How one Kansas City pastor turned his church back to God | Opinion
Church compromise doesn’t begin in the pews — it begins in God’s pulpit. I present this piece as both warning and plea that God would call his shepherds back to their knees and restore holiness to his pulpit.
I also write hoping believers will awaken to the truth that it is not rebellion to ask questions of questionable leadership.
An important question we should ask as the church is: Who is the pastor of your pastor? To whom does your pastor confess his inner conflict? Who holds him accountable? Slight hint: If his answer is his spouse or friend circle, take it to God in prayer. A healthy framework for a healthy church is appropriate structure and order. Our pastors’ lives evangelize as much as their teachings. And because accountability is important to spiritual growth individually and collectively as the church, shepherds’ accountability matters, too.
The heaviest burden God has given me against compromised church culture is the lack of accountability among church leaders. When these leaders publicly mix church with club culture, alcohol-centered lifestyles or profanity filled entertainment, this sends a dangerous and detrimental message. This double-mindedness says that both friendship with the world and friendship with God is acceptable.
With grief, I say this isn’t true, as we learn in James 4:4: Those who choose to become a friend of the world are enemies of God.
Too many church leaders have also adopted and encourage secular philosophies such as “I am self-made,” “I always bet on me” or “Follow your heart.” This last one has become normalized in Christianity. But how? As Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 17:9, the heart unsurrendered to God is deceitful and wicked. This self-centered, not Christ-centered, belief system isn’t biblical.
All are welcome in the house of God. But somewhere along the way, welcome became confused with affirmation. You can come as you are, but you cannot lead as you are. When Jesus is in you, there will be a necessary, visible transformation.
The church has also fallen short of its required discipline. The church should correct when its leaders’ public witness reflects lukewarm lifestyles.
Multi-generational churches are not just beneficial — they’re biblical. Paul warns us of one reason for this in 1 Timothy 3:6: A novice should not be a pastor. Novices are not yet skilled in the word of righteousness, because they are babes in Christ.
One generation pouring into the next is the heartbeat of faith.
A shepherd, not a voice in a group chat
Some pastors have become so focused on being relatable that they’re blurring the lines of holiness. Shepherds are not called to be hip — they are called to be holy. Not untouchable, but set apart for a sacred work. Familiarity without reverence weakens order. A shepherd shouldn’t be just another voice in the group chat.
The church needs its shepherds’ voice to restore trust in Christian stewardship. So many Christians are reluctant to consistently support their fellowship financially, because of wounds caused by financial abuse within the church. This pain can be healed through transparency and integrity.
I was blessed to sit under the leadership of Jesse Frazier, pastor emeritus of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Kansas City — a shepherd who openly and annually showed the congregation where and how our church dispersed every cent. He moved us into a new building and 25 months later, we had a mortgage burning ceremony. He was the full-time pastor, but didn’t take a salary for one year — someone with the true heart of a servant, not a celebrity.
In 2023, Pastor Frazier retired gracefully. He lovingly transitioned to the next shepherd the fruit of his lifetime of obedience — a turnkey, debt-free, God-serving, thriving church. He and his wife, whom I consider my grandma and first lady, are two people whose lives continually point me back to faithfulness.
The church today doesn’t need reinvention. God has already spoken. The church needs recovery. It needs encouragement and hope from someone tested by fire — an earthly example of God results, not good results.
Kansas City, we are blessed to have such a shepherd among us. We should all hope he serves as a model to others.
Shay Seals is a Kansas City native and the granddaughter of the late Pastor Leslie Charles Seals.