WOUNDED WARRIORS

Surviving Antagonistic Conflict In The Church

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Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!

Sometimes there is a chance to take action, or a brief moment of time to try to take cover. But often the bombs fall without warning, and the gunshots reverberate long after the bullets have already hit their target. Civilians and military personnel alike are horrified at reports of so-called "friendly fire" incidents, when soldiers are wounded or killed by other soldiers supposedly on the same side. But what about all the "friendly fire" incidents taking place in the church these days? Numerous songs like "Soldiers Of Christ, Arise" (the background sound for this web report), "Onward Christian Soldiers," "The Battle Is The Lord's" and "Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus" testify to the fact that the church of Jesus Christ is very much like an army. In fact, as the apostle Paul himself exhorted a young "officer" in this army, "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:3). Paul's words to Timothy hint at the challenges and difficulties that can be experienced in church ministry; but truth be told, the church is the only army in the world that shoots its own wounded and assassinates its own officers on a regular basis! Why does this happen, why does the church allow this to happen, and what can be done about it? These and other questions -- and more importantly, the answers to them -- are the subject of this web report, which is made available in the hope that it will provide some assistance to the "Wounded Warriors" among us, and at the same time help to raise the awareness of the general church-going public to the very real dangers that exist in the church today.

Situation Report

Conflict isn't pleasant, but it's actually a "normal" part of human relationships. Let's face it, nobody's perfect, and conflict naturally arises when our mutual imperfections clash in interactions with one another. Consequently, conflict is also a "normal" part of the church of Jesus Christ as well. Even the apostles experienced conflict: Paul disagreed with Peter (Galatians 2:11-21), and Barnabas argued with Paul (Acts 15:36-40). At times, conflict can actually be helpful to some degree. After all, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17) and "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22). The early councils of the church in Jerusalem were no Sunday School picnics; but through the prayerful, frank and determined exchange of differing views the will of God was best discerned (see for example Acts 6:1-4, 11:1-18, 15:1-29). But there is a form of conflict in the church that is distinctly unhelpful, goes far beyond what can possibly be considered "normal," and although it was certainly present in the 1st century church to a limited extent, it has now apparently reached epidemic proportions in the 21st century church.

This type of conflict has been given many different labels over the years, all of which are helpful to some degree in trying to understand the nature and scope of such conflict. The term "antagonistic conflict" has often been used, and this is the term that will be used in this web report. As the term implies, "antagonistic conflict" arises from "antagonism," which has been defined as "hostility that results in active resistance, opposition, or contentiousness" (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd edition, Houghton Mifflin, 1992). That's certainly not what you would want to find -- or even expect to find -- in the church, which is supposed to be both the "bride" and the "body" of Christ: the living, continuing presence of Jesus Christ on earth. But find it you will, and you'll often find it centring around one person, or perhaps a small group of persons, that must regrettably be thought of as the "antagonists" in the conflict. Again, the dictionary defines an antagonist as "one who opposes and contends against another; an adversary" (Ibid.) You may be forgiven if you thought that particular job description was already claimed by another Biblical figure (see 1 Peter 5:8 KJV), and in fact the destructive influence of some hard-core antagonists really can seem nothing short of demonic at times. By and large though, antagonists often feel that they have only the best of intentions in mind, and may genuinely believe that they are motivated only by a sincere, heart-felt desire to serve God; and while collectively it might be nice to think that such was always the case, in reality these intentions and motivations are perverted by the "carnal" sin nature, something that we all share in. Though it's certainly a catchy and thought provoking label, true antagonists are really not "well intentioned dragons," the term we often use in church circles (see for example an excellent book by that title listed in the "Resources" section below). Instead, as author Kenneth C. Haugk (also see the "Resources" section below) identifies them, "Antagonists are individuals who, on the basis of nonsubstantive evidence, go out of their way to make insatiable demands, usually attacking the person or performance of others. These attacks are selfish in nature, tearing down rather than building up, and are frequently directed against those in a leadership capacity." (Antagonists In The Church, Augsburg Publishing, 1988).

Let's be clear: just about anyone in the church can potentially become the victim of antagonistic conflict. But by and large, most of the victims are persons in key positions of ministry and leadership, persons whose style and/or substance of ministry brings them into the cross-hairs of the antagonists. And since pastors, priests and other clergypersons are usually the most obvious and visible members of the church's ministry and leadership team, they are likewise usually the first to be targeted. And targeted they most certainly are... and after the targeting comes the attack.

Exact figures are hard to come by, because many victims of antagonistic conflict are either unable or unwilling to identify that they have been victimised. But chances are, whether you are a member of the clergy or of the laity -- and even if you yourself have not been targeted or attacked -- you probably know of someone that has been. As I was researching material for this web report, I was surprised and disturbed at the large number of people who indicated "I know a minister that went through that," or "Yes, that happened to me too!" What figures we do have tell an even more troubling story, however. Sadly -- yet predictably -- incidents of antagonistic conflict often result in the pastor being "forced out" of the local church. Granted, there are obviously times that pastors should voluntarily leave the local church, as for example when God leads them into a specialized ministry that the church is unable to facilitate. Pastoral transitions -- for all the right reasons -- should therefore be seen as a normal part of the life of the church. On the other hand, pastoral terminations should never be seen as a normal part of the life of the church. There are of course some exceptional situations where termination may regrettably have to be considered (as one of many escalating options), as for example in the case of pastors who are themselves abusive antagonists, ruling their churches with an iron fist and with a motto of "it's my way or the highway!" Other situations where termination might have to be considered would be in cases of outright heresy, sexual impropriety, financial misconduct or gross professional incompetence; and yet in all such cases there should be consistent and positive attempts at redemptive and restorative rehabilitation. Such, however, is clearly not the case, as pastoral terminations have apparently become the norm, rather than the exception. A study conducted by Leadership, Christianity Today and Your Church magazines reported (Leadership, Winter 1996) that of the pastors responding to the survey:
- 22.8% had been forced out of office, either by being terminated outright or by being forced to resign
- One out of four (or 25%) indicated having been forced out of office more than once
- 34% indicated that their immediate predecessor at their present church had been forced out
- 62% indicated that the church that had forced them out had done so at least once before to other pastors.

Those of course are just the raw percentages gleaned from one very limited study. Actual "body counts" are even more shocking. It has been suggested that somewhere between 17,000 and 20,000 pastors are forced out each year in North America alone (and these figures do not, of course, include the many lay victims of antagonistic conflict in churches, Christian ministries and other para-church organisations). And we're not just talking here about "losing your job." The personal cost of being targeted and attacked in an incident of antagonistic conflict is incredibly high (see the "Aftermath" section below). And one can only begin to guess at the damage that is inflicted on the local church, on the local body of believers in other faith communities, on the denomination, and on the body of Christ at large when this is allowed to happen, when "open season" is declared on pastors and on anyone else that would seek to stand up against "the enemy within the fold."

If the armed forces of your country sustained that kind of a casualty rate, you can well imagine the uproar that would result, and the political pressure that would be brought to bear to address the matter and to seek speedy solutions to the problem. But for the most part, the church is strangely quiet about the matter. We don't talk much about the subject of antagonistic conflict in the church, and what little we hear is often in the form of whispered rumours and vague suppositions.

One reason for this is a matter of pragmatics. By and large, pastors are transients, in that they are usually called (or in some cases appointed) to a church outside of their own community. No matter how long they live and minister in their new community, they will always be considered by some to be "outsiders", and they are expected as a matter of course to move on at some point in time. It's been estimated that it takes the average pastor between four to eight years to gain the trust of the people that he or she is called to minister to, yet the average pastoral tenure in many denominations is said to be only two to three years, and even less for a youth or associate pastor. The initial pastoral "honeymoon period" is usually over within a few short months (and in some cases much earlier). Conflicts inevitably arise, and if the opposition intensifies and the conflict becomes increasingly antagonistic in nature, even lay people who would like to support a pastor undergoing an attack are "caught between a rock and a hard place" as it were. They realise that while the pastor has the "option" of leaving (whether voluntarily or not), they themselves must usually remain behind in the same community (and usually in the same church) to live and work and somehow fellowship alongside of the antagonists... a prospect which even the hardiest of souls may find a bit too daunting. Even at the denominational level, away from the perils on the local battlefield, it's usually deemed to be much easier to simply ignore the matter altogether, or to cover the conflict up and move the pastor on to another church, or even to uphold the pastor's termination from ministry altogether (even at the cost of settling a lawsuit), than it is to deal with the root cause of the antagonistic conflict in the local church. And, let's face it, "money talks." Antagonists are often well connected within the denominational structure, and may also be very generous contributors to various ministries. Consequently, denominational officials burdened with the responsibilities of operating effective, appealing and broadly supported programs on tightly balanced budgets may feel that they just do not need the added political and financial problems that would arise from having to confront an antagonist. Small wonder then that some pastors feel that they have become nothing more than expendable canon fodder.

Another reason of course has to do with denial, both personal and communal. It is difficult to admit that there may be snipers in the sanctuary and assassins in the assembly, or that "the good ship Grace" can be crewed by a mutinous gang of cut-throats. Even such analogous images would be thought by some to disparage the name of Christ. But as Christians, we are commanded to "love one another" (John 13:34-35), and yet also to speak "the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). True healing can only begin when we face the truth about ourselves, and about the church, for "the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

Enemy Attack

Every case of antagonistic conflict is unique, arising as it does from the subjective interactions of two or more individuals within highly variable local and denominational church contexts. That being said though, while the details of antagonistic conflict "attacks" will vary from case to case, there are a surprising number of common elements that can be identified among them. These elements are described in great detail in a number of the books listed below in the "Resources" section (see in particular Antagonists In The Church and Well-Intentioned Dragons), and involve all manner of things such as personality traits, theological perspectives, behavioural characteristics, typical catch phrases, and general body language, including posture and facial expressions. Though all the elements will likely not be discernable in every case of antagonistic conflict and in the attacks that proceed from it, the presence of even one of the elements should give pause for careful and above all prayerful consideration of what the exact nature of the conflict is and what the best approach to address it should be.

