8 Dangerous Pastors Who Will

Destroy Your Church

by Joe McKeever
“Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false
circumcision … ” (Philippians 3:2).
You’re on your church’s pastor search committee? Good for you. It’s a
difficult task, one that can make or break your church for a long time
to come. But this can be one of the finest services you render for the
Lord and His church.
At first, you step tentatively into those pastor-searching waters,
testing to see if they are acidic (scary, dangerous), too deep (you’re
in over your head) or turbulent (requiring skills you do not have).
Then, you go forward.
In your search for the next pastor of the Lord’s people, there are ten
thousand things for you to know and remember, to watch out for and
to stay away from. What follows below is just one of the prohibitions,
a summation of some pastor-types you and your committee will want
to be wary of.
By the way, this is what Paul was doing with Timothy, cautioning him
against certain types who would impose themselves on the Lord’s
churches.
When he said to beware the dogs and evil workers and false
circumcision, Paul referred to those who would mutilate the church
(think of wild dogs tearing into a defenseless victim), misuse the
church (working their evil, which comes in all kinds of varieties), and
mislead the church (pushing their false doctrine, in this case that
believers had to be circumcised to be saved).
I love the way Beeson Divinity School’s Frank Thielman puts it in the
NIV Commentary, “Beware the curs! Beware the criminals! Beware
the cutters!”
All right. Beware of these preacher-types in your quest for
God’s leader for the flock …
1. Single issue pastors.
In the political realm, a “single-issue candidate” has one big item on
his mind, some change he or she wants to introduce in Congress.
They are the abortion candidates, the big-oil candidates, the
environmental candidates or the Tea Party candidates. There are
pastors like this, men who have one huge thing on their plate and all
their sermons and programs revolve around it.
A friend told me of a pastor under whom he once served. With that
man, everything was missions. And in his case, it was one country in
particular where he was always traveling to minister and taking
church groups. My friend said, “Too bad if we wanted to do something
for the children in our church, take the youth on a retreat or needed
to renovate the fellowship hall. The pastor needed those funds for
Guatemala.”
In most cases, pastors need to be generalists, not specialists. They
are called upon to be students and teachers of God’s word, to deliver
great sermons, to administer the staff, and to oversee a church that
ministers to all age groups, that ministers in the community and
touches the world with the gospel. The church needs to be
evangelistic, but also mission-minded, Bible-teaching and good
stewards. There may be a place for a pastor who does one big thing
well and all other aspects of the ministry do not interest him, but
chances are, your church is not the place for him.
Know whom you are getting. Bring a one-issue pastor to a church
needing a jack-of-all-trades and nothing good will come from it.

2. Politically ambitious pastors.

In this case, it’s denominational politics.
I’ve known pastors whose driving force was to become known
throughout the Southern Baptist Convention and be elected for high
office. Why in the world any right-thinking man of God would want
that burden is beyond me, but I suppose it takes all types.
The problem—well, one of many—is that he will be inclined to use the
church to further his goals, even to the point of manipulating
programming and misusing people.
The Lord Jesus said, “I am among you as One who serves,” and “He
who would be great among you, let him be your servant.”
So, find out if that pastor has a servant heart, and what service he is
now doing.
Before writing a letter of recommendation to a children’s home
ministry in search of their new executive director, I learned they
wanted someone with pastoral experience and administrative
skills. In the letter, I pointed out that not only did this candidate have
his degree in administration, and not only had he pastored several
churches (and every church he serves as interim wants to make him
their permanent shepherd), but at the moment, he and his wife were
working with children in the inner city of New Orleans through one of
our smaller congregations.
No one said, but I’m guessing this last detail is what clinched the
deal. It certainly did for me.
What is the pastor doing at this moment that reveals him to have a
shepherd, serving heart?

