It is not unusual for those who have faced off with toxic leadership in the church to turn from the church. If you want to find a church of shalom, here are some hints.
Leadership Abuse
Gossip, Slander, and Reporting Abuse: Pushing Back on Poor Exegesis
One of the most hideous beliefs crushing abuse survivors within our Christian communities is that the ratting out of abusive leadership in the home or workplace is gossip or slander.
Spreading Like a Tree: Grace to Rescue the Innocent
Forgive and forget. Don't judge. Remember we are all sinners. There are actually times when grace means to pronounce judgment and bring accountability.
Deal With the Elephant: Whose Sin Is It?
I have often heard survivors of abusive leaders in the home and workplace confess their sins and in some way suggest the abuse they are living under is somehow a necessary result of their sin. Do not be distracted by the wiles of the abuser as he projects his sin upon his victim.
Aaron’s Story: Pastor as Predator
I could tell in our discussion that Aaron was the dream employee. After two years of serving in the church, Aaron came home to his wife and shared with her, “I think Pastor Gene has a man-crush on me.”
Susie and the Dictator: Assisting an Authoritarian Pastor
Susie's story is not uncommon. Her story is an example of a church work environment that is destructive and extraordinarily complex because highly authoritarian leadership is destructive and extraordinarily complex.
God’s Definition of Leadership: Concentrating on Responsibility Rather than Authority
We look for strong leaders using the world’s standards of leadership . . . not God’s. Elders in Christ's church are called to serve; this is how they are to lead. Jesus served.
God’s Leaders; Our Leaders
Are we supposed to respect them . . . or challenge them? Leaders are God's and they are ours.
It’s Not an Affair: Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse of Adults
Jada said she "felt like a prisoner set free" when she left her sexually and spiritually abusive pastor.
Touch Not the Lord’s Anointed: Respect and Accountability
Is a church leader, by nature of the office he holds, the "Lord's anointed" as David calls King Saul in 2 Samuel 1:14?