I remember reading a verse like the one I mentioned once, but I am far from a Bible expert, so I can't verify it. Maybe it doesn't even exist.

Jesus' rhetoric on who is "saved" and who isn't drifts quite widely. At some points, he's pretty hard-assed about it ("I didn't come here for the Gentiles"), and at others, he spreads the net far more widely. I don't concern myself overly much with such things. I knew Christians in college who dissected every verse as though it was software code, with each word being critical to the overall program, but even back then I knew how many writers and translators the Bible had been through, and that this kind of nitpicking by either fervent believers or fervent atheists was futile. Since then, I generally try to avoid heavy-duty religious discussions.

As for church leaders, all I've got to go on is personal experience, so take that for what it's worth. None of the pastors and others I've known were in it for the ego or power. God knows there's enough other places they could have gone for that with a lot less hassle. I wouldn't have that job for twice the money (not much), knowing what they have to do.

Our new pastor (our beloved old one retired to Sparks, Nevada) is an eager young woman (well, young from my standpoint), highly educated in theology and history. Her sermons on events in the Bible have a lot of interesting background and context on the times.