3. The predators.
Jesus spoke of shepherds who watch the sheep, hirelings who do not
stick around when the sheep are threatened, and wolves who are the
enemies of all sheep.
Pastor search committees need to know how to tell one from the
other. (John 10 is a good starting place for your study.)
A shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, Jesus said. A hireling has
no appetite for conflict, looks out for number one, is not devoted to
the flock and skips town (or locks himself in his study!) at the first
threat of trouble. The wolves are the ones who make the trouble (see
Acts 20:28-30).
As I sometimes get reminded on this blog—which we admit is
directed toward pastors and church leadership—the church’s problem
can be the preacher. Of course, this is true. And when a congregation
has a pastor who is the cancer, spreading disease throughout the
flock, its lay leadership must rise up and take action. But, for our
purposes here, we’re talking about a search committee trying to spot
the trouble-making pastor in order to avoid bringing him in.
Ask a lot of people about the pastor you are interested in.
When you finish, ask some more. Ask references for the names of
others whom you will want to call in order to have a full picture of
this minister. Consider having a member of your committee who
knows how to fly under the radar visit that pastor’s city and make
discreet inquiries about him and his church.
Sexual predators are the worst kind.
If rumors persist about a particular minister you are interested in,
don’t automatically assume the worst. Your committee should have
as its advisors one or two ministers with vast experience—either a
retired pastor or a denominational leader—who can give you his
perspective and make recommendations, but will hold everything in
the strictest confidence.
If, however, the rumors trail the minister from church to church
where he has served, you will want to pay attention.

4. The combative.
Paul told Pastor Timothy, “The Lord’s servant must not be
quarrelsome, but be kind to all … ” (II Timothy 2:24).
Your committee will listen to the pastor’s sermons and talk with him
privately enough to have an idea about this. Then, the references you
run—particularly with his former staff members—will confirm to you
one way or the other if he loves a good fight.
A combative personality in the pulpit can be entertaining the first
time or two. But a steady diet of war-making from the shepherd gets
old quick and brands your church as a warmongering congregation
(since pastors tend to make the people like themselves).
Is this pastor kind? Is he Christlike? Paul went on to Timothy, “ … but
be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness
correcting those who are in opposition … ” (II Timothy 2:24-25).
The pastor who is always spoiling for a fight has no business in the
ministry. He needs to bring himself to the cross and die there, daily if
necessary (I Corinthians 15:31).

5. The immature.
Ministers who have never grown up tend to be quick to take offense,
cannot handle correction and worry about their careers. Any criticism
is unwelcome and the critic becomes marked as an enemy.
Many immature pastors can be spotted by their use of slang, by their
adolescent clothing and hair styles, and by their discomfort in
associating with people old enough to be their parents and
grandparents.
In case anyone wonders, while I have not known such pastors, I’ve
sure heard stories about them. They’re out there.
My observation is that anyone God ultimately uses in great ways, He
first has to “break.” (Think of breaking a horse.)
Until a minister—or any Christian—sees himself as unworthy, a sinner
deserving of hell, one who dare not trust himself because “in my flesh
there dwells no good thing” (Romans 7:18), and throws himself on
the mercy of God, he’s not much good as a shepherd of God’s people.
Has this pastor been broken? Ask people who have worked with him
fairly recently; they will know.
In saying this, I’m reminding myself we were all young and immature
at one time. I’m grateful to those small churches that took a chance
on me (mostly, I expect, because they didn’t have a lot of choices,
being poor as well as small).
Second Peter 3:18 is a good reminder for pastors as well as everyone
else: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.”
The issue then becomes: Is this young pastor showing signs of
growing, of being teachable, of being able to make corrections when
shown something he got wrong? Do not go forward until you learn
the answers to these questions.
6. The mentally unhealthy.
Now, poor mental health is a problem for humanity, not just one
particular group. But you do not want in your pulpit a man (or
woman, if your church allows women to serve as shepherds) who
struggles with ego (either too much or too little), who is still trying to
find his own identity, who has anger issues and whose fragile
confidence always needs bolstering.
Such leaders are trouble.
Before telling us how the Lord Jesus shed his outer garment, took a
towel and basin of water, and stooped to wash the feet of the
apostles, John opens the curtain and lets us in on a divine secret. The
opening words of John 13 reveal to us exactly how our Lord was able
to do such a humble act:
“Now, before the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come
that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved
His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end; and during
supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot
to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things
into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going
back to God, rose from supper, laid aside His garment, and taking a
towel, girded Himself about … ”
These four verses are worthy of many hours of our reflection and
meditation. They contain a thousand insights, only two or three of
which I have grasped so far.
The one big message, the truth that jumps out and demands to be
considered, is that Jesus was able to stoop and serve in the lowliest
position because He knew who He was, knew God’s calling upon His
life, was on schedule with His life and had nothing to prove.
Insecurity will paralyze us, but knowing our identity in Christ will set
us free to do anything He commands.

