The Scriptures are quite blunt sometimes.  Even as Moses said to the children of Reuben and the children of Gad in Numbers 32:23, "Be sure your sin will find you out."

We live in an imperfect world, in which lying is often condoned or overlooked and in which bullying is quite common, but as Christians we are called to a higher standard, especially as teachers within the church.  The apostle James emphasised this when he wrote, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more severely than others", James 3:1 (International Standard Version).

As we read from the Old Testament book of Proverbs, overflowing with the timeless wisdom of God, we understand that He hates some things intently.

"Here are six things that the Lord hates - seven, in fact, are detestable to Him:  arrogant eyes, a lying tongue and hands shedding innocent blood;  a heart crafting evil plans, feet running swiftly to wickedness, a false witness snorting lies, and someone sowing quarrels between brothers", Proverbs 6:16-19 (ISV).

If these things are so detestable to God, why do some in the church today accept them from their "pastor"?  Why do they tolerate the very things God hates?

These are questions some do not want to answer, yet from a Biblical perspective, we need to speak out when we find that a man chosen by the church to shepherd or lead them spiritually, is a dishonest man who bullies others into agreement (whether openly or surreptitiously) and who manipulates situations to suit his own purposes.

We expect all of these things from godless men, but when we realise that someone in a position of trust within the church is using his authority to bully and intimidate people, or is lying or dishonest, it ought to grieve us deeply in the spirit.

In Proverbs 6:19, we have an interesting picture.  The writer refers to a "false witness snorting lies".  Just like we might imagine a drug addict "snorting" cocaine, we see the person caught up in the addiction of lying bearing false witness against another and "snorting lies".

Detached by his addiction, it is easy for him to bear false witness, even knowing that it hurts the reputations of others.  Alienated from God by his sinful lying, he no longer cares how many souls are hurt by his sinful behaviour.  He forgets that bearing false witness was a sin under the Old Covenant and that under the New Covenant there is also no place in Heaven for someone who "loves and makes a lie" (Revelations 22:15).

Little wonder such men talk constantly about the "love of God" and "the grace of God".  They do not want to be reminded of God's hatred for "a lying tongue and hands shedding innocent blood" (verse 17).

GOD'S SERVANT IS HUMBLE

Some of us have recently withdrawn from a situation in which the "pastor" of the church was (is) undeniably both dishonest and a bully.

Several times he had been caught out spreading falsehoods, exaggerating situations, telling half-truths, maligning innocent people, disregarding workplace laws and regulations, showing disrespect for those in higher authority than himself, contradicting himself, misrepresenting the reactions or beliefs of others, or trying to destroy the godly reputations of those who had stood their ground against his sinful behaviour.

Others in the church had commented on the same things, even members and past-members of the "Board", yet to our knowledge he has never apologised for or even admitted his wrong-doings, continuing the masquerade.

On our last encounter with this man, he managed to deflect the topic of discussion from his own lies to the "naivety of the Board" for putting us "on the church roster in the first place".  Yet we had not put a step out of place in over four years of serving the church.

Such arrogance is contemptible in someone entrusted with the spiritual welfare of others.  It also reflects poorly upon that person's attitudes towards those who have been elected to serve beside him as "the leadership team" of the church.

The inspired writer of Proverbs 6:17 referred to a proud or arrogant look.  Pride or arrogance in a "pastor" is not the humility that God expects of his servant.

GOD'S SERVANT IS HONEST

The gospel writer Luke spoke of men with honest and good hearts bringing forth fruit with patience, Luke 8:15.  He also recorded the appointment of "seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom" as the first deacons in the New Testament church (Acts 6:3).

Honesty is one of the primary qualities required of a pastor, elder or deacon.  Without honesty, nothing a person says or does can be taken seriously within the church.

However, our reputation for honesty is just as important in our service towards those who are outside the church.

The apostle Peter wrote, "People who don't believe are living all around you. They may say that you are doing wrong. So live such good lives that they will see the good you do, and they will give glory to God on the day he comes" (1 Peter 2:12, Easy-to-Read Version).

What if we are not living as we should?  What if these outsiders can see for themselves that we are not living by the principles we preach about?

This is especially important when the church is directly engaged in community activities for which the church is expected to provide leadership and a moral compass.  A great deal of harm can follow when people who come into regular contact with the "pastor" can see his bullying and dishonesty, or can see that he does not take his responsibilities as a community leader seriously.

As Paul wrote, we are to "provide things honest in the sight of all men" (Romans 12:17).  Anything less is a reflection, not only on the "pastor" involved, but on all of the church.

This is especially true when people outside the church know that members (and past members) of the "Board" are fully aware of the un-Christlike behaviour of the "pastor" and that he is not setting the example expected of him.

GOD'S SERVANT IS ACCOUNTABLE

Our written requests for a congregational meeting to allow members of the church to discuss these and many other things have been ignored completely by both the "pastor" and "the leadership team" of the church.

Instead the "pastor" has been allowed to twist the situation around to put the blame on those who have woken up to his duplicity and dishonesty.

As one former "Board" member acknowledged, the issue has been deflected from discussing the inappropriate and sinful behaviour of the "pastor" to focusing on a whole lot of other things which were never issues during our time at the church.  There is no other way of interpreting this but to assume it is to avoid accountability.

So why can't the elders and deacons in a church stand up and be counted?  Why have they been lulled into a situation in which they are actually condoning the sinful behaviour of their "pastor"?

The Scriptures are plain.  2 Timothy 4:3 reads, "For the time will come when people will not tolerate healthy doctrine, but with itching ears will surround themselves with teachers who cater to their people's own desires" (ISV).

