7 WAYS HOST MINISTERS DISRESPECT AND DISHONOUR THEIR GUEST MINISTERS - Mfon Udoema

7 WAYS HOST MINISTERS DISRESPECT AND DISHONOUR THEIR GUEST MINISTERS - Mfon Udoema 

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Romans 13:7

In the course of doing the work of the ministry, one would likely invite other ministers to come and minister in their ministry. 

In the course of inviting people, so many ministers have disrespected and dishonoured their guests.

Unfortunately, this is done ignorantly most of the time.

The following are the ways host ministers disrespect and dishonour their guests: 

1. NOT RECEIVING YOUR GUEST PROPERLY ON ARRIVAL: 

If you invite someone to your program, especially if he is coming from another city, State, region or country, it is your duty to receive him when he arrives. 

It is your duty as a host to go either alone or with your team to the airport, park, train station or beach to receive your guest. If you have a good protocol team, they can go on your behalf but with a Senior Pastor or ministry leader from your ministry.

I have gone to preach in some places and my host just told me carelessly to find my way to the venue. 

2. NOT PREPARING FOR YOUR GUEST PROPERLY: 

A lack of proper prior preparation for your guest is a display of disrespect and dishonour for him and his ministry. 

It is wrong to start looking for where your guest will stay after he arrives. 

It is poor planning to start driving your guest around the town to search for a hotel. A sensitive thing as lodging should be planned in advance. 

I was invited to minister in a convention in 2018 and when I arrived in the city, my host took me to her house and gave me a small room which looked like a store for me to stay. Abandoned and spoiled bags, shoes and household items were in that room. It has a 6-spring mattress that was kept on the floor and the room has just one small window without cross ventilation and had no fan or air conditioning system. I refused to stay there and went and booked a hotel for myself and stayed.

3. INTRODUCING YOUR GUEST SHABBILY:

A bad introduction is a disrespect and dishonour to your guest and his ministry. No introduction is better than a bad introduction. 

When you invite someone to your ministry, take time to know his name, title and profile and introduce him properly. 

Call people by the title they accord themselves. It is not in your place to determine what someone should be called. 

For instance, if someone calls himself a Bishop, don't introduce him as a Pastor; if someone addresses himself as an Archbishop, don't introduce him as a Bishop.

4. SEATING YOUR GUEST DISHONORABLY: 

One aspect of dishonour that people take for granted when they host someone is seating. 

I remember being invited to preach in a program and while the service was progressing, someone walked in and my host asked me to get up from where I was seated and told me that the person that walked in is a very senior minister. My seat was given to him and I was asked to sit in the next row, yet I traveled from one state to another to attend the program. 

Where you keep your guest minister shows whether you honour him or not. 

I was invited to preach in a convention and my host kept me with his branch pastors and sat alone with his wife. My friend that came for the program was very angry and asked me to travel back, I am the one that asked him not to worry.

The appropriate thing to do is to seat your guest just beside you. The host and the guest should sit together. 

If you don't believe in someone, don't host the person.

5. TREATING THE SPOUSE AND TEAM MEMBERS OF YOUR GUEST SHABBILY: 

There are people that don't travel alone, they travel with their spouse or ministry team that involves drivers, Personal Assistants, secretaries, protocol officers, etc. 

Before you host anyone, find out if he is coming alone or with a team. 

If he is coming with a team and you cannot cater for the team, tell your guest in advance and if he insists on coming with a team, you drop him from speaking in the program.

However, if you accept to host a man that travels with his spouse or with his team, then you must be ready to treat his spouse or team well. 

If you treat a man's spouse or team shabbily, he will feel insulted and disrespected. 

I have witnessed situations where a man told his host that he will be arriving with a team and the host accepted but made provision for lodging for only the guest speaker.

6. MONITORING YOUR GUEST AND PLACING HIM UNDER STRICT SURVEILLANCE: 

I reiterate for the upteenth time, don't host anybody that you don't trust and don't host anybody that you don't believe in. 

I was invited to preach in a convention this year and my host came with his protocol and the media team to receive me at the airport. He took good care of me in virtually every aspect. My only displeasure was that I felt as though I was under a siege.

He kept coming to the hotel at very odd hours to see me unannounced. 

On a particular day, he came to the hotel like 4 times.

On one particular day, he came by past 10 or almost 11pm to 'greet me' and ensure that I was okay.

On another occasion, he came at night and just after a few minutes of being in the room, he headed to the toilet and told me he was pressed.

I don't know what he heard or what experience he had in the past that warranted his action.

Only God knows what he wanted to see or confirm.

7. NOT GIVING A LOVE OFFERING OR HONORARIUM TO YOUR GUEST: 

God has ordained that those that preach the gospel should earn their living from the gospel they preach. 

If you are not financially prepared to host someone, don't host the person. 

Don't host anyone if you are not prepared to honour the person.

I preached in a convention of a church and the pastor told me that he will see me later of which he did not. Another year he invited me to his convention again and I went and ministered and he still did not give me an offering. He said I should drop my account details of which he did not send anything. 

Another year, he invited me a third time to preach in the same convention and I declined. 

Nobody is smarter than anybody in ministry. 

The issue is that some of us have left every form of craftiness behind. 

Note: 

This post is strictly an administrative issue and not a doctrinal issue. 

Those that have the 'gift of argument' should take note.

Mfon Udoema