A Warning to the Black Church About Pastors

The time has arrived and is indeed well gone for a stern rebuke and warning to the black church about the Black Pastors and the awful state of the black church. Below is an exerpt from the first volume (of seven) in a short book series titled "Black Church Chronicles."

In volume 1, I outline the case that no one is above the word of God and those most needing to hear it, Black preachers, openly reject it when confronted with it as it concerns correction. The except begins now.

When I became a pastor, a much-beloved local leader told me, “Now that you are a pastor, our District Moderator (leader) will respect you.”

While most would chalk this up to a slip of the tongue, these words were spoken by a true-called pastor with deep wisdom who always said exactly what he meant. It was then I realized that leadership respect was often more about appearances than true calling, a realization that has deeply affected me.

There is a blessed burden carried by those who serve God. For me, it involves understanding Jeremiah’s struggles with the wayward leaders of his day and being reminded, as my momma used to say, “Boy, ain’t nothing changed but the year” (Jer. 21:1-14; 22:1-4).

This timeless struggle against spiritual corruption has motivated the urgency behind this series of devotional style books. This is also evident in modern religious leaders who, while preaching against the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’s day, have themselves become the same (Rom. 2:1-3).

An emergency call to repentance is long overdue towards the spiritual obstinacy of church leaders and, more specifically, Black pastors. I recently asked the Lord, “If these men so vehemently resist those of us You have anointed to confront them with the chastisement of Your love, what chance do Your people have?”

In His graciousness, the Lord sent a brother watchman who revealed the answer: “You assume these people are victims when the reality is that such leaders are Yahweh’s judgment on their disobedience” (Judg. 2:11-15; Matt. 24:11-13).

In this first volume, The Hireling, I reveal a detrimental church culture that corrupts the sacred and highlight that those who should protect the Bride of Christ (church leaders) are the ones leading a rebellion.

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21-23).

Here, the Lord described religious people who use His Name but do not truly serve Him. Jesus called them hirelings who are neither anointed, equipped, nor sent to care for sheep, and who abandon them, though not always physically, when danger arises (John 10:11-13).

These deceptive leaders are hard to recognize because they pretend to follow the Good Shepherd while opposing Him, resembling only a pale shadow of those truly anointed (Jer. 3:15; John 21:15-17).

They thrive uncontested and unchallenged due to the willing blindness of the sheep and the silent cowardice of the truly called, anointed, and sent.

Furthermore, after more than two decades in ministry, it has become clear that some shepherds who lead are, in fact, no shepherds at all (1 Cor. 13:1-7; 1 John 2:21).

Those claiming special anointing to preach, yet consistently rejecting Yahweh, are impostors who must be identified, confronted, and removed from leadership (1 Cor. 5:11-13).

Additionally, I know many a church pastor will read this, and I also understand the repercussions of publishing such a message, having suffered backlash from local hirelings in Waterloo, Iowa. Their demonic rebellion and vicious personal attacks were only a foretaste of what is to come—so be it (Amen)!

Locally, the tension of truth became so overwhelming that several religious leaders formed a group intending to ask me to step down from pastoring. Their reasoning was laughable if it were not so demonically deceptive: “Dale is not acting like a pastor.”

According to their logic, if I engaged in adultery or stole money, I would then be acting like a pastor—but speaking against such unholiness is deemed unholy itself.

This biblical admonition rings true: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isa. 5:20-23).

So why the visceral reaction from the supposed preachers of Jesus? When a church leader who has been idolized by Christians faces righteous opposition, both the reality of their sin and its genuine cost become evident.

More plainly, they are not worried about God but are only concerned with losing what they idolize—power, prestige, and position.

They pursue this agenda through autocratic rule, support from the congregation, the apathy of the truly called, and the use of superstitious teachings disguised as biblical theology. While presenting themselves as bold warriors ready to face any enemy of the Lord, such people refuse the spiritual integrity of self-assessment.

In stark contrast, the truly called, anointed, and sent often reflect on their own actions; however, they continue to condone the hirelings’ perjury by allowing them ongoing access to God's people.

Throughout Scripture, God raises up opposition to apathy when those charged with ministry neglect their duty to confront evil wherever it presents itself. If there had been a righteous commitment to follow Jesus's teachings on church discipline, prophets and watchmen would be less necessary (Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5:1-5).

However, a more troubling thought is that if sheep watchers (pastors) know sin is in the camp, why remain silent? Despite many church leaders possessing shelves full of scholarly material, the state of both the church and the broader Black community confirms Paul’s warning: “These sorts are always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:1-7).

One would expect that with an increase in education, there would be a corresponding increase in the spiritual condition of the black church. How, then, can such an increase in learning lead to such a profound spiritual decline?

Despite gains in financial affluence, education, and opportunities for African Americans, the church has never been in a worse spiritual condition. Our affluence has transformed the church from being led by often illiterate leaders who loved “the lawd” to being guided by educated sociopaths who have forsaken the wisdom of our forebearers.

Since the soft speech, cowardice, and insincere prayers of the church have failed, I will speak as directly as possible throughout this book for several reasons. First, this is my calling; if the Lord created me to wield the sword and challenge falsehoods, glory to His Holy Name! Second, soft language masquerading as grace is not grace at all.

Lastly, the church's current condition stems from a complete misrepresentation of Jesus as merely a nice guy when, in fact, the opposite is true. I will elaborate on this chapter by chapter, thoroughly deconstructing the theological fallacies that sheep have been fed by those intent on feeding on them. -End-

A copy of Black Church Chronicles; Vol. I, The Hireling, can be ordered by ordered directly from this site by clicking on this link. This is a direct pdf document download to any electronic device by an email link.

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