There are three major elements common among many incidents of antagonistic conflict that require particular mention. Chief among these is a notably "negative spirit", which predictably brings about negative results. As noted above (see the "Situation Report" section), conflict can actually be helpful at times in the life of a church or a pastor, just as a little "good stress" is supposed to be beneficial for one's health. But there is nothing positive about antagonistic conflict. And though it may at times be couched in supportive phrases, there is nothing supportive about the criticism that antagonists are evidently eager to give but very reluctant to receive. In the words of the Lord Jesus, "by their fruit you will recognize them" (Matthew 7:20), and the fruit of antagonists is readily identifiable over the long term. It stands in marked contrast to true godly wisdom, which James characterized thusly: "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17). The criticism by antagonists is anything but that. It is destructive rather than constructive in nature, tearing down rather than building up, condemning rather than affirming. Seasoned soldiers and experienced pastors alike know that constantly being "in the line of fire" can be very wearing on both body and soul. Yet while a constant barrage of criticism can have a profound effect on the pastor's emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, there is an even greater threat to consider. As Marshall Shelley (see the "Resources" section below) points out: "Perhaps the greatest damage done by true dragons [antagonists] is not their direct opposition. It's more intangible. They destroy enthusiasm, the morale so necessary for church health and growth. People no longer feel good about inviting friends to worship services. The air is tense, the church depressed, and everyone aware of 'us' and 'them.' The effect on pastors is equally serious. They sap the pastor's energy, and goad him into reacting instead of acting. 'The real problem isn't so much their overt actions,' observes a veteran pastor. 'But they divert your attention and keep you off guard even if they never openly oppose you. You find yourself not planning, not thinking of the future, not seeking a vision for the church -- you're just trying to survive' " (Well-Intentioned Dragons, Bethany House Publishers, 1994, copyright Christianity Today Inc., 1985).

The second major element common among many incidents of antagonistic conflict is that the conflict often becomes highly "personalized." As Shelley alludes to above, in antagonist conflict there is often an "us versus them" mentality at work, and actual issues that may initially have had some part in the conflict soon take a back seat to increasingly interpersonal strife. An interesting example of how pervasive this tendency can be is to be found in a much broader context in the build-up to the recent Iraq war. Whatever your personal view of that conflict and of the parties involved, it's worth noting that the presumably genuine concern on the part of the Coalition leadership regarding the alleged existence of unconventional weapons in Iraq (the so-called "weapons of mass destruction") eventually transmuted into highly personalized animosity against the Iraqui regime itself, reflected in increasingly incendiary comments issued both officially and unofficially from Washington and London that almost rivalled in tenor (if not in the graphic and often wildly fanciful details) those issued from Baghdad itself (and as far as personalizing conflict goes, fortunately most pastors don't end up with their pictures on the back of playing cards). Casting back to a global conflict from the previous century, it's as if the antagonist has taken a page from Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf: "The art of leadership... consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention." It's at this point that pastors can feel as if someone has painted a big target between their shoulder blades, as it becomes apparent to all but the most naive that the antagonist has lined up a victim in the cross-hairs of his sights. The church is soon divided as people are forced against their will to choose sides in the conflict... and if they don't line up alongside the antagonist ("You're either with me... or against me!"), they must be prepared to suffer the personal consequences.

The third major element common among many incidents of antagonistic conflict is a more-or-less obvious play for power. Whatever the stated intentions of the antagonist, the real issue may be one of power, and about who gets to make the decisions in the church. As the British historian Lord Acton is often quoted, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Antagonists caught up in a power struggle will often stop at nothing to feed their relentless hunger for more power.

These common elements, and many others besides, can be thought of as "danger signals", in that their presence in a church conflict should alert us to the very real possibility that the conflict is actually antagonistic in nature. Ideally, the early identification of these "danger signals" in a given conflict would allow the matter to be dealt with in a forthright and yet redemptive manner. Unfortunately however, just as in the rest of life, church battles are not always fought under ideal conditions, nor do they always lend themselves to textbook solutions. Early identification is not always possible; and even when it is, sometimes the conflict is of such a vicious and virulent nature that it cannot possibly be addressed through normal means of conflict resolution. And sometimes, despite the very best efforts of the defenders, the battle can effectively be over before the first shot is even fired.

The following fictional example of an attack has been compiled from a number of separate reports of actual conflicts in various churches and denominations, an amalgum which for the purpose of illustration tries to highlight some of the more common elements of antagonistic conflict, while at the same time also strives to protect the identities of those involved in the original incidents through a condensation and alteration of many of the details. It must be emphasised that while the names and events in the following account are fictional, the kinds of people portrayed are unfortunately very real, as is the emotional, social, physical and spiritual upheaval that results when pastors and other church leaders are targeted and attacked by enemies from within the ranks:

A Pastor's Story

In many respects Reverend James Paynton's honeymoon period at Bethany Community Church was practically over before it even began. An experienced pastor with enough grey hairs to reassure the seniors that he had "paid his dues" but with a young enough family to hopefully attract some new townspeople to the church, "Pastor Jim's" calling to Bethany had been somewhat controversial from the very beginning. The church had once been a vibrant and very influential member of her denomination; but in the last decade or so had seemed to have fallen on some hard times. Membership had hit a statistical "plateau," though it was the opinion of some (both within and without) that the church was actually in a state of decline. One pastor after another had left the church after only a short time in office; some supposedly voluntarily, but it was whispered that a number of them had been given more than just a little help to find the exit door. When the possibility of Jim being invited to preach a call to the church came up, the Conference Minister took Jim aside and confided that there were indeed some problems in the church of a "personal nature", and he cautioned Jim to be particularly wary of someone who probably had "only the best of intentions," but had previously garnered the reputation of being "a bit of a dragon."

Time being of the essence in the few weeks remaining before the denomination's annual convention, Jim was whisked through the candidating process. When it eventually came time for the pastoral vote, he had hoped for the affirmation of a "more-or-less unanimous" result, but just as had already been intimated to him by a number of confidants in the denomination, it was apparent that there was a small yet significant group of persons in the church who were not exactly keen to endorse his candidacy. A few rumbles of both private and even public discontent could already be heard. Consequently, Jim and his wife Kathleen were initially disinclined to accept the church's call, but after fielding a number of very positive phone calls and e-mails from the Conference Minister as well as from some (though notably not all) of the church's governing board members, they decided to accept the call anyway, and plans were made to move the family to their new field of ministry.

As it happened, Tom Clarke, the Chairman of the Church Board and one of the persons who had first championed Jim's candidacy at Bethany, was out of town on a business trip for the first few days of Jim's new assignment, and Jim was bemused to see that the mantle of responsibility for "showing our new pastor the ropes" had fallen on the shoulders of another board member, Bob Carlisle, the very man whom Jim had been particularly cautioned about. Not being overly suspicious by nature, however, Jim was in fact reassured by Bob's initial warmth and charm, and soon found himself opening himself to a number of helpful "suggestions" that the man seemed keen to offer Jim. For the most part the ideas made sense, although some of the details and some of the attendant comments that Bob offered seemed to Jim just a trifle quirky.

In fairly short order though there came a time when Jim just couldn't go along with what Bob was proposing, and there was a very immediate and very tangible cooling of the relationship between the two men. Soon afterwards, Pastor Jim began to receive what eventually became regular visits from some of the other board members, hinting that all was not well, and sharing a number of different "concerns," many of which through some careful pastoral detective work Jim was able to trace directly back to Bob, the recently rebuffed board member. Jim handled these "concerns" as best he could, acting on those he felt he should and yet also accepting the others on advisement; but instead of diminishing in volume, the criticism only seemed to grow. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't "lose any sleep over the matter," but instead would prayerfully "commit it to the Lord." Jim felt peace about this approach at first; but as the criticism continued over the following weeks and months it seemed to become sharper and more personal, and Jim eventually found himself becoming so preoccupied with the constant haranguing that he had a hard time focussing on many of his pastoral and personal responsibilities.

Jim could feel the pressure mounting, and he wasn't alone in feeling the pressure. At first the rebuffed board member kept somewhat hidden behind the scenes, but eventually became a little bolder and began to use the Church Board meetings as a platform for his now scarcely disguised disenchantment with Jim and his ministry. "A lot of people have expressed their concerns to me, Pastor..." Bob would begin by saying, though when Jim once thought to ask Bob to give him specific names of people he somehow managed to deftly sidestep the request. Board morale, which Jim had noted at the beginning of his term was rather low to begin with, dropped precipitously, as did the general morale of the church, even before the conflict was apparently moved from the board room into the church sanctuary itself. Trying as hard as he could to keep his heart and mind fixed on God, on many occasions Jim literally had to pinch himself in frustration and growing desperation during the worship services, as Bob and some of his family members caused all sorts of annoying little distractions and disturbances. Jim eventually became somewhat immune to the private chit-chats and disengaged body language, the vacant stares and even angry glares of Bob's family and associates; though others who shared the platform with Jim as well as a number of visitors to the church were concerned enough to remark to him about the more obvious behaviours. But Jim was particularly unnerved on more than one occasion when he caught sight of a very peculiar rictus on Bob's face. It was not so much a sneer as it was a smirk (which Jim likened to that of "a demented Cheshire cat"), almost as if Bob was somehow enjoying what he was putting Jim and the church through. So as the time came for nominating the next year's candidates for officers and ministries in the church approached, Jim was not at all surprised to receive a desperate phone call from Tom Clarke, indicating that he was so fed up with how the board was being "hijacked by Bob and his cronies" that it had begun to dramatically affect both his waking and sleeping life, and that he felt he had "no other choice" but to step down as the Chairman of the Church Board. Jim could certainly relate to the effect that the constant haranguing and sense of oppression in the church were having on his own life; but he felt torn between wanting to respect Tom's need to protect his personal life and yet also wanting to prevent what he could envisage happening at the church's upcoming Annual Meeting -- with Tom Clarke stepping aside, Bob Carlisle was the most likely candidate to be voted in as Chairman. And that, thought Jim to himself, would be "the beginning of the end."

Jim was wrong about it being the beginning of the end, of course. The beginning of the end had actually taken place long before Jim and Kathleen and their kids had even come to Bethany. But sure enough, in a few weeks time at the church's Annual Meeting, things transpired pretty much as Jim had anticipated they would. Tom Clarke's resignation was not the only resignation that had been received in the interim by the Nominations & Appointments Committee, as a number of other board members also stepped down citing all manner of "personal reasons." The resulting board was now heavily stacked with Bob Carlisle's sympathisers, and Bob became Chairman almost by default. This seemed to give Bob added impetus for mischief, and his demands on Jim and his aspersions upon his performance became even more public and more pronounced.

Jim "pretty much knew that the writing was on the wall" when he received a number of phone calls from different members of the congregation alerting him to what was going to be a clandestine meeting of the Church Board. The meeting was clearly unconstitutional, and though he briefly entertained a fantasy about crashing the meeting and flourishing a copy of the Constitution & By-Laws about, Jim realised that it would be "about as effective as Don Quixote tilting at windmills," and so he decided to wait and see what developed.

