A holy calling distorting God's Word
Faith is an important principle in my life. I always have and will continue to be proud to
say that I believe that there is a loving God.
And in this belief I am certainly not alone. There are many faith communities in Danbury. In the Brazilian community, for example, Catholic and Protestant pews are always full on Saturday and Sunday evenings. In a sense, it is a rather comforting thought to know that there are thousands who seek personal and spiritual advancement in the 11 congregations serving this community alone.
However, ancient history and current events alike have shown us that often, regardless of how noble or "holy" a cause may appear, when human beings are involved, there is a high margin for error.
For instance, when the Word of God is distorted, taken out of context, used as a weapon to hold believers captive, It has the opposite effect of Its intended purpose - rather than bringing people closer to Him, it drives them away.
Sadly, in the past week, news from the Brazilian faith community of a new pastor whose "pew-side manner" has shocked many, has come to my attention. Pastor Pablo Jimenez founded his congregation, Holy Trinity Tabernacle, at the end of last year with the financial support of local business owners Cleantes and Eliza Xavier.
His fiery, bold and at times, harsh services have attracted a small group of followers. His website portrays his ministry as focused on missionary work in India and Africa, his track record as a pastor with a passion for helping those less fortunate, and someone who has preached all over Europe and parts of Asia, sharing the good news.
I believe there are many people who answer to a true calling to serve his or her God - priests, nuns, pastors and missionaries who dedicate their entire lives to their religious beliefs and principles. I also believe that there are those who answer such a calling, but their success or popularity lead them to stray from the primary message. For example, calling church members names, humiliating them publicly, imposing financial strain and stipulating dollar amounts that define "a good servant," is most certainly not part of that sacred calling.
Rosilane D'agostinho joined Pastor Jimenez's church for six months.
"He would yell at us, call us names like 'Jezebel' [portrayed as the most wicked woman in the Bible]. I would think to myself, he cannot be a man of God treating people in such a way; God would never treat me this way. I lost my job and was unable to give to the church like I used to, and he then started a vendetta against me. I would share with him my personal struggles, and later on, he would expose it all on the radio show the church had at WFAR," said D'agostinho."I won't take away the fact that he has a talent to preach, but as a pastor, or a human being, he does not have the right to treat anyone the way he did," D'agostinho said, adding, "This experience has increased my faith and based it only in God, and not in a pastor."
Cleantes and Eliza have left the church they helped found. As publisher of the Tribuna, I have had the pleasure to visit several congregations in the Brazilian community, and this is the first time that I have heard of a pastor exhibiting such behavior towards church members.Pastor Pablo Jimenez is not a member of the CONPAS (The Council of Evangelical Pastors of Danbury), an area faith organization that has issued an official statement on the issue (see page 4).
Tribuna has contacted Pastor Jimenez numerous times for a comment, but has not heard back from him as this edition goes to press.
