Michigan Pastor Leaves Church Over Congregation’s Support of Trump

[Sybil Ludington]

On October 11, 2020, Pastor Mannes preached his final sermon at East Saugatuck Church because he feels the congregation supports President Donald Trump too much. Pastor Keith Mannes has served at East Saugatuck Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan for the last four years.


Division due to political tension continued to increase and Mannes told the Holland Sentinel that “the church as a whole has ‘abandoned its role’ as the conscience of the state in support of Trump.” He quoted Martin Luther King saying, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.” Pastor Mannes followed King’s quote by expressing, “That just hit me hard because I think, broadly, the white evangelical community in our country has abandoned that role.”


He’s not the only one feeling this way, Mannes said, “It’s not only me, but quite a number of pastors I know are just like, ‘This is it? All this preaching we did about Jesus and there’s this big of a disconnect?’ I think that’s a real burden on a lot of pastors’ hearts. I love these people, I love God, I love Jesus, I love the church, but there’s something happening here.”


After a meeting with the Elders at Christian Reformed Church, praying together, and discussing the tensions Pastor Mannes had been feeling, he said, “It was time for me to lovingly and with great peace and loss separate from the church. It was really crushing because I’ve given my life to the church, and thankfully so.”


Article continued:
https://churchleaders.com/news/38420...3715-744076513

[countryboy]

On October 11, 2020, Pastor Mannes preached his final sermon at East Saugatuck Church because he feels the congregation supports President Donald Trump too much. Pastor Keith Mannes has served at East Saugatuck Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan for the last four years.


Division due to political tension continued to increase and Mannes told the Holland Sentinel that “the church as a whole has ‘abandoned its role’ as the conscience of the state in support of Trump.” He quoted Martin Luther King saying, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.” Pastor Mannes followed King’s quote by expressing, “That just hit me hard because I think, broadly, the white evangelical community in our country has abandoned that role.”


He’s not the only one feeling this way, Mannes said, “It’s not only me, but quite a number of pastors I know are just like, ‘This is it? All this preaching we did about Jesus and there’s this big of a disconnect?’ I think that’s a real burden on a lot of pastors’ hearts. I love these people, I love God, I love Jesus, I love the church, but there’s something happening here.”


After a meeting with the Elders at Christian Reformed Church, praying together, and discussing the tensions Pastor Mannes had been feeling, he said, “It was time for me to lovingly and with great peace and loss separate from the church. It was really crushing because I’ve given my life to the church, and thankfully so.”


Article continued:
https://churchleaders.com/news/38420...3715-744076513

[jet57]

On October 11, 2020, Pastor Mannes preached his final sermon at East Saugatuck Church because he feels the congregation supports President Donald Trump too much. Pastor Keith Mannes has served at East Saugatuck Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan for the last four years.


Division due to political tension continued to increase and Mannes told the Holland Sentinel that “the church as a whole has ‘abandoned its role’ as the conscience of the state in support of Trump.” He quoted Martin Luther King saying, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.” Pastor Mannes followed King’s quote by expressing, “That just hit me hard because I think, broadly, the white evangelical community in our country has abandoned that role.”


He’s not the only one feeling this way, Mannes said, “It’s not only me, but quite a number of pastors I know are just like, ‘This is it? All this preaching we did about Jesus and there’s this big of a disconnect?’ I think that’s a real burden on a lot of pastors’ hearts. I love these people, I love God, I love Jesus, I love the church, but there’s something happening here.”


After a meeting with the Elders at Christian Reformed Church, praying together, and discussing the tensions Pastor Mannes had been feeling, he said, “It was time for me to lovingly and with great peace and loss separate from the church. It was really crushing because I’ve given my life to the church, and thankfully so.”


Article continued:
https://churchleaders.com/news/38420...3715-744076513

When you mix politics and religion, people get hurt. It's sad that church goers felt some sort of macabre need to ignore their pastor on this issue and for all intents and purposes run the man out of his own church. This however is part and parcel with the evangelical right in this country and it doesn't say much for that branch of Christianity. The zealots are driving people away from churches and is sad that sanctuary has been forced out over politics.

[Peter1469]

Bye

On October 11, 2020, Pastor Mannes preached his final sermon at East Saugatuck Church because he feels the congregation supports President Donald Trump too much. Pastor Keith Mannes has served at East Saugatuck Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan for the last four years.


Division due to political tension continued to increase and Mannes told the Holland Sentinel that “the church as a whole has ‘abandoned its role’ as the conscience of the state in support of Trump.” He quoted Martin Luther King saying, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.” Pastor Mannes followed King’s quote by expressing, “That just hit me hard because I think, broadly, the white evangelical community in our country has abandoned that role.”


He’s not the only one feeling this way, Mannes said, “It’s not only me, but quite a number of pastors I know are just like, ‘This is it? All this preaching we did about Jesus and there’s this big of a disconnect?’ I think that’s a real burden on a lot of pastors’ hearts. I love these people, I love God, I love Jesus, I love the church, but there’s something happening here.”


After a meeting with the Elders at Christian Reformed Church, praying together, and discussing the tensions Pastor Mannes had been feeling, he said, “It was time for me to lovingly and with great peace and loss separate from the church. It was really crushing because I’ve given my life to the church, and thankfully so.”


Article continued:
https://churchleaders.com/news/38420...3715-744076513

[Sybil Ludington]

Bye

The church is better off without him...

[Calypso Jones]

The pastor is the equivalent of the pharisees who did not practice what they preached. They did all their work for the accolades and the self satisfied moral superiority that they felt and displayed daily. Jesus called them vipers. The church IS better off without him.

[FindersKeepers]

Hopefully, the church will find a pastor more in line with their collective thinking and the pastor will find a congregation more in line with his thinking.

Probably just a bad match.