Sometimes in promoting our churches and ministries, there is a conscious effort to spin a public persona of what we hope to be seen as. The best example I can remember was a young minister I meet who had just become pastor of a flagship church in our denomination. I had flow in to town from Phoenix, AZ, (where I was a pastor) to visit my father, and was introduced to the new, young, up and coming, bright star, pastor of this historic local church. When I was introduced, as both son of a local church member and a pastor in Phoenix, he launched into the subject of what good friends they (he and his wife) were with Tommy Barnett at Phoenix First Assembly. From the way he talked you would have thought he and his wife had vacationed with the Barnetts, and been a guest speaker at the church or one of Phoenix First conferences. It seems he said, close personal friends more than once. Living in Phoenix, of course I had been to First Phoenix for different events (their Christmas show was on par with the old Crystal Cathedral shows), but other than shaking Tommy Barnett's hand, in nine years of as pastor in the same city, going to his church for special events and my church being less than a mile from the Phoenix Dream Center, I doubt he knew I was even in the same city (Phoenix is a big city compared to the little east TN town my dad lived in), but I would never say we were close personal friends (I did have some interaction with his staff in regards to civic issues).Now why would this young pastor talk about himself and his relationship with Tommy Barnett instead of a little something about my dad (and the four generations who had been part of that local church) or even address me as a fellow minister? Why did a young pastor need to spin his ministry in such a way he wanted me to think Tommy Barnett had personally endorsed his ministry? I do not think it was pride, but it was insecurity. Many in the ministry suffer from a fear of being considered less successful, less anointed and less likely to be moved up in position, thus driving an industry of faux persona - just the right picture of the pastor and his wife (and family) on the webpage - the use of grandiose language to describe the ministry and/or local church (we do more for God than anybody else language) - and doctored resumes. By the way, the young man did not last long at the historic church - some liked him, some did not - but what brought the end was when his wife left him. I know this happens, but when you spin the persona of being the perfect husband and father, the well-qualified minister and well-connected kingdom personality, any problem becomes a problem for those you deceived. In this case the wife showed people the man behind the curtain.I came away thinking, maybe this young man had attended a conference with Tommy Barrett, or bought a book or two, but in really be was not a close personal friend. I'm not sure he knew my father was a member of the local church either and I felt he did not relate to me as a fellow pastor. I like the next guy they got as pastor, he even visited my dad in the assisted living home.
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