7. Carnal.
I suppose this is redundant, since most of the above indicates a
pastor still fleshly and not spiritual. But I’m thinking of one pastor I
knew who always had an off-color joke to share, could always be
counted on to find a sexual slant to any incident, and who was critical
of other ministers.
Eventually, I decided that his criticism was intended to justify his
excluding himself from his brethren, a protective device lest they find
out his secrets. Only after he left that church did we hear that he was
often seen at the race track making bets, and a restaurant owner
noted that this preacher always ordered alcoholic drinks with his
dinner.
When he left our denomination, we were not unhappy. When we
found that another denomination had welcomed him with open arms,
we were saddened. I hope they know what they got. If not, they
probably found out quickly.
Paul says we will have the carnal (fleshly) in the congregations (see I
Corinthians 2). These are disciples who need to grow and rise above
activities and ways of their former life.
However, you do not want such a person to be your pastor.
Look for evidence of his spirituality. Does he read his Bible and pray
regularly, and not just for sermon preparation? Does he love people
and is there a humility in his life?

8. Loners.
Does this pastor have friends in the ministry? Does he attend
meetings of pastors in his city? Or does he isolate himself from his
colleagues as though he fears contamination?
Our Lord called His disciples to become part of the team of 12, then
sent them in pairs (see Mark 6:7). When the Holy Spirit sent out
missionaries, they went not as solo acts, but in groups of at least two
(see Acts 13:2; 15:39-40).
One of the most reliable indications of bad mental health in a pastor
is his isolation. Whether from a lack of trust of other ministers or a
sense of inferiority in himself, nothing good comes from his self-
imposed protective quarantine.
Pastors are going to urge people to come to Christ, be saved and
baptized and join the church. They are going to tell the new disciples
that they cannot live this Christian life in isolation, that they need the
family of the Lord. And they will be right.
However, they must practice what they preach. As shepherds of the
Lord’s people, they must work with other shepherds, learn from each
other and encourage each other. The pastor who cuts himself off from
others is revealing something lacking in himself and asking for big
trouble. (In Acts 20:17ff, Paul meets with the pastors/elders of the
Ephesus church. No numbers are given, but clearly there were
several of them. If the Word of God is authoritative for us, we must
pay attention to such insights.)
Eight kinds of ministers who can give a congregation big
problems if the committee recommends them.
Get lots of counsel, search committee. Get a couple of advisors from
veteran ministers in your area, men who are sworn to confidentiality,
but do not necessarily know that you are talking to both. The line in
Proverbs about there being “safety in many counselors” is dead on.
Do not fall in love with a candidate so quickly that you cut short your
background work or refuse to consider negative information you are
picking up. Talk to ministers who have served on that pastor’s staff in
previous churches and to pastors who led neighboring congregations,
and pay close attention to both groups, particularly if they are all
saying the same things.
Keep the congregation on their knees interceding for your committee.
You cannot do this without His guiding hand.

Director of Missions for the 100 Southern Baptist churches of

metro New Orleans, Joe retired on June 1, 2009. These days,
he has an office at the First Baptist Church of Kenner where
he's working on three books, and he's trying to accept every
speaking/preaching invitation that comes his way. He loves to
do revivals, prayer conferences, deacon training, leadership banquets, and
such. Usually, he's working on some cartooning project for the
denomination or some agency.
More from Joe McKeever or visit Joe at www.joemckeever.com/mt/