Chapter 12
Pastor Gillespie’s office was inundated with phone calls for weeks following the sending out of the letters to pastors nationwide about Sis. Gillespie’s actions and the pending divorce. The church’s mailbox was overflowing with responses to his letter. Most of the pastors stood with him:
My Brother Gillespie, thank you for standing firm in your role as head of your home. This encourages me to do the same.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pastor Gillespie, thank you, thank you, thank you for taking seriously the role God has given to men. I shared the letter with my wife and told her I will do the same if she acts up. I saw a change in her this week.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pastor Gillespie, may God bless you for doing the right thing for if a man knows not how to rule his own home, how shall he rule the house of God?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My wife told me all that your wife did and how she responded negatively to your simple request during the conference. I was waiting to see how you were going to handle this matter. I highly respect you for putting your foot down. You can count me a friend for life.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I was having problems with my wife and was getting ready to give up when I got your letter. This greatly encouraged me, and I have reasserted my leadership in my family. You will be in my prayers. Call me anytime, my brother.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Of course, some voiced their disagreement over the whole matter:
This is where we part company, my brother. Divorce is not an option for a pastor. How can you in good conscience counsel others about keeping their marriages together when you can’t keep your marriage together?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pastor Gillespie, you have just lost my support. If you can’t keep your family intact, I don’t expect you to keep your church together much longer. I am expecting to hear of a church split soon.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
You have just made me look like an idiot before others. Here I am speaking highly of you and your wife and how you are the perfect couple and you do us like that. You’re a shame and an embarrassment to the cause of Christ. Don’t bother to invite me or any of my people to your national conference—if you even have it any more.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
You ought to be ashamed to be divorced and still calling yourself a pastor. You need to resign from that church and get out of the ministry completely. Am I to expect another letter stating you’re getting married again? I hope not because that would be double shame.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Well, what do you think?” Pastor Gillespie asked Mother Louise, Sis. Mona, some of his deacons, and his assistant pastor, Bro. Martin.
“We’re still behind you, Pastor Gillespie,” they all said except for Bro. Martin.
“You might want to seriously take the advice of the last letter you read,” Bro. Martin said. “Divorce and remarriage equals adultery. You don’t want to be found guilty of all three.”
____________________
“I tell you what, Bro. Martin is something else,” Mother Louise said to Sis. Mona over lunch that same day. “I smell trouble from him.”
