And remember, it’s not about you or him so keep your cool and remember it’s about the children enjoying Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas Bishop...

Bishop answers letter

Bishop Moultry:

First, let me wish you a Merry Christmas and hope that your Christmas Day is filled with peace and love as you share it with your loved ones. Bishop, my husband is a pastor with about two hundred members and I enjoy being first lady and am so proud that he’s serving the Lord. I don’t know, Bishop, if I’m being fair because the church takes care of us and, besides him receiving a salary of over sixty thousand a year, his yearly pastor’s anniversary, the house we live in paid for by the church, a car for him that’s paid and also a car for me with a gas card for the both of us and health insurance for the entire family. I’d give it all up, Bishop, as first lady, if he would take time out with his two sons and daughter, all under seventeen years old.

Bishop, for the last several years on, Christmas Day, he has had to leave to go visit a member at the hospital or get food to somebody that has no food or an emergency comes up. The kids have already said, “I bet daddy will leave on Christmas Day, watch.” Bishop, I know his ministry comes first but what about the children and, me, his wife. I feel bad somewhat because the church takes care of us so well but what about his family, Bishop? I feel so bad even having to feel like this but I see not only me his wife hurting but I see his kids hurting as well. I’ve also asked bishop for him to let the kids go with him and share his Christmas Day and see how the gift of love means so much to people on Christmas Day but he says, “NO,” and that he won’t be gone long and ends up gone for hours.

Bishop, I don’t know what to do so I’m coming to you because I know you’ll keep it real with me as you’ve done so many times over the years with others who have wrote you. His family needs him, Bishop, as well!

Thanks Bishop

Signed,

Sad on Christmas

My Daughter:

First, Merry Christmas to you, your husband, and the entire family.  Next, because your husband is married, his first obligation is to his family and you. PERIOD! St. Paultalks about this, that it’s better for a man to be single to be able to serve the Lord fully and completely but your husband is not SINGLE but married and a part of serving the Lord is being there for his family. It’s at the top of the list. You and your children feel I’m sure that your husband, their father does not value them, yet values everyone else and that’s not good at all. I’ve learned in ministry that people needs will always be 24/7 as Jesus said, “The poor will be with you always,” so your husband needs to learn what I’ve finally learned to shut people out and have someone take over for him so that he can at least spend precious time with his family, not only on Christmas but the birthdays of your children, you, your wedding anniversary, etc. I’m not married and enjoy being single and in the service of the Lord yet, when it’s my time, it’s my time for ME. Just yesterday when I was driving my precious 88 year old mother to the doctor and I answered my cell phone, I quickly told the caller, “I’m with my mother, let me call you back.”

When I get 911 calls, I don’t even call back because 911 calls don’t mean anything anymore. People nowadays are just selfish and it’s only about them. Ooowee! I need to talk to your husband maybe he does not see what you’re seeing but the Spirit of the Lord is telling me... well I don’t want to mess up your Christmas.

Now, I can go on and on but I do have some concerns that your husband leaves on Christmas and won’t allow you or the children to run with him. Remember, God, takes ordinary people to do extraordinary things through his Grace. Your husband is a pastor yet human like myself and humans mess up, married or not married. It seems like your husband, my brother pastor, might be splitting his time with somebody that might not be sick. I could be wrong but I see some RED FLAGS and I’m sure you see some red flags as well.

Please enjoy your Christmas and, if your husband has to leave, I suggest you insist that you and the kids will leave with him and share as a family his ministering to the sick. You can take a food basket with you to give so the children can learn the gift of giving on Christmas Day.

 If he says stay home till he gets back, I’m sure the Lord will tell you what to do. If you cannot hear what God is saying I suggest you and him set up a counseling session with me for the both of you after Christmas because I won’t have any problems making the message “cut-throat” clear.

And remember, it’s not about you or him so keep your cool and remember it’s about the children enjoying Christmas Day.

Ooowee! Merry Christmas! 

You can e-mail bishop at bishopspeaks@aol.com, check him out on Facebook under Bishop Prince J. Moultry or call the church (216) 761-7100. Join the Bishop each Sunday 11 a.m. at the church 969 E. 140th St. Cleveland, Ohio (off St. Clair Ave) in the heart of the Collinwood Community, directly across the street from the Job Corps Campus.