Having always thought of himself as a team player, Jim had tried to keep the Conference Minister as well apprised of the local situation as he could. He dutifully fired off yet another "heads-up" memo by e-mail to the Conference Minister's office, but without much hope that the cavalry would be in any position to come to his rescue, if indeed a rescue was actually required. Jim wasn't sure. He admitted to himself that he was no longer sure about a lot of things these days. In particular, Jim also realised, he wasn't even sure if he really wanted the cavalry to come charging over the hill. Jim had faced numerous ministry challenges in the past, and had certainly weathered his share of controversies and conflicts in the church. He smiled as he recalled one particularly divisive conflict that he had been forced to intervene in at a previous church, a conflict involving -- of all things -- what colour to paint the re-modeled entrance foyer. Much to the chagrin of an interior designer and a number of visual artists in the congregation, by sheer weight of numbers the more aesthetically conservative "Beige Brigade" had prevailed. Gracious in defeat, instead of closing her chequebook or withdrawing her membership in protest as some had feared she might, the designer had set aside her own artistic values and kindly volunteered to help out with the painting, and thus the conflict was amicably resolved. But this present conflict at Bethany was certainly nothing to smile at. It was obviously far more than the typical tempest-in-a-teapot church squabble between two opposing groups with two opposing views, and unlike most conflicts that he had faced before, it had obviously become highly personalized. It wasn't likely to be so amicably resolved, either, particularly since Bob seemed to have adopted a "take no prisoners" stance. Jim felt like he had become a moving target on Bob's personal rifle range. What was Bob really after? Was it all just a power play, a gambit to take over the reins of the church? Again, Jim wasn't sure. Nor was he sure if he could see any resolution for it, short of a very dramatic divine intervention. "But with the spiritual climate of the church being what it is," he thought glumly, "what real chance is there of that?" If indeed that was the case then, was it time to sound Retreat? "Nah, that's Monday morning thinking," Jim argued with himself; and yet the question lingered unbidden at the edge of his thoughts for a long time afterwards.

The secret board meeting took place on a Thursday night, and by early Friday afternoon Jim had received an uncharacteristically terse telephone call from the Conference Minister's office, requiring that he present himself on Monday at the denomination's headquarters many miles away for an "emergency consultation."

After spending an agonizing weekend in prayer, a weekend made even more difficult by the duties of having to lead the Sunday worship services and preach the gospel of love and grace to those who evidently had it in for him, Jim found himself on Monday being ushered into a private meeting with the Conference Minister. Gone was that man's usual easygoing bonhomie, replaced by an attitude of what Jim took to be a mixture of sympathy and grim determination... and something else that Jim was reluctant to put a name to.

"I'm sorry it's come to this, James," the Conference Minister began, conspicuously using Jim's formal first name while seating himself behind the protection of his desk. He pushed across a photocopy of a fax from the church. Jim's church. Or at least, what had once been Jim's church. Things had obviously changed. The fax, originally on official church letterhead, ran to six pages in total, and began by outlining all of the "concerns" that Jim had first heard of from Bob Carlisle's messengers and then eventually from Bob himself, with the addition of some new ones as well, presumably thrown in for added impact. Taken individually, most were arguably inconsequential and non-substantive. More than a few were speculative or even downright fictitious, and Jim thought that a number of them might even be considered maliciously defamatory and slanderous. Taken as a whole though, lumped together as they were and then expanded upon in righteous sounding "God talk", they certainly did not paint a very good picture of the Lord's servant-leader at Bethany Community Church. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jim carefully read through the fax, then scanned through it a couple of more times, hardly believing what he was reading. Things being what they had been of late, Jim had gone into the meeting expecting the possibility of the worst; but nothing in his training or prior ministry had prepared him for what he was now experiencing. Finally he looked up and asked the Conference Minister an obvious question.

"Your situation at Bethany is no longer tenable, James," came the reply. "Had this come from just one or perhaps even two disgruntled board members I could probably have handled it for you; but as you can see this comes to me with a formal resolution of Bethany's Church Board, signed by each and every member of the board. Now look, I'm under no delusions that a few of those signatures weren't browbeaten out of your remaining supporters. I warned you, remember; but it looks like you've made yourself some powerful enemies. And you know me well enough to know that I don't use that term lightly. They want your head on a platter, and it looks like they've pegged me as the headwaiter. I no longer have any choice in this matter, and so neither do you. The only real choice you have is about when you want to resign. Frankly, if I were you I'd tender a resignation effective immediately; but you technically do have the option of simply letting the present term of your contract with the church expire. I think that might still satisfy them. Either way though, without the support of your board, you're history."

The meeting didn't last much beyond that point. Jim promised to let the Conference Minister know of his decision regarding the timing of his resignation as soon as possible. He can recall very little of his long drive home the rest of that day, his soul and his mind were in such turmoil. He kept asking himself over and over again "How could this possibly happen?" Jim was no greenhorn when it came to conflict in the church; but his experiences over the past few months, coupled with the toxic vitriol in the fax that he had been given to read, went far beyond anything he had ever known of or even heard of before. As the miles dragged on, another question began to creep into Jim's thinking: "Where is God in all this?" Experienced pastor, counsellor and student of Scripture that he was, Jim had no answer for this most difficult question either.

He was lucky that the route home was fairly familiar to him, as his mind was on everything but the road ahead. He wondered how he was going to make sense enough of everything to try to tell Kathleen, without crushing her spirit; or, alternatively, without "getting her Irish up." A phone call ahead on the car cell was out of the question, of course. She must have been watching through the living room window of the parsonage for his car, for by the time he had walked up the front steps she was there to open the door for him. They had been married long enough and had served the Lord together in enough challenging situations that all it took was a quick glance at each other, and Kathleen knew the most of it, if not the worst of it. That part required a rather lengthy telling, and at the end of it there remained more questions than answers. For her part, Kathleen took the news "like any 'good' pastor's wife": reeling from her own shock, pain, disillusionment and anger, she still managed to find the strength from somewhere or from Someone to comfort Jim as best she could. He'd like to think that he did the same for her; but doubts he came anywhere near her mark.

The rest of the week played itself out in one gut-wrenching event after another. First of course they had to tell their own children, and then their families back home. In a valiant though likely misguided attempt to put the best face on things, they told their three school age children nothing about the real reasons that they would be leaving Bethany so soon; but in their hearts they knew that the kids were likely clever enough to be able to piece most of the story together on their own anyway... and who was to say if their versions of the truth would be any more or any less valid than anyone else's? Jim had decided to officially tell the church about his resignation the coming Sunday morning, but he and Kathleen both felt that there were some people in the church that deserved to have at least some prior warning "before the bomb dropped." Though they all seemed saddened to hear the news when told, few seemed all that surprised, and as one of them observed wryly, "Well, you're sure not the first pastor to go through this in this church, Jim, and if it's any consolation to you, Jesus Christ himself wouldn't last long here!" Predictably, most wanted to know the details of what had happened, and Jim and Kathleen shared with each of them as much as they felt that they could from their own level of understanding, while still trying to maintain some semblance of professional confidentiality. Many asked probing questions though, which they fielded as best they could, but when one person asked "How is it that the entire congregation had the opportunity and the privilege to call you as our pastor, and yet all it takes now is less than a handful of people to band together to get you fired?," neither could come up with an answer. And so it went, from visit to visit, from phone call to phone call, and from day to day. The worst day by far though was Thursday, when they had to tell the Young People's group that they would be leaving the church. The guys handled it pretty well each in his own way, and after all, many of the older youth had already said goodbye to more than their fair share of pastoral families recently; but a number of the girls still retreated to the washroom with tears streaming down their faces. Jim gritted his teeth and resolved in his heart that if there was any justice in the world, of all the things that his opponents should one day be called to account for, "making those kids cry" would be "at the top of the list!"

Sunday dawned... well, Jim has no memory now of how that Sunday actually dawned, though he was certainly wide awake to see it happen. The church seemed a little fuller than usual, as indeed it was. Somehow Jim managed to struggle through the morning service, and even managed to crack a decidedly lame joke before beginning to read his letter of resignation after the closing hymn. Jim was glad that they had told some people in advance and without binding them to secrecy; as it was though, the news still seemed to take some people quite unaware. There were a few cries of dismay, and some looks of stunned silence. And, Jim couldn't help but notice, a few barely disguised looks of immense satisfaction.

Not wanting to yield the field of battle to the victors any earlier than he had to, against the advice of the Conference Minister and many of his other pastoral colleagues that he had contacted, Jim had decided that he would try to tough things out until the end of his contract, which was just a few short weeks away anyway. The rest of his short term as pastor was pretty much a "lame duck" affair, however. Jim lost track of the number of events, projects and future goal planning activities that he deleted from his Palm. There was a final round of pastoral visits, and a group of the family's friends from the church and the community held a rousing send-off for them. The official church send-off on Jim's last Sunday was a more surrealistic event: on the downside all of their "enemies" were there, but on the upside most of their friends were also able to be there as well, and the family all seemed to draw a tremendous amount of strength from their presence. As Chairman of the board, Bob Carlisle got to play the role of Master of Ceremonies for the event, and even Jim had to admit that it was the performance of a lifetime.

There had been many hard things to endure that day, as one would expect a day of bittersweet goodbyes to be, but one of the hardest of all was contained in Kathleen's report of a conversation she had overheard involving Tom Clarke -- the former Chairman of the board, the man whom Jim recalled had once promised him "I'll stick with you, Pastor Jim, through thick or through thin!" -- telling another church member "Well, yes, it's too bad really; but Reverend Paynton brought this all on himself!"

With the Ryder moving truck idling in the church parking lot, by tradition Jim's last official duty on that final day would have been to pen a Term of Service Report into the official Register of the church. Jim remembered having read the reports of the previous pastors shortly after beginning his own term of service at Bethany, marvelling at the accounts of how God had moved so mightily in the past, of the many blessings poured out on the church, and how there had been such a fruitful harvest in the church services and at the evangelistic campaigns of the past. At the time, he had wondered why his immediate predecessors of the last decade or so had not continued with the tradition of writing the Term of Service Report in the Register; but now he felt he knew the reason why. Maybe it would be different for the next pastor. Maybe. Jim could only hope so. He let the pen slip unused from his fingers, and with a brief prayer he closed the Register, placed it carefully back into the archival cabinet and locked it safely away. He placed the key ring with all of the church and parsonage keys into the top drawer of the desk in the pastor's office, took a lingering look around at the empty bookcases, the empty pews, and finally the empty pulpit, then turned off the lights and slipped for one last time out the front door of the church. For this wounded warrior, the battle was finally over. But the war continues to this day.

Aftermath

The day to day battle in the pastoral trenches can be hard enough at times. Conflict, and especially antagonistic conflict, takes an added toll. But at some point as described above (see the "Enemy Attack" section), if you are in the sights of an antagonist there may very well come a time when a carefully aimed bullet hits home, or a particularly destructive bomb drops and explodes.