This man has positioned himself in the minds of some so that they follow like sheep behind him, unable to speak the truth themselves and unwilling to shoulder the responsibility that God has placed upon them to protect others.

God's servant – whether a preacher, or elder or deacon, or one of the congregation – is accountable for everything he or she does:  spiritually, morally, financially.

GOD'S SERVANT IS GENTLE

The apostle Paul taught Timothy that, "A servant of the Lord must not argue.  Instead, he must be kind to everyone, teachable, willing to suffer wrong, and gentle when refuting opponents", 2 Timothy 2:24-25 (ISV).

Gentleness is another key quality of any servant of the Lord.  It reflects the peace that we have in Jesus, the reassurance we have of His promises, and the confidence we have in his doctrine and teachings.

As these texts show, gentleness is manifested in various ways – in the way we conduct our discussions, in our treatment of other people, in the way we react when wronged, in the way we respond when our ideas are challenged.

However, tucked away in the middle of these two verses is the word "teachable".  A gentle spirit requires us to be teachable, rather than arrogant and proud.  A "pastor" or shepherd is not always right.  If he is a Godly person, he accepts that he is fallible as much as anyone else.

A Godly leader will not seek to justify false teaching, nor will he become defensive and angry when someone challenges him to provide "a book, chapter and verse" for the ideas he presents to the church.

A Godly pastor sits at the feet of Jesus.  He meditates daily upon the Word of God and seeks to instil its wisdom not only in his own life but in the lives of those he ministers to.  He relishes the opportunity to share his understanding of God's Word and to "sharpen his sword" in discussions with others who might disagree with him.

GOD'S SERVANT FOLLOWS CHRIST

Joshua proclaimed his famous words, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15), but another generation has arisen like his in which people would rather follow after men instead of following God or His Son.

Is it then any wonder that men who lie, deceive, and twist the truth about every-day situations, can remain in the pulpit of their churches, unchallenged for their sinful ways?

Of course not.  However, the responsibility lies with us to speak as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11), to speak out against sin within the church, and to not be afraid to let God lead us rather than other men.

Moses' message "Be sure your sin will find you out" is just as fitting today as it was in Old Testament times.

 

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THE LYING "PASTOR" WHO KEEPS DIGGING HIMSELF IN DEEPER

God's Word is not ambiguous about the sort of person God wants his servant to be, yet, this is not the "pastor" that we personally have watched over the past few years.

• Instead of a leader who encourages others to contribute, we have had someone who deliberately discourages involvement from anybody whom he cannot personally control.
• Instead of a preacher who defends the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have someone who becomes defensive when challenged to provide book, chapter and verse for the things he teaches, or deaf when he does not wish to respond.
• Instead of a pastor who loves the truth, we have had someone who not only twists the truth, manipulates half-truth, misrepresents situations and circumstances, and withholds important information, but openly lies to his own congregation and contradicts himself, to the point where members are refusing to speak with him without other people being present as witnesses.
• Instead of a brother-in-Christ whom others can turn to for spiritual guidance, we have had someone who has little regard for the Scriptures and even less for the feelings of anyone he perceives stands in his way.
• Instead of a warm friend, we have had someone who has been variously described by members of the church as "cold", "evasive", "unaccountable", "cruel", "angry", "out-of-control", and as "a weasel", "a micro-manager", "a bully" and "a stalker".
• Instead of a role model that people outside the church can look up to, we have had someone who repeatedly puts the church into compromised situations in which workplace health and safety regulations and supervision guidelines have been ignored or even violated and in which others' safety and wellbeing were (and still are) being ignored or trivialised.

Friends, we are not seeing the "pattern of good works" that Titus wrote about in Titus 2:7-8.  We are not hearing the sound speech or seeing the balanced behaviour of a man of God, nor are we seeing a body of believers working together, sharing aspirations and striving for unity in Christ.

• Rather than a spirit of gentleness, we have experienced a man's anger at the very suggestion that he might not be right.
• Rather than humility, we have seen pride manifested in the need to control every aspect of the church including how many flowers are set out at the front of the meeting place.
• Rather than inclusiveness, we have witnessed exclusion as people are mysteriously dropped from the roster because they do not embrace the "pastor's" ideas.
• Rather than lowliness of spirit, we have witnessed a pre-occupation with one person's pre-eminence within the congregation, as all decisions must be run past the "pastor" and no one is apparently allowed to speak except with his approval.
• Rather than seeking the collective wisdom of the congregation, more and more decisions are being made by the "pastor" with the "Board" being seen as a rubber stamp for whatever he wants.

There is little wonder why people leave churches when they see these sorts of things – and why many never return.  God's house is not being edified; nor are God's people being lifted up.  There is only one real winner, and that is Satan himself. 

The above situations and symptoms are indicative of serious problems within the local church.  The reaction of some within the congregation to the "pastor" substituting leavened bread for the unleavened bread of the New Testament church is really not the issue.  Nor is trying to blame individuals within the church for the inappropriate decisions of the "pastor" and his "Board" the answer.

Many issues have been bubbling away beneath the surface for many months.  Trying to excommunicate two people on the pretext of the bread is deceitful and sinful.  Unless the whole congregation can openly discuss the dozens of issues they are concerned about, the church will continue to decline and individual Christians will continue to lose heart.

 

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BACKGROUND DIARY

A detailed diary of the events referred to above is available on request.

 

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© Bevan Collingwood 2015

 

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Bevan Collingwood, is an experienced teacher and community leader concerned with social justice issues and committed to following the simple pattern of the New Testament church.