Featured Clergy Killers

Unfortunate but true. In from what I have seen it seems more often than not the clergy killer is a deacon or elder of the church.

 

You have a very blessed pastor.

 

I think that's probably right. Over the years, I have watched the deacons evolve in their view of their role in our church. As a young deacon (ordained 1967), I remember hearing one of our deacons tell the pastor, "Preacher, you'd better court this board of deacons if you expect to do well here."

Obviously, this brother's view that this was a "board" meant that he considered it some sort of ruling body, and that the pastor was somehow subservient to the "board."

Then, there was a rather influential deacon who told the freshly-arrived pastor, "Preacher, if you'll check with me first before proposing something to the board or the congregation, I can advise you whether you should do it or not."

You know something? He was probably right. This deacon was well respected and his opposition or acceptance would definitely have influenced how the church voted.

It took some conflict in our church years ago to help us change the way we looked at things. The deacons adopted the attitude that we were not a "board." We concluded that we were servants, and that the pastor did not work for us; we worked for him. We concluded that he should get the benefit of the doubt in the direction he wanted to go.

That didn't mean we were always unanimous. But if there was any disagreement, it stayed within the deacon's meeting. And if I disagreed with my pastor, he'd usually be the only one who knew it.

Unity in a church doesn't just happen. It takes work. If you've ever been through a church fight, you'll come to value unity over just about anything except doctrinal truth.

And that's why, when and if a "clergy killer" surfaces, he must be dealt with redemptively, but quickly.