Have you ever seen the British TV show Whitechapel?
The show is about detectives in London’s East End who deal with gruesome murders committed by copycat killers who emulate famous criminals. The first series deals with attempts by the detectives to detect and arrest a murderer who has been replicating the crimes of the infamous Jack the Ripper.
To find the murderer, the show’s three stars must examine crime scenes, check forensic evidence, interview those who knew the victims … and attempt to write a profile of the actual killer.
If they can create such a profile, they hope to stop more murders in the future.
Unfortunately, most churches have another kind of murderer in their midst … a clergy killer.
I first heard the phrase “clergy killer” 16 years ago when I attended a seminar for pastors and their wives. On that occasion, I was given an article by G. Lloyd Rediger about this issue.
That same year, Rediger published his pioneer work Clergy Killers.
While I will use Rediger’s phrase in this article, the rest of the work is mine.
Over the course of 36 years in church ministry (4 churches as a staff member, 4 as a pastor), I have been able to identify at least 15 CKs in the 8 churches I served in.
*3 churches had 3+ CKs, while 3 others had none.
*Most CKs were men – by a 2-1 ratio.
*3 married couples in separate churches worked in concert to force out their pastor.
*3 were board members at the time they surfaced as a CK, while one was an office manager.
*2 of the 15 died of heart attacks at inopportune times.
Clergy killers are not simply chronic complainers … or those who disagree with leadership decisions … or those who get mad and leave a church.
No, clergy killers are self-appointed individuals who are on a mission to get rid of their pastor … and they will use any means at their disposal to accomplish their goal.
What is the profile of a clergy killer? Here is a composite from my experience:
First, a clergy killer is someone who strongly disagrees with the direction the pastor is taking the church.
These are complaints I’ve heard over the years (some were directed at the pastors I worked for, some at me):
“The music on Sunday mornings is awful.”
“The church doesn’t do enough with the denomination.”
“The pastor doesn’t work hard enough.”
“The church is mismanaging its money.”
“The pastor is lazy because he doesn’t teach enough during the week.”
“The pastor is too focused on the needs of the unchurched and not the congregation.”
“This church is not run enough like a business.”
After each complaint, add the phrase, “And it’s all the pastor’s fault … so he needs to go.”
A person doesn’t qualify as a CK because they mentally toy with these thoughts, or because they share them privately with their spouse or a friend.
No, a person becomes a CK because they boldly – even brazenly – begin to share their complaints with their network at church … almost indiscriminately.
And the upshot is that since the pastor is going in the wrong direction, he must be removed.
Second, a clergy killer is someone who collects the complaints of others.
The CK knows that his or her complaints aren’t enough to eliminate the minister. They’re just opinions … and not impeachable evidence.
So the CK begins to contact churchgoers they suspect have their own complaints against the pastor … often after worship on Sundays.
The CK shares their complaints in hopes that (a) their compatriots will agree with them, and (b) share some of their own issues.
This gathering of grievances is wrong.
In fact, I’ll even go further: it’s sinful.
And if it continues, it’s downright satanic.
When I collect complaints from others, I encourage them to share their offenses with me. In the process:
*I haven’t made any attempt at sharing my own feelings with the pastor so he can explain his position or make things right between us.
*I don’t encourage others who are upset with the pastor to speak with him directly … but with me instead.
*I’m using their complaints to build a case against the pastor in direction violation of Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Timothy 5:19-21.
*I’m not interested in a fair process or in reconciliation … I’m interested in becoming judge, jury, and executioner for my network.
One pastor calls this pooling of offenses “the bait of Satan.”
Here’s the interesting thing: the pastor often finds out who is doing the complaining as well as the nature of at least some of the complaints anyway.
Years ago, when a CK went after me, he began making calls to people who had left the church, suggesting that they left because of me.
One woman vehemently denied that I was the reason she left … and proceeded to tell me what was going on … which was exactly the right thing to do. Her call provided evidence that a CK was at work in our midst and allowed church leaders to construct a strategy to force him out instead.
Just remember: if the CK had one clear-cut spiritual/moral felony to report about the pastor … like denying the deity of Christ … or an illicit sexual relationship … or stealing money from the offering plate … that might be sufficient to push out the pastor.
But because the CK can’t produce evidence of such felonies, the CK tries to pile up a host of lesser offenses instead … hoping the sheer volume of complaints will be enough to compel the pastor to leave.
And that is not the work of God.
Third, a clergy killer is someone who seeks additional power in the church.
The CK feels that he or she is superior to the pastor … smarter than the pastor … and more connected with the congregation.
Because the CK has an inflated view of their greatness, they believe that they know what’s best for the church … and that the pastor does not.
As I think about those who were CKs in previous ministries, they fall into two categories: those who had a church position and wanted greater authority, and those who did not have a church position but felt they deserved one.
The majority of CKs I have known fall into the latter category.
Some of them had once been on the church board but had not been asked to serve again, which made them resentful over time … especially when they noticed who did get onto the board.
Some of them taught a class or held a leadership role, but felt they deserved more authority because they alone knew what was best for the church.
The truth is that most CKs feel powerless in life.
Maybe they no longer wield the power they once did at work … or the government is after them … or they’re not getting along with their spouse … and they sense they can regain a measure of control if they seize power at church.
