Thanks everyone for your input. I have been really uplifted by the posts of many people on this thread. All I set out to do this with topic is draw attention of both men of God and us, their members to this disturbing trend in Christendom. One, men of God need to go back to the basics - the bible and the one that called them. They need to realize that they are to, like someone rightly pointed out, to shepherd, to take care of the sheep. Unfortunately, many pastors or men of God these days are not shepherd that they are supposed to be. How many shepherds even care to run after a member that left their church with a view to helping the person see reasoning? These pastors are content with the 99 sheep they have with them, which is not what Christ taught. Our pastors need to know the difference between shepherding the sheep and desiring to know everything that is happening to a sheep. Pastors should let their members worship and glorify God and not the other way round. Also, they should let the members know how to pray on their own, do things on their own, face, confront and overcome life's challenges without resorting to emergency saviour - pastors, men of God.

Two, we the members are as guilty as the pastors. I guess maybe its our African tradition of idol worship that made us to always look for someone to do things for us. We want the pastor to know everything about us, our friends, our business deals, our progress, etc. We need to define when it is time to visit the pastor for spiritual guidance and going to him whenever anything happens to us or in our family. Like someone rightly said on this thread, this attitude of ours has made them to fall and unable to to resist it. So, anybody that refuses to disclose private or intimate details to pastors are perceived as not submitting or obedient. We, members should stop all these special treatment we give these church leaders as one campus leader pointed out on this thread. We are giving them a big temptation that their flesh cannot resist. Can you imagine sisters bringing food in the cooler just because this is our campus father. I am really sure they will not do the same for the brother they plan to marry. May God help u all. I am not saying we should not treat them well, far from it. All i am saying is that we should not take it too far. e.g, a wife obeying her pastor more than her husband in a domestic case that has nothing to do with the Bible. or a case where a woman receives the praise of Pastor for staying longer and doing the work of God while her husband and children suffers at home. We have a problem when we try to please a man of God and don't bother about God's approval or commendation.

In conclusion, let everyone of us draw nearer to God and pray for the grace to make heaven as that is the ultimate. Let the word of God be your guide and final statement, the word of your pastor.