "honoring Christ", then they are willing for anything to be given to them, as long as the code words are used. Its no wonder deception is in the churches. It is putting Christ Jesus' name on what is deceptive and dishonest and that is taking HIS name in vain.

God help them. HE is the God that sees...and HE sees EVERYTHING.

What's a sheep to do? Do your research. You can Google a key phrase from the speaker and see if its been in a sermon from before. If it does, it will show up and you'll see more than just a phrase, but likely a paragraph more. Also, talk to the elders and if they don't confront the speaker or pastor, YOU DO IT.

**Update***

I came across this blog and thought her entry also echo's my own experience and concerns.