Some CKs were even called to the ministry earlier in life … and rejected that call … but still wish to be the Protestant Pope of their congregation.
If you’ve read this far, you might be wondering, “Jim, does this stuff really happen in churches or are you exaggerating to make a point?”
No, it really happens. In fact, 25% of all pastors have been forced out of church ministry by CKs at least once.
Know anybody who fits this profile so far? (I hope not.)
I’ll finish up next time.
Restoring Kingdom Builders 
It’s amazing the amount of collateral damage these people create, besides just targeting the pastors. I was talking with someone last week from a past church about this very issue. Finally, one of the elders stood up in defiance and said, “No more – we aren’t going to bend our ministry to the will of this family.” And I think that is the secret. Pastors shouldn’t have to fight these vampires independently. The congregation and leadership need to have the courage to stand with their minister. And the courage to say no. It’s amazing how many CK will melt when confronted in public and straight on.
Great post, Jim.
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Chris, thanks for reading the article and commenting. Just like toddlers, some churchgoers will keep pushing the limits until someone tells them, “No.” It’s hard for most pastors to do this because they usually lack the authority to take on CKs by themselves. This is why I believe so strongly that lay people have to receive training in dealing with CKs so they can take them on at that level. If a CK is exposed, they will sprint toward the darkness and deny they did or said anything wrong … but the exposure makes it that much harder for them to try and push out the pastor again. Look forward to your prediction tonight!
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I can totally relate to this issue. I am a preacher in a small congregation who is being terrorized by a couple of these folks. They have been doing this for years and have been allowed to get away with it. I am new to this church and they started in on me the first month I was there. I will not give in to their heretical doctrine or allow them to have any power. The men of the church are beginning to get tired of these people and a confrontation is on the horizon. I do not loo forward to this but it has to be done. These folks are merely just bullies and must be handled as such. Preachers and Pastors should not have to fight this fight alone
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Gene, I agree with you wholeheartedly: you shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.
Let me ask you several questions:
*Do you have an official board in your church? If so, what is it called … elders, deacons, or something else?
*How do the board members feel about you? Are they with you 100%? Or are one or two of the bullies on the board?
*What are their issues? Whatever they are, the real issue is that they want to control both you and the church … and the more successful you are, the less they can control you.
Two things to watch:
*What is the history of your church with bullies? Have these bullies pushed out or terrorized other pastors?
*What kind of relationships do board members have with the bullies?
If you’d like, Gene, you can write me at jim@restoringkingdombuilders.org and we can communicate more privately.
God bless you, brother! I will be praying for you. YOU CAN HANDLE THIS!
Just for some encouragement … read how Moses handled the bullies in Numbers 16, and work with your spiritual leaders to deal with this.
Jim
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I was Pastor in a local church for almost 17 years. Had good standing in the community. For some reason, a deacon leader sought to hinder my voice and influence in deacon’s meetings for 6 months and then he abruptly resigned and left the church. A few months later I voiced to the active deacon body my intent to resign effective 3 months later. My wife and I had 2 high school exchange students in our home and we wanted them to be able to continue their church and youth group experience through the end of school year. The active deacon body were united in asking the church to meet in a called business session to consider their recommendation for a honorarium, the amount to be discussed by church. That Sunday when business meeting was held, the deacon who had abruptly left the church hijacked the meeting and recommended a dismissal and one month severance. He had sought out persons asking them to express some kind of grievance to support his actions. I was not present for that called business meeting and to this day do not know the grievances. The meeting polarized the church and was loud and unseemly. My last Sunday, there were 130 people present. The following Sunday, 73. Today about 18-20 are in regular attendance.
That deacon violated both Scriptures and due process in his actions . The church has lost credibility as I became the 4th pastor in a row to have an unhappy ending. The church reignited its “clergy-killer” reputation. Ultimately most of the people saw through the hypocrisy of that deacon and voted with their feet.
Six months after leaving, I contacted and asked that same deacon why he had turned against me as a Pastor. He noted he had been offended by something I had said. “What.” I asked and he said he couldn’t remember. I asked why he hadn’t heeded the Scriptures and he admitted he had violated the Scripture because “he was uncomfortable.” Interestingly, he himself several years prior had read the scriptures pertaining to “when a brother offends you” and had urged the members to heed God’s Word, yet he himself did not.
Today, many individuals are becoming closed to the witness of the Gospel because of such churches and modern-day pharisees.
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Greetings Glenn,
Thank you so much for sharing your story. When an individual or a group attacks a pastor who is not guilty of a major offense (heresy, sexual immorality, criminal behavior), they are attacking their church without knowing it. A church of 130 people is not only viable but can have a long future. A church of 18-20 people is on death row.
I have heard many stories like yours, Glenn. One person is angry with the pastor. Often their issue is petty. They won’t tell people in the church what they are really angry about because it would make them look unspiritual. So they create charges that make the pastor look bad but really don’t amount to much. Sadly, too many Christians believe the first thing they hear in public which is what happened in your case.
I wrote a book titled Church Coup about my experience at my last church in 2009. The book is on Amazon if you’d like to look at it. It might give you some insight as to what happened in your case.
I am sorry you went through this experience. How are you doing now? Do your family members still follow the Lord? If you’d like to share any answers to my questions, please write me at jim@restoringkingdombuilders.org.
God bless you, Glenn!
Jim Meyer
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