The aftermath of such an attack can never be known immediately. Some wounds are obvious, and others less so. Some wounds are superficial, and others penetrate deep to the core of one's being. The personal cost is different for everyone, and sometimes it takes a number of years (or even the rest of a lifetime) to add up the final toll. In general terms though, as Guy Greenfield (see the "Resources" section below), himself a survivor of an attack points out, "Abusive persons do considerable damage to the life, welfare, career, and future of the ministers they attack. When a minister is abused and wounded, there is much collateral damage inflicted on the minister's marriage, children, health, peace of mind, as well as his faith, his retirement, and his idealism. Abusers rarely if ever understand, much less care about, the extent of the damage they do to a minister. Other church leaders, who allow this to happen, need to realize the extent and breadth of the damage they permit through their passivity" (The Wounded Minister, Baker Books, 2001).

Just as with a traumatic physical wound, your first reaction to an attack may be one of shock. This is only natural. And your first basic instinct will be one of self-preservation, the classic "fight or flight" response. This too is only natural, and entirely in keeping with the instincts that God endowed us with when He created us. But as the spiritual shepherd of the church, and until such time as God releases you from that calling, your first responsibility is still to the flock, to the local church (see the inference of John 10:11-15).

This may be the last thing that you feel inclined to do, especially if you feel that the church has abandoned you, and perhaps even been directly involved in your victimisation. But whatever the truth of the matter, each and every person in the church is still entitled to your ongoing pastoral care, to the extent that you are able to undertake it with God's supernatural provision and enabling (see Philippians 4:13). This also includes ministering to the antagonist(s), however distasteful a responsibility that may seem. True, some in the congregation may give you cause to wonder if you have been abandoned and left on the roadside for dead. Like some herd animals in the wild who instinctively distance themselves from the young, the elderly, or other potential targets when the herd is being stalked by predators, some people may actively distance themselves from you. What you might identify as disloyalty and cowardice in them, however, is likely only the same instinct to survive that is active within you. So take the time to assess the danger and to assess the damage on their behalf. With one or more antagonists at work, there will definitely be "wolves in sheep clothing" in the fold, and you will have to do your best to protect other potential victims. Just as in modern global warfare, depending on the severity of the attack and how public it was there may also be considerable "collateral damage" (a euphemistic term for injury to innocent non-combatants). Because of their spiritual immaturity, new believers are prime candidates for predation by antagonists, and they may also feel very disillusioned with their new-found faith, wondering how a God of love and righteousness could allow such things to take place. Unchurched persons (or "pre-Christians" or "the unsaved") on the periphery of the church may take a giant leap backwards in their spiritual journey, dismissing the church and her message as blatant hypocrisy. Elderly shut-ins may feel threatened for their own well-being, particularly if you have been a part of the church's lifeline to them. Young people, unsure about their own identities, may be especially traumatised by what they have witnessed. These and others like them will all require your care and your protection, while your own wounds continue to bleed.

At the same time you will also want to give careful attention to your family, who are not only a part of the church but after all are also your own flesh and blood. The pain you are feeling is likely doubled for them, as they not only feel your pain with you but also their own pain as well. Depending on your denominational situation and style of ministry, your spouse (if applicable; single and celibate clergy excepted) may have been a very active partner in your ministry, and if so may feel many of the same wounds that you do, and feel them very personally. It's impossible to keep bad news from children for very long, nor should you try. Your children (again, if applicable) may not be mature enough to understand all the vagaries of the human condition; but they deserve some kind of age-appropriate explanation of what has already happened, as well as continual reassurances that whatever happens, they and you will all be OK.

Having taken some time to do essential spiritual and psychological first-aid for others, it's now time to take care of yourself. Just as you did for the church and for your family, take the time to assess the danger and the damage to yourself. Extricate yourself from the battle as much as possible, step back, and take as realistic an assessment of your situation as possible. Do first things first. Resist the temptation to fire off a letter of resignation. In fact, don't resign unless you absolutely have to (you may wish to refer to the book Before You Quit listed in the "Resources" section below), but buy yourself some time and give yourself room to manoeuvre. Though soldiers are trained in "Immediate Action Drills" for what to do in the event that they come under sudden enemy fire, resist the urge to respond immediately. Unlike a soldier patrolling into an ambush situation in a "kill zone" (see the photo at the top of this page), you usually have the luxury of being able to take some time before you respond. Ask the obvious questions, but dig for the answers. Is this something that you can realistically handle on your own? Not likely, unless a very workable remedy immediately presents itself. Alternatively, is this something that you can handle with support? If so, then what kind of support do you require? Who is available to give that required support immediately? Who is available to give you that support over the long term, in the very likely instance that the matter cannot be drawn to a timely conclusion? These are the kinds of questions that you will need to prayerfully consider the answers for. And remember that while "the best defence is a good offence", you should resist at all costs the temptation to respond to your antagonist in kind. Jesus brought an end to "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" gamesmanship. Fighting fire with fire just burns twice as many people. Instead, look at the idea of "the best defence is a good offence" as being an encouragement to surround yourself with a team of supporters, especially if you haven't already done so. Not people who will help you fight pitched and bloody battles by throwing sticks and stones at your antagonist, and not "yes men" either; but people who will love you and affirm you and support you and counsel you and above all pray with you, and not just for you. Family members will likely be too close to the situation and too traumatised themselves to be objective supporters, but by all means keep the lines of communication open in your family. You may be fortunate enough to find some very capable and very willing supporters in the church, in the community, or in your own denomination. Perhaps your local, regional, diocese or district ministerial will have some colleagues who would be willing to come along side of you; but you may have to take the initiative to ask for their assistance (regrettably, you should also be prepared for the fact that there can unfortunately be significant professional and personal stigmas involved with being "wounded," which may become even more pronounced if you decide to go public with your particular situation). There are also a number of fine organisations and ministries (see the "Resources" section below) dedicated to assisting pastors in their time of need. Don't be afraid to check them out -- you'll find a warm, caring, and very understanding welcome awaiting you from these groups, many of whose members are themselves veterans of the pastoral trenches.

Whatever its makeup, this personal support group will be vital in the days, weeks and months that follow, as you continue to cope with the fallout of the attack. You will experience a flood of different emotions, and go through any number of different stages, but not sequentially. You'll have your good days, and you'll have your bad days... and likely a number of bad nights as well. Your initial shock reaction and attendant numbness may wear off fairly soon, or it may linger for quite some time. You may feel bewildered, disoriented, even confused. You may feel fear and anxiety, as you consider what the future might hold in store for you in terms of further hardship and suffering. You may feel a sense of abandonment by friends, family, church, colleagues, etc., and feel very much isolated and very much alone. You may feel intense sadness, even grief, as you mourn the loss of all those things that were lost in the battle (happiness, fulfillment, ministry, relationships, career, idealism, faith, etc.). You may feel hurt -- deeply hurt in fact -- especially as you consider that the hurt came from a person or persons supposedly within the family of God. This in turn may lead to a feeling of disillusionment -- disillusionment with the church, with ministry, even with life. You may feel shame, very similar to the shame felt by some who have been sexually assaulted, which is not surprising considering the fact that you have been violated in some place deep within you. You may feel anger -- anger at your antagonist, anger at the church, anger at the denomination, anger at God, and anger at yourself. Contrary to the opinion of some, anger in itself is not a sin -- it's a normal human emotion based in part on our God-given sense of innate justice. What matters of course is what you do with anger. This anger will have to be dealt with, and channelled into positive means of expression. It's natural to want to seek revenge, or at least some form of vindication; but that is really God's prerogative (see Romans 12:19, Psalm 54).

None of these feelings are pleasant, and while it may be tempting to deny or suppress these feelings, it is vitally important that you find some avenues for their expression. Talk to your support group, and keep talking, even if you feel that you are repeating yourself. You may also find that journaling, poetry, song writing, painting or some other form of creative expression will be of help to you as you process what you have experienced. If your psychological and spiritual wounds are severe, even prayer may be a burden to you; but rest assured that the shortest of prayers uttered with the most fragile of faiths can still find their way to the heart of God.

Sometimes it can be tempting to trivialise what you have experienced, to "suck it up," play the consummate professional pastor and say "No big deal." Be aware however that you have suffered a major episode of stress in your life, and though for a time you may be able to function relatively normally, chances are if that stress is not dealt with properly it may come back to haunt you later on. Err on the side of caution, and consider speaking to your family physician about the matter, in whatever terms you think will be effective and appropriate. If you have the slightest concerns about your physical or emotional well-being, don't be afraid to seek the services of other professionals as well, such as counsellors or therapists. Be honest about where you're at (as far as you can determine that) and about any symptoms that you might have. Some victims of antagonistic conflict have been diagnosed with a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and others have required treatment for depression, so you would be wise to discuss such matters with qualified and competent professionals.

No, none of these feelings are pleasant, but at least you are feeling something. Your journey through this "wilderness" may seem surrealistic at times, and so very hard to comprehend; but your study of the subject of antagonistic conflict so far, and the fact that thousands upon thousands of others have experienced pretty much the same thing that you have, should serve to validate the fact that what happened to you really did happen. And, believe it or not, you actually have something to celebrate... because you survived! No matter how bad the attack was, no matter how viciously you were brutaliszed by your antagonist, you're no longer a "victim"... you're a "SURVIVOR"!

