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| When did you first suspect something was wrong with the new pastor? |
http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/48481-11-signs-of-a-monster-pastor
In a previous post, I wrote about "monster churches" in reference to congregations that chew up and spit out pastors on a regular basis. Monster churches are highly dysfunctional and rarely fruitful.
The congregation, however, is not always the problem. Just as monster churches are a factory of discord, monster pastors take trouble with them wherever they go.
Nicknames for monster pastors include: dictator, authoritarian and control freak.
Biblically speaking, they may be false teachers, greedy for selfish gain, deceitful workmen and ravenous wolves. They specialize in hijacking congregations and then abusing their power.
Monster pastors have little regard for the sheep (or the Chief Shepherd for that matter). Instead, their first priority is self, masked by other agendas. Such pastors may use pressure tactics, political maneuvering, and/or persuasive speech in order to manipulate a congregation into acting on their behalf.
When they don't get their way, monster pastors usually 1) move on to another church, 2) cause a stir in their current church and/or 3) blame the congregation for not following their lead. Simply put, monster pastors are building their own kingdom rather than Christ's kingdom.
As a general rule, monster pastors:
1. Are always right and never wrong.
2. Cannot accept criticism without becoming defensive.
3. Are not willing to share the pulpit.
4. Do not support other ministries.
5. Overly use the personal pronoun, "I."
6. Resist accountability.
7. Feels threatened by former pastors.
8. Surround themselves with "yes men" rather than edifying leaders.
9. Do not entrust ministry to other leaders.
10. Undermine programs that they cannot control.
11. Insist that everything in the church run through them.
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GJ - These are characteristics of controlling pastors, above. Many ministers have those characteristics. The socialistic nature of church organizations makes this worse. The easiest promotion is to leave for a better salary, home, and situation. This opens the door for church executives to play politics with the call, rewarding friends and relatives, punishing anyone who questions their infallibility. Synodical leaders are a cancer today, absorbing enormous amounts of money for themselves, taking over and eating up everything.
Here is my description of monster pastors in the parish:
- Like Bishop Martin Stephan, they think they own the bodies of their members and exploit them --men or women, boys or girls--to satisfy their egos and their lusts.
- Their disordered lives are marked by alcohol and drug addiction, often both together.
- They make money disappear, but sometimes have deep-pocket pals who bail them out and defend them. In return, these enablers are absolved for their own abusive behavior at home or in business. There is nothing better than a sugar daddy adulterer whose Mafia business ethics make the newspapers.
- The monster pastors are either incompetent or too lazy to carry out their duties, so they cover up by acting busy and taking shortcuts.
