Expert: Carl Fuglein - 2/4/2010

Question
A father of a youth of our church had a new year's picture posted on Facebook showing him holding a beer (not drunk#. Upon hearing about this, after circulating the rumor mill, our Pastor told him that he could have no more involvement with our youth group #his 13 yr old daughter is a member of this group). He is also an active deacon in this church. Upon tendering his resignation, all the other deacons voted to keep him on. My question is this: Is there a scriptural basis for not allowing someone to serve in a church volunteer position because he or she drank a beer at a private gathering? The Pastor did not cite one.

Answer
I'd ask the Pastor to provide a church doctrine or scriptural reason why this father has been banned.  He can't possibly believe that all his parishoners don't drink (unless you're Quaker, and even then I wouldn't be sure).  Unless your church doctrine has specific prohibitions against drinking, then he's dead wrong.  Only the most strict churches disallow drinking.  Some churches prohibit it for deacons and elders.  If the deacons voted to keep him on, then I would presume that your particular denomination does NOT have it as a doctrinal no-no, and your Pastor has overstepped.  The deacons should go reign him in before he makes other rash judgements and rulings that he makes up on the spot.  Unless there's something somewhere in writing, he's out of line.

Carl