Battle Plan

Before a soldier ever ventures near the front lines he or she receives extensive training on what to do and how to react in various offensive and defensive situations. Unfortunately most clergy are ill prepared, by virtue of both temperament and training, for the gritty realities of even normal conflict in the church, let alone for cases of antagonistic conflict. Fortunately though there are a number of helpful books, organisations, ministries and other resources (as noted in the "Resources" section below) which you can access to better prepare yourself on what to do -- and what not to do -- before, during, and after an attack. While it would be impossible in this web report to address the specific requirements in your particular church or ministry situation, the following are a few general points to consider:

1. Expect conflict. As noted above (see the "Situation Report" section), conflict is a normal part of life, and you will encounter it in the church. Ironically though, most seminaries and Bible colleges do not make conflict resolution courses a mandatory part of a student's training, and consequently many "newbie" pastors are practically "blown out of the water" when they first encounter even non-antagonistic conflict in the church. And even veteran pastors can be overwhelmed by their first experience of antagonistic conflict at the hands of a hard core sociopathic antagonist. So, wise up! The Lord Jesus warned, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).
2. Make sure that you understand the true origin and nature of conflict, both human and spiritual. Though the battle may be played out in the natural realm, there is a spiritual battle that is going on at the same time. As the apostle Paul reminds us, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). In the midst of battle it's easy to "demonise" the perpetrators of antagonistic conflict; and indeed, there is an aspect of evil that must be considered. This matter is discussed in a number of the books listed below in the "Resources" section (see in particular Clergy Killers and People Of The Lie). But remember that your real enemy is not the antagonist; your real enemy is the one into whose clutches the antagonist has likely fallen.
3. Educate yourself on the subject of conflict, and especially antagonistic conflict. Read what the Bible has to say on the matter (see the "Scriptural Counsel" section below), check out what the other resources available have to say, and consider taking extension or professional development courses in conflict resolution. As you are educating yourself, do some background research on previous and current conflicts in your own denomination and in your own church or ministry, taking particular note of recurring conflicts centring around potential antagonists. Learn to deal with all forms of conflict proactively, constructively, and redemptively.
4. Gather together a personal support group for mutual support and accountability (see the "Aftermath" section above). Your local ministerial may be a good place to start, but if there is none available consider starting one. If you can't find enough people for a group, just as Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs (see Mark 6:7 & Luke 10:1) try to find at least one person (other than a close family member) to become partnered with, either as peers or in a mentoring relationship. After all, as Ecclesiastes 4:12 reminds us, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Or go online and join an Internet support group. Remember that there is strength and solidarity in numbers.
5. When conflict arises, as it inevitably will, if at all possible seek to resolve the conflict in a timely and redemptive manner. Don't ignore the conflict, hoping that it will go away. At the same time, however, try to keep things in perspective by not overreacting to the conflict, no matter how difficult it might be. Try looking for a "win-win" solution. If the conflict becomes "personalized", or is clearly antagonistic in nature, consider asking for an interested yet impartial person or agency to intervene, to facilitate a resolution of the conflict. Realise however that many cases of antagonistic conflict will not lend themselves to resolution through the usual means and channels.
6. If you are targeted and attacked by an antagonist, do not exacerbate the situation by retaliating. "Turn the other cheek," but document everything that is said and everything that is done. Some of the resources listed below (see the "Resources" section) may suggest particular courses of action that may be appropriate to your particular situation. If you haven't already done so, consider seeking outside assistance through whatever means is appropriate to your particular situation (a professional mediator, denominational official, etc.).
7. If you are targeted and attacked, like Elijah (see 1 Kings 19:10) you may feel all alone, but you really aren't. Thousands of clergy, ministry workers and their family members have gone through what you have. Most have survived. Share your story, and reach out to others.
8. If attacked, don't deny or trivialise what has happened to you. Remember that you have experienced a major episode of stress in your life, so don't hesitate to seek professional medical, psychological and above all spiritual help. It will take time to heal, so give yourself that time. Above all, don't jump into another ministry assignment right away, as you'll likely just be overwhelmed by a lot of emotional baggage you may not even realise you are carrying.
9. Depending on your particular situation and jurisdiction, you may have recourse to judicial proceedings (whether ecclesiastical, civil or criminal) for prejudicial conduct, discreditable conduct, constructive dismissal, wrongful termination, defamation, slander, loss of reputation, emotional abuse, emotional distress, bullying, assault, violation of civil rights, failure to provide a safe workplace environment, negligence or other injustices. Be very cautious about taking this step, however, as it may have major repercussions (and see 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 for a Scriptural perspective). Seek the best legal opinion that you can reasonably afford. Don't allow yourself to be talked into any action that you might later come to regret. Ultimately it's your decision, and remember that your aim should always be to seek justice and not vengeance. You may be required to seek legal assistance if you need to defend your entitlement to post-employment benefits, such as a severance package, long term disability benefits or unemployment insurance, or to gain access to your group pension funds. Needless to say, if in the course of an attack you have been wrongfully accused of any criminal action, you will probably have no choice but to secure qualified legal counsel.
10. Remember most of all that God is with you. Take the true measure of yourself from the One who loves you enough to have died for you, not from the one who would just as soon see you dead. Though you may feel the sting of human condemnation now, as the apostle Paul reminds us, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). God is not the author of your hardship, but He is prepared to redeem some good from it (see Romans 8:28). You may not understand at this point why God allowed you to experience the brunt of an antagonist's vicious attack; but you can certainly claim the prophetic promise of Scripture concerning the Lord, "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory" (Isaiah 42:3, Matthew 12:20).

Scriptural Counsel

The Bible says that the word of God is both "the word of life" (Philippians 2:16) and "the sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17). As such, it should be one of a pastor's most trusted helps, especially in times of conflict. Unfortunately however, as the Bible also points out, the word of God is by nature "sharper than any double-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). One of the greatest tragedies of antagonistic conflict is that many pastors have been so badly wounded by Bible-toting and Scripture-quoting bullies who misuse the word of God that they have lost the desire to seek counsel, solace and strength therein. And yet that is precisely what a "wounded warrior" must do, if there is to be any reasonable hope of God doing a complete work of healing and restoration. Whatever your personal view of the inspiration and authority of Scripture, consider what God has to say in His word regarding the following:

Conflict In Society And In The Church Is To Be Expected

• Genesis 6:5-6 "The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain."
• Genesis 8:21a "The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: 'Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood...'"
• Psalm 36:1-4 "An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong."
• Psalm 53:1 "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good."
• Isaiah 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."
• Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
• Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
• Matthew 18:7 "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!"
• John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
• Romans 3:10-12 "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
• Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
• Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned"
• Romans 7:18 "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature."
• Romans 7:21-23 "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members."
• 1 Corinthians 1:10-12 "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, 'I follow Paul;' another, 'I follow Apollos;' another, 'I follow Cephas;' still another, 'I follow Christ.'"
• 2 Corinthians 12:20 "For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder."
• Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
• Philippians 2:21 "For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ."
• 1 Timothy 5:24-25 "The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgement ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden."
• Titus 3:3-5a "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."
• James 1:14-15 "But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
• James 3:16 "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."
• James 4:1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God."
• 1 John 1:6 " If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."
• 1 John 5:19 "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."

Antagonistic Conflict Also A Reality To Be Reckoned With

• 1 Samuel 22:6-23 &qot;Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him. Saul said to them, 'Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.' But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, 'I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.' Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father’s whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. Saul said, 'Listen now, son of Ahitub.' 'Yes, my lord,' he answered. Saul said to him, 'Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?' Ahimelech answered the king, 'Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.' But the king said, 'You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father’s whole family.' Then the king ordered the guards at his side: 'Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.' But the king’s officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD. The king then ordered Doeg, 'You turn and strike down the priests.' So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep. But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David. He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. Then David said to Abiathar: 'That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father’s whole family. Stay with me; don’t be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me." (Note: Psalm 52 was written by David in response to Doeg's actions)
• 2 Chronicles 36:16 "But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy."
• Nehemiah 2:19 "But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. 'What is this you are doing?' they asked. 'Are you rebelling against the king?'"
• Isaiah 30:9-11 "These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD’S instruction. They say to the seers, 'See no more visions!' and to the prophets, 'Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!'"
• Matthew 7:15-16 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them..."
• Matthew 16:21-23 "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 'Never, Lord!' he said. 'This shall never happen to you!' Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.' "
• John 15:18-21 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me."
• Acts 15:1-2 "Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: 'Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.' This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them..."
• Acts 20:28-31 "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears."
• Romans 16:17-18 "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."
• 1 Corinthians 16:7-9 "I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me."
• 2 Corinthians 7:5 "For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within."
• 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."
• Galatians 5:13-15 "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."
• Philippians 1:27-28 "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God."
• Philippians 3:2 "Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh."
• Philippians 3:17-19 "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things."
• 2 Timothy 4:14-15 "Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message."
• James 3:13-16 "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."
• 2 Peter 3:15-16 "Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction."
• 1 John 2:9-11 "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."
• 3 John 1:9-11 "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God."
• Jude 16-19 "These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, 'In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.' These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit."

Hardship Is Part Of God's Plan For Us

• 2 Corinthians 4:8-11 " We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body."
• 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
• Philippians 1:29 "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him."
• 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 "We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them."
• 1 Peter 1:6-7 "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
• 1 Peter 2:19-21 "For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."
• 1 Peter 4:12-19 "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."
• James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
• James 5:10-11 "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

Whatever Happens, God Is Still In Control

• Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
• Romans 8:35-39 " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Our Response

• Psalm 37:8 "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil."
• Matthew 5:43-45 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
• Matthew 10:14-16 "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."
• Matthew 18:15-17 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
• Matthew 18:21-22 "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.' "
• Luke 6:27-36 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners', expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
• Romans 2:7-8 "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger."
• Romans 12:14 "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
• Romans 12:17-21 "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
• Romans 14:19 "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
• Galatians 6:1-2 "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
• Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
• Ephesians 4:1-3 "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
• Ephesians 4:26-27 "'In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."
• Ephesians 6:10-11 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
• Philippians 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
• 2 Timothy 2:24-26 "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."
• 2 Timothy 4:5 "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."
• Titus 2:7-8 "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."
• Titus 3:10-11 "Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned."
• Hebrews 12:14-15 "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."
• Hebrews 13:17 "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."
• 1 Peter 2:21-23 "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.' When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly."
• 1 Peter 3:8-9 "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
• 1 Peter 3:13-16 "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. 'Do not fear what they fear'; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."
• 1 Peter 4:19 "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."
• 1 Peter 5:1-4 "To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."

Scriptures To Reflect Upon

• Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
• 2 Kings 6:15-17 "When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 'Oh, my lord, what shall we do?”' the servant asked. 'Don’t be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.' Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
• 1 Chronicles 16:11 "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."
• Job 8:20-22 "Surely God does not reject a blameless man or strengthen the hands of evildoers. He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tents of the wicked will be no more."
• Proverbs 2:7-8 "He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones."
• Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
• Proverbs 13:10 "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."
• Proverbs 14:14 "The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his."
• Proverbs 17:14 "Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out."
• Psalm 4:8 "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
• Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
• Psalm 62:1-2 "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."
• Psalm 84:5-7 "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion."
• Psalm 91:1-2 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"
• Psalm 105:4 "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."
• Psalm 118:5-7 "In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies."
• Psalm 119:28 "My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word."
• Psalm 135:14 "For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants."
• Isaiah 40:26-31 "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God?' Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
• Isaiah 42:3 "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice."
• Isaiah 60:20 "Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end."
• Jeremiah 20:7-13 "O LORD, you persuaded me, and I was persuaded, you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. I hear many whispering, 'Terror on every side! Report him! Let's report him!' All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, 'Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him.' But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked."
• Jeremiah 29:11-13 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'"
• Ezekiel 2:4-7 "The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious."
• Ezekiel 3:4-11 "He then said to me: 'Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel—not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house.' And he said to me, 'Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.'"
• Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
• John 16:33 "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
• Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
• 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 26 "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many... If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
• 2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
• 2 Corinthians 7:2-3 "Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you."
• Philippians 1:12 "Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel."
• Philippians 4:12-13 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
• James 5:10-11 "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."
• Revelation 3:8-9 "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you."

Psalms To Reflect Upon

• Psalm 13
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 26
• Psalm 34
• Psalm 35
• Psalm 37
• Psalm 43
• Psalm 52
• Psalm 53
• Psalm 54
• Psalm 55
• Psalm 56
• Psalm 57
• Psalm 58
• Psalm 59
• Psalm 109
• Psalm 118
• Psalm 140

Insights

Here are some "words of wisdom" gleaned from various sources that you might wish to ponder:

• "A caring preacher will build his church, and a caring church will build its preacher." Croft Pentz
• "If a church wants a better pastor, it can get one by praying for the one it has." Merrill Tenney
• "We owe it to good men, to stand up in the defence of their reputation; and we are under special obligations to those from whom we have received benefit, especially spiritual benefit, to own them as instruments in God's hand of good to us." Matthew Henry
• "Get a friend to tell you your faults, or better still, welcome an enemy who will watch you keenly and sting you savagely. What a blessing such an irritating critic will be to a wise man, what an intolerable nuisance to a fool." Charles Spurgeon
• "Don't mind criticism. If it is untrue -- disregard it; if it is unfair -- don't let it irritate you; if it is ignorant -- smile; if it is justified -- learn from it." Croft Pentz
• "If what they are saying about you is true, mend your ways. If it isn't true, forget it, and go on and serve the Lord." H.A. Ironside
• "No man can justly censure or condemn another because no man truly knows another." Thomas Browne
• "It is folly for an eminent man to think of escaping censure, and a weakness to be affected with it. All the illustrious persons of antiquity, and indeed of every age in the world, have passed through this fiery persecution." Joseph Addison
• "Holiness in a human being is only manifested by antagonism." Oswald Chambers
• "Opposition is a fact: the Christian who is not conscious of being opposed had better watch himself for he is in danger." J.I. Packer
• "You are but a poor soldier of Christ if you think you can overcome without fighting, and suppose you can have the crown without the conflict." John Chrysostom
• "...And when he gets to heaven, To St. Peter he will tell: 'Just another soldier reporting, Sir; I've served my time in hell!'" Anonymous soldier's poem
• "I believe it to be a grave mistake to present Christianity as something charming and popular with no offence in it. We cannot blink the fact that gentle Jesus meek and mild was so stiff in His opinions and so inflammatory in His language that He was thrown out of church, stoned, hunted from place to place, and finally gibbeted as a firebrand and a public danger. Whatever His peace was, it was not the peace of an amiable indifference." Dorothy L. Sayers
• "No man can be a Christian without being a controversialist." Charles Spurgeon
• "I find it impossible to avoid offending guilty men, for there is no way of avoiding it but by our silence or their patience; and silent we cannot be because of God's command, and patient they cannot be because of their guilt." Martin Luther
• "It is unreasonable for the preacher to hope to please all alike. Let a man stand with his face in what direction he will, he must necessarily turn his back on one-half of the world." Anonymous
• "It is harder to avoid censure than to gain applause, for this may be done by one great or wise action in an age; but to escape censure a man must pass his whole life without saying or doing one ill or foolish thing." David hume
• "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." St. Paul
• "Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen, such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of God upon the earth." John Wesley
• "We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum." A.W. Tozer
• "A preacher must be both a soldier and a shepherd. He must nourish, defend, and teach; he must have teeth in his mouth and be able to bite and to fight." Martin Luther
• "The world is not dialectical -- it is sworn to extremes, not to equilibrium; sworn to radical antagonism, not to reconciliation or synthesis. This is also the principle of evil." Jean Baudrillard
• "One may smile, and smile, and be a villain." William Shakespeare
• "When we persecute and hurt the children of God, we are but persecuting God and hurting ourselves far more." A.B. Simpson
• "Petty people are ugly people. They are people who have lost their vision. They are people who have turned their eyes away from what matters and focused, instead, on what doesn't matter. The result is that the rest of us are immobilized by their obsession with the insignificant... Pettiness has become a serious disease in the Church of Jesus Christ -- a disease which continues to result in terminal cases of discord, disruption, and destruction. Petty people are dangerous people because they appear to be only a nuisance instead of what they really are -- a health hazard." Mike Yaconelli
• "There is hardly a man clever enough to recognize the full extent of the evil he does." François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld
• "The need to exert power, when thwarted in the open fields of life, is the more likely to assert itself in trifles." Charles Cooley
• " Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking." Carl Jung
• "Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship." George Orwell
• "Not necessity, not desire -- no, the love of power is the demon of men. Let them have everything -- health, food, a place to live, entertainment -- they are and remain unhappy and low-spirited: for the demon waits and waits and will be satisfied." Friedrich Nietzsche
• "The secret of every discord in Christian homes and communities and churches is that we seek our own way and our own glory." Alan Redpath
• "The devil loves to fish in troubled waters." John Trapp
• "Only among people who think no evil can Evil monstrously flourish." Logan Pearsall Smith
• "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke
• "To applaud the will of God, to do the will of God, even to fight for the will of God is not difficult... until it comes at cross-purposes with our will. Then the lines are drawn." Richard Foster
• "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." Sun Tzu
• "The Christian community resembles a Wall Street exchange of works wherein the elite are honored and the ordinary ignored. Love is stifled, freedom shackled, and self-righteousness fastened. The institutional church has become a wounder of the healers rather than a healer of the wounded." Brennan Manning
• "The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeepers' concerns -- how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street. ... Three pastoral acts are so basic, so critical, that they determine the shape of everything else. The acts are praying, reading Scripture, and giving spiritual direction. Besides being basic, these acts are quiet. They do not call attention to themselves and are not often attended to. In the clamorous world of pastoral work nobody yells at us to engage in these acts." Eugene Peterson
• "From research and personal experience I've come to the conclusion that in every church 16 percent of the members will never change. The tragedy is I see young pastors every day leaving the ministry because of that 16 percent. It's as if they're butting their heads against a brick wall. What they should be doing is concentrating on the 84 percent who are ripe for change. That's where the real ministry of the local church takes place." Howard Hendricks
• "If spiritual pastors are to refrain from saying anything that might ever, by any possibility, be misunderstood by anybody, they will end-as in fact many of them do -- by never saying anything worth hearing." Dorothy L. Sayers
• "To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing." E. G. Hubbard
• "Pastors who give their congregations only what they want are seldom able to lead them to new heights. If Moses had listened to his congregation and appeased them, the people of Israel would have returned to Egypt and bondage. A visionary pastor is one who is able to shake and rattle people for the cause of Christ." James Scott
• "The trouble with being a leader today is that you can't be sure whether people are following you or chasing you." Anonymous
• "When you are getting kicked from the rear it means you're in front." Fulton Sheen
• "He has great tranquility and peace of heart who does not regard praise or blame, and he will soon be at peace and content who has a good conscience. You are not the better because you are praised, or the worse because you are blamed, for as you are, you are, and whatever is said of you, you are no better than Almighty God, the Searcher of men's hearts, will testify that you are." Thomas a Kempis
• "The Christian ministry is the worst of all trades, but the best of all professions." John Newton
• "Qualifications of a pastor: He must have the mind of a scholar, the heart of a child, and the hide of a rhinoceros." Stuart Briscoe
• "The preacher must have the heart of a lion, the skin of a hippopotamus, the agility of a greyhound, the patience of a donkey, the wisdom of an elephant, the industry of an ant, and as many lives as a cat." Edgar D. Jones
• "Conflict plus love equals growth." Westy Egmont
• "Ministry is done in chapters, and wise is the minister who knows his page number." Max Lucado
• "To truly care for people requires not caring too much about their approval or disapproval." John Ortberg
• "It is a fact of Christian experience that life is a series of troughs and peaks. In his efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, God relies on the troughs more than the peaks. And some of his special favourites have gone through longer and deeper troughs than anyone else." Peter Marshall
• "We are saved and sanctified for God, not to be specimens in his showroom, but for God to do with us ever as he did with Jesus -- make us broken bread and poured out wine as he chooses." Oswald Chambers
• "I don't envy those who have never known any pain, physical or spiritual, because I strongly suspect that the capacity for pain and the capacity for joy are equal. Only those who have suffered great pain are able to know equally great joy." Madeleine L'Engle
• "Ministry is giving when you feel like keeping, praying for others when you need to be prayed for, feeding others when your own soul is hungry, living truth before people even when you can't see results, hurting with other people even when your own hurt can't be spoken, keeping your word even when it is not convenient, it is being faithful when your flesh wants to run away." John Holt
• "The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God can't keep you." Anonymous
• "At the heart of ministry is the heart, a heart close to God." Maxie Dunnam
• "The breadth of my ministry is determined by the depth of my relationship with Jesus." George Voeks
• "Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• "Time heals grief and quarrels, for we change and are no longer the same persons. Neither the offender nor the offended are any more themselves. It is like a nation which we have provoked, but meet again after two generations." Blaise Pascal
• "The mark of community -- true biblical unity -- is not the absence of conflict but the presence of a reconciling spirit." Bill Hybels
• "Our office is a ministry of grace and salvation. It subjects us to great burdens and labors, dangers and temptations, with little reward or gratitude from the world. But Christ himself will be our reward if we labor faithfully." Martin Luther
• "Teach us, Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do your will." Ignatius Loyola

Resources

Books

"Of the making of books there is no end," and fortunately there are a number of excellent works available that deal with the subject of antagonistic conflict or with related matters. What follows is a sampling of some of the more notable, most of which should be available through your local Christian bookstore or other local book retailers. Some may already be in your church library, or available through your local public library. Alternatively, if cost, distance, time and convenience are issues for you, you can try shopping for them through your denominational publishing house or major online retailers (such as Chapters-Indigo, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Book Distributors, etc.), where you will also have the benefit of being able to read editorial and customer reviews for most of these titles:

• Allen, Blaine. Before You Quit.
  Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2001.
  ISBN 0-8254-2012-1
  When the going gets tough, its very tempting to call it quits and retreat from the battlefield altogether. This timely book by Dr. Blaine Allen, a seasoned pastor and veteran of many a church battle himself, is a call to remember (or to learn for the first time) key elements in the foundation of ministry. Through a thoughtful and careful exploration of Scripture, he deals with things like ministry expectations, the divine plan of suffering, and preparing for spiritual warfare. Chapter 5, entitled "Who's Calling the Shots? A Refresher on the Sovereignty of God," is alone enough to justify the purchase of the book; but there are also many other pearls of very practical wisdom in it as well. If you are a pastor or other church leader that is entertaining thoughts of sounding retreat, you owe it to yourself, your family and your church to read this book "before you quit." (Includes chapter notes.)
• Dunn, Ronald. Surviving Friendly Fire.
  Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001.
  ISBN 0-7394-2144-1
  The late Ronald Dunn was a popular speaker and author, and also served as an adjunct professor at two seminaries. This book, published just after his death in 2001, deals with the dynamics of "friendly fire" conflict in general (and is therefore not specifically limited to the subject of antagonistic conflict). As the author noted: "For the past twenty-two years I have held conferences in forty or more churches a year... and I have found churches full of hurting and wounded people.... And what makes this so depressingly tragic is that these wounds have not come from enemies, but from friends. We expect our enemies to hurt us, but when the hurt comes from a friend or a loved one or a trusted one, a pastor or parishioner, a husband or wife, a parent or child, who can measure how deeply the wound buries itself in the soul?" If you let it, this book can be a healing balm, a tonic to your soul; but as with other treatments, often the wound must be cleansed first, and sometimes the medicine will have a bit of a disagreeable taste initially. Dunn's straightforward approach, while sympathetic, is also quite candid. For example, here's what he had to say about a friend of his whom, he was told, had left the ministry after a "bad experience": "A bad experience! What did my friend expect? That he would have nothing but wonderful experiences in the ministry? I do not know of a single minister who has not suffered from bad experiences in the ministry. I fantasized what would have happened if Jesus had returned to heaven after a couple of years of ministry. Surprised, the angels might have asked Him, 'Lord, why have You returned before Your work was completed?' And Jesus would have said, 'Oh, I had a bad experience on earth. I was sorely mistreated.' " If you can smile -- even just a little bit -- when you read that portion, you'll be able to handle any dose of the medicine that God offers you through this very helpful book. (Includes chapter notes.)
• Eareckson Tada, Joni and Estes, Steve. When God Weeps.
  Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997.
  ISBN 0-310-21186-7
  Whether hunkered down in a foxhole or running to dodge ecclesiastical bullets, it's natural to wonder at times just what sane purposes God might possibly have for allowing someone to go through hard times. And when the bullets finally do hit home, the natural response is to wonder "where is God in all of this?" Paralysed in a diving accident as an adolescent, this gifted artist, speaker, disabilities advocate and author certainly has both the background and the wherewithal to address the issues hinted at in the subtitle of this book: "Why Our Sufferings Matter To The Almighty." While not dealing with the subject of antagonistic conflict directly, in this book Joni and co-author Steve Estes provide a very helpful and thoroughly Biblical exploration of the nature of God, His sovereign will in our suffering, and His divine purposes for our suffering. (Includes appendices and chapter notes.)
• Enroth, Ronald M. Churches That Abuse.
  Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992.
  ISBN 0-310-53290-6
  Sadly, clergy aren't only on the receiving end of antagonistic conflict. Truth be told, some clergy are themselves antagonists, even hard-core sociopathic antagonists, leading to all sorts of problems in the churches that they lead. This book by a professor of sociology and a specialist in the subject of cults provides a sobering picture of the tremendous dangers and damage that can result when abusive pastors are allowed to conform the local body of Christ into their own twisted image. (Includes chapter notes.)
• Greenfield, Guy. The Wounded Minister.
  Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001.
  ISBN 0-8010-6369-8
  A former pastor and seminary professor now serving as a pastoral counsellor, Dr. Greenfield is a survivor of antagonistic conflict in the church. As he describes himself, "I am a recent trooper from the battlefield of bloody confrontation who tried to be pastoral, loving, understanding, reconciling and redemptive yet ended up being shot down and left to die on the battlefield of the church, and there are thousands just like me." His book reads like a "victim impact statement," detailing in a very personal way the trauma that can result from such conflict. In these pages, pastors and pastoral family members who have themselves experienced antagonistic conflict will be able to share in the catharsis of his writing, while those members of the body of Christ who genuinely seek to aid the wounded will gain many valuable insights. (Also deals with abusive clergy, whom the author refers to as "pathological ministers." Includes chapter notes and bibliography.)
• Halverstadt, Hugh H. Managing Church Conflict.
  Louisville: Westminster / John Knox Press, 1991.
  ISBN 0-664-25185-4
  Review to follow. (Includes appendices, glossary, chapter notes and bibliography.)
• Haugk, Kenneth C. Antagonists In The Church.
  Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.
  ISBN 0-8066-2310-1
  Dr. Haugk was one of the first clinical psychologists to address the matter of antagonistic conflict in the church. His book provides a solid grounding in the nature of church conflict and antagonism, and suggests practical methodologies for identifying antagonists, trying to prevent antagonism, and dealing with antagonism when it does occur. Some readers may not feel particularly comfortable with every aspect of his approach, but this book is a must-have addition to every pastor's "toolbox" library. A study guide for this book is also available (see below).
• Haugk, Kenneth C. & Perry, R. Scott. Antagonists In The Church Study Guide.
  Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.
  ISBN 0-8066-2373-X
  This study guide is an excellent resource for personal, professional or group study of antagonistic conflict, using Dr. Haugk's book Antagonists In The Church (see above). The guide provides probing questions and suggests various activities based on each of the 24 chapters in Antagonists In The Church.
• Leas, Speed B. Moving Your Church Through Conflict.
  Washington: The Alban Institute, 1985.
  ISBN 1-566990122
  Review to follow. (Limited availability.)
• London, H.B. Jr. and Wiseman, Neil B. Pastors At Risk.
  Wheaton: Victor Books / Scripture Press Publications, Inc., 1993.
  ISBN 1-56476-111-8
  Review to follow. (Includes chapter notes.)
• Mains, David. Healing The Dysfunctional Church Family.
  Wheaton: Victor Books / Scripture Press Publications Inc., 1992.
  ISBN 0-89693-050-5
  It should come as no surprise that "dysfunctional" people readily find a home for themselves in dysfunctional churches, in turn creating still more dysfunction. In this book, noted author and broadcaster Dr. David Mains looks at the pervasive influence that dysfunctional family dynamics can have on "the family of God," the church. Though not meant to address the matter of antagonistic conflict specifically, this book provides a number of insights into factors that may create or nurture antagonists, and provides direction on moving the church family from dysfunction towards wholeness. (Includes chapter readings and questions.)
• McKinney Hammond, Michelle. Get Over It And On With It.
  Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2002.
  ISBN 1-57856-450-6
  Review to follow.
• Meier, Paul. Don't Let Jerks Get The Best Of You.
  Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1993.
  ISBN 0-8407-7596-2
  This is a self-help book with a difference. A co-founder of the Minirth-Meier Clinics, Christian psychiatrist Dr. Paul Meier takes a practical and yet also light-hearted look at the problem of "jerks," whom he describes as self-centred, narcissistic individuals whose sense of entitlement can make them very difficult to deal with at times. Sound familiar? Not surprisingly, most churches are chock full of "jerks," because just about everyone can be a "jerk" at times (though the author suggests 3 different degrees of classification, including the sociopathic "Nth-Degree Jerks", individuals that are instrumental in many cases of extreme antagonistic conflict). For those who in looking for a solution are willing to look in the mirror and admit that they may in fact be part of the problem, the author provides a six-step methodology to progress from "masochism" to "maturity." (Includes appendix and chapter notes.)
• Peck, M. Scott. People Of The Lie.
  New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1983.
  ISBN 0-671-45492-7 (hard cover), 0-671-52816-5 (paperback)
  This groundbreaking work by psychiatrist and best-selling author Dr. M. Scott Peck explores the very real and very destructive nature of human evil from both a psychological and a spiritual perspective. Though not specifically intended to address the matter of antagonistic conflict in the church, survivors and potential victims alike will find much to ponder in this now classic volume.
• Rediger, G. Lloyd. Clergy Killers.
  Inver Grove Heights: Logos Productions Inc., 1997.
  ISBN 1-885361-03-3
  A noted speaker, preacher, author and consultant, Dr. Rediger's choice of the title for this book certainly raised the eyebrows of the clerk at the bookstore where I ordered my copy, and the author certainly doesn't pull any punches when it comes to describing the nature of antagonistic conflict: "The name we give this phenomenon is significant. Words such as 'disagreement,', 'clash,' or 'conflict' do not deliver the wakeup call the church needs. 'Clergy killers' tells it like it is, for killing is the agenda, and pastors are the target." The book distinguishes between "normal," "abnormal," and "spiritual" conflict, provides many clinical insights into behavioural agendas and the nature of evil, and offers a number of helpful suggestions for managing and recovering from the attacks. An extremely helpful book for pastors, it also addresses the particular needs of family members, friends, spiritual directors and denominational leaders of those who have been targeted and attacked. (Also deals with abusive clergy, whom the author refers to as "killer clergy". Includes appendices and bibliography.)
• Richardson, Ronald W. Creating A Healthier Church.
  Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.
  ISBN 0-8006-2955-8
  Review to follow. (Includes bibliography.)
• Rubietta, Jane. How To Keep The Pastor You Love.
  Downer's Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002.
  ISBN 0-7394-2946-9
  This recent book by Jane Rubietta, a popular author, retreat speaker and pastoral spouse, would be an excellent addition to any church library and should probably be put into the hands of everyone who cares about pastors and their families. Full of personal experiences and insights, it is a practical guide to proactively caring for those whom God has called to care for His sheep. (Includes special reflective questions for pastors, application questions for each chapter, appendices, bibliography and an extensive list of resources.)
• Shelley, Marshall. Well-Intentioned Dragons.
  Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1994 (copyright Christianity Today Inc., 1985).
  ISBN 1-55661-519-9
  Unlike some of the books reviewed above, Shelley takes a more moderate and conciliatory approach to antagonists. The subtitle of the book, "Ministering to Problem People in the Church", conveys the desire of this author to see and portray antagonists as persons both deserving and needing ministry. As he notes, "The church, indeed every Christian, is an odd combination of self-sacrificing saint and self-serving sinner. And the church, unlike some social organizations, doesn't have the luxury of choosing its members; the church is an assembly of all who profess themselves believers. Within that gathering is found a full range of saint/sinner combinations. Ministry is a committment to care for all members of the body, even those whose breath is tainted with dragon smoke." No one can argue with that. Yet while his premise is commendable, and his suggested approaches seem reasonable as far as they apply to "well intentioned dragons", those who have encountered hard-core sociopathic antagonists may have some experiential reservations concerning his analysis and conclusions (or as one reader remarked, "Ah, but he never met _________ [personal name deleted]!"). That being said though, this is an excellent book, one which also deserves to be cited as a must-have addition to every pastor's "toolbox" library. (Includes appendices, chapter notes and bibliography.)
• Stanley, Charles. The Blessings Of Brokenness.
  Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997.
  ISBN 0-310-20026-1
  Review to follow.
• Susek, Ron. Firestorm.
  Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999.
  ISBN 0-8010-9091-1
  Review to follow. (Includes appendix and bibliography.)

Videos/DVDs

• Bevere, John. How To Handle Unfair Treatment.
  Palmer Lake: Messenger Videos / John Bevere Ministries, n.d.
  Web: www.johnbevere.org

Tapes/CDs

• MacDonald, James. In The Presence Of My Enemies.
  Walk In The Word, n.d.
  Web: www.walkintheword.com
• Swindoll, Chuck. Doing Right When You've Been Done Wrong.
  Insight For Living, n.d.
  Web: www.insight.org

Conferences/Seminars

• Details as available.

Organisations/Ministries

Whether you are simply looking for further information on conflict in the church, or you need a place to "get away from it all" for awhile, or you are in the midst of a real crisis and in desperate need of immediate help, the following agencies may be of assistance to you. (Please note that these links are provided as a public service, and do not imply any endorsement of a particular agency or service it offers. Each agency is solely responsible for the information provided on its web site.)

• Association of Battered Clergy (USA) - The association was founded by Rev. Ronald Weinelt of Georgia, who felt the need for a support group "to help clergy care for themselves and replace a workaholic routine with a search for spiritual wholeness.”  The association publishes a monthly newsletter called The Parish Chute. Unfortunately, I have been unable to track down any contact information for them so far.
  E-mail - unknown
  Web - unknown
• BALM (UK, international Internet community) - BALM stands for "Bullied and Abused Lives in Ministry", and is an international and interdenominational "support group for damaged ministers." The BALM web site provides some very helpful material on the "bullying" of clergy. BALM also operates a controlled access e-mail community through Yahoo.uk that can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BALM.
  E-mail - BALM@balmnet.co.uk
  Web - http://www.balmnet.co.uk/
• Canadian Association Of Clergy (Canada) - "The purpose of the association is to provide religious clergy, ordained or inducted according to their respective denominational rites or orders, opportunity for fellowship, support, counselling, educational advancement, advocacy, and to uphold professional standards consistent with the Holy Scriptures and with the aims of the Christian ministry."
  E-mail - clergycac@hotmail.com
  Web - http://canassociationclergy.on.ca
• Cents Ministries (USA) - Provides support and resources to clergy who have been forcefully terminated.
  E-mail - unknown
  Web - http://www.thecents.org/ (Currently offline)
• Charis Retreat House and Study Center (USA) - "Pastors, their spouses and families are often ground zero for heavy conflict in local congregations. At Charis Retreat House and Study Center counselling is provided for pastors and spouses desiring informed, guided conversation in a confidential, friendly setting." Located in California.
  E-mail - reservations@charisretreat.com
  Web - http://www.charisretreat.com/default.htm
• Christian Health Care Center (USA) - "The Christian Health Care Center (CHCC) Ministry Renewal Center is especially designed for clergy-in-crisis who are experiencing difficulties in their ministries, families, or ability to function on a daily basis. The program helps integrate Biblical truth with compassionate clinical care in order to restore and strengthen ministry leaders."
  E-mail - manthony@chccnj.org
  Web - http://www.christianhealthcare.org/mental_ministry.shtml
• Christos Ministries (USA) - "Christos Ministries was founded in response to what we saw as unnecessary strife in the church and the need for support and advocacy for clergy and their families. We 'minister to the ministers' by providing specialized, confidential and high quality services to support the whole person in ministry."
  E-mail - info@christosministries.org
  Web - http://www.christosministries.org/
• Church Conflict Transformation (USA) - "Serving churches in conflict and transition." Provides conflict resolution training, mediation and other assistance to pastors and church leaders.
  E-mail - Newberger@resolvechurchconflict.com
  Web - http://www.resolvechurchconflict.com/
• Clergy Abuse.net (Canada) - "This ministry is two things. It is a study of conflict and it is a support network for clergy of any denomination or religious tradition. We document the unfair treatment of clergy by their congregation or a Church bureaucracy. In this context, we attempt to stand with abused Clergy in their time of trouble."
  E-mail - casey@clergyabuse.net
  Web - http://www.clergyabuse.net/
• Clergy Consultation Service (USA) - "The Clergy Consultation Service (The Kairos Institute) offers a psychologically informed and spiritually sensitive resource to assist clergy, their families and their congregants."
  E-mail - tkii97@aol.com
  Web - http://www.kairosinstitute.org/ccs/index.htm
• Clergy Recovery Network (USA) - "The Clergy Recovery Network exists to support, encourage and provide resources to religious professionals in recovery."
  E-mail - dalew@clergyrecovery.com
  Web - http://www.clergyrecovery.com/
• Fairhaven Ministries Retreat & Counselling Center (USA) - "A Retreat and Counselling Center for Christian workers located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of East Tennessee."
  E-mail - fhmin@aol.com
  Web - http://www.fairhaven1.com/
• Faith Mountain Ministries (USA) - "Faith Mountain is an inter-denominational retreat ministry consisting of 250 beautiful wooded acres in the Central Lakes Region of West Virginia.... With the words Paul wrote to Philemon as a beacon, we endeavor to minister to the needs of pastors, missionaries and Christian families through the gift of helps."
  E-mail - faithmtn@mountain.net
  Web - http://www.faithmountain.org/
• Garden Ministries - Pastoral Advocacy Center (USA) - "Our Mission is to seek out injured, hurting ministers who have been rejected from the ministry or have chosen to leave for self-preservation reasons and help them rediscover the joy of their salvation; to renew their individual value; to focus on God's intent for their lives; and to provide a safe haven for their needs while mending physically, emotionally and spiritually."
  E-mail - gardenmi@san.rr.com
  Web - http://www.gardenministries.com/pastoral_advocacy_center.htm
• Grace Works Clergy Recovery Network (USA) - "The Clergy Recovery Network exists to support, encourage and provide resources to religious professionals in recovery."
  E-mail - dalew@clergyrecovery.com
  Web - http://www.clergyrecovery.com/
• John Mark Ministries (Australia) - "Assisting churches, pastors, leaders and their spouses."
  E-mail - rcroucher@optusnet.com.au
  Web - http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm/
• Mending The Nets (USA) - "A healing ministry for Christian Pastors / Church Leaders and their families who have resigned or been forced out of their ministry." Operated under the auspices of the "New Vision in the WORD" church.
  E-mail - Jeremiah33v3@visi.com
  Web - http://www.mendingthenets.cjb.net/
• Ministering To Ministers Foundation (USA) - "The MTM Foundations seeks to be advocates for clergy and their families in all faith groups who are experiencing personal or professional crisis due to deteriorating employment or congregation-clergy relationships." Offers counsellig, retreats, and a very helpful quarterly online newsletter, The Servant.
  E-mail - MTMFound@aol.com
  Web - http://www.bengtson.org/mtm/HomePage/mtm.htm
• Ministers Mutual Aid, Inc. (Canada) - "Ministers' Mutual Aid has evolved into a network of church workers helping each other through a variety of difficulties. Practical resources are provided by church workers who have experienced such traumatic situations." Ministers Mutual Aid provides a support network for clergy, maintains a register of abusive churches, and publishes an advocacy newsletter called The Anvil.
  E-mail - jonmerks@ministerandscourge.com
  Web - http://www.etgrafx.ca/Ministers__Mutual_Aid/ministers__mutual_aid.html
• Parsonage.Org (International) - A Web ministry of "Focus On The Family", providing a number of helpful resources to clergy and their families.
  E-mail - pastors@family.org
  Web - http://www.family.org/pastor/
• Pastoral Advocacy Network - Pastors In Pain (USA) - A new site still under development by the founders of Garden Ministries, specifically intended for suffering clergy. Provides an online newsletter.
  E-mail - Dignity@PastorsInPain.com
  Web - http://www.pastorsinpain.com/
• PastorCare - The National Clergy Support Network (USA) - "PastorCare is an ever expanding grass roots network of individuals who share a common heart for helping hurting pastors and their families. Officially incorporated in September 1995, PastorCare's network goal is that no matter where a pastor lives and serves, there will be people called by God to offer a variety of relevant supports to undergird that pastor and family." PastorCare was invited to be present at the Promise Keepers 2nd National Pastors Conference in Phoenix in February of 2003 to provide onsite pastoral care to needy pastors.
  E-mail - staff@pastorcare.org
  Web - http://www.pastorcare.org
• Pastor In Residence (USA) - "The mission of Pastor-in-Residence Ministry is to encourage and support pastors in the vocational transitions of their lives, providing them with spiritual and emotional support and networking them with churches and other ministries which provide opportunities to process unresolved personal conflict for possible re-entry into full-time service."
  E-mail - webmaster@pastorinresidence.net
  Web - http://www.pastorinresidence.net/index.htm
• The Pastor's Institute (USA) - Provides a number of helpful resources for clergy and their families.
  E-mail - mail@pastorsinstitute.org
  Web - http://www.pastorsinstitute.org/index.htm
• Renewal Ministries (USA) - "Renewal Ministries is a ministry of help, healing and encouragement to Christian leaders."
  E-mail - RenewalMinistries@attbi.com
  Web - http://www.renewalministries.org/
• Sarah's Tent (USA, international Internet community) - "A ministry devoted to gathering together God's silent warriors, the wives of pastors and ministers of all denominations and cultural backgrounds, as well as their families, for fellowship, support, laughter and prayer."
  E-mail - shannon@sarahstent.com
  Web - http://www.sarahstent.com/
• Smoldering Wick Ministries (USA) - "Smoldering Wick Ministries is a non-denominational, non-profit, Christ centered ministry designed to love and help all burned-out, wounded, rejected, disenfranchised ministry leaders." The web site features a number of helpful articles, and a selection of deeply moving personal prayers for use by abused clergy and their family members.
  E-mail - smolderingwick@gbronline.com
  Web - http://www.gbronline.com/smolderingwick/default.htm
• Wounded Shepherds (USA, international Internet community) - An online community for pastors in transition and their families. Affiliated with "The Pastor's Institute" (see above).
  E-mail - Email@woundedshepherds.com
  Web - http://www.woundedshepherds.com/

Helpful Sites

• Clergy Killers - An excellent aricle by G. Lloyd Rediger, PhD (Director of Clergy Counseling Services, Wisconsin Council of Churches) from the August 1993 issue of The Clergy Journal.
  Web - http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/8591.htm
• Health Psychology Resources: Stress Related Links - A selection of links to sites dealing with stress.
  Web - http://www.carleton.ca/~fsirois/HP_stress_links.html#STRESS%20COPING
• Helping The Helpers - A good article on caring for caregivers, such as clergy.
  Web - http://www.lititzumc.org/Helping_The_Helpers.htm
• More Ideas for Loving Your Pastor - Suggestions (in PDF format) from InterVarsity Press author Jane Rubietta on caring for pastoral caregivers.
  Web - http://www.gospelcom.net/ivpress/title/disc/2319-extras.pdf
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - A helpful resource site provided by Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health.
  Web - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/posttraumaticstressdisorder.html
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Another helpful resource site on the subject, provided by the National Institute for Mental Health.
  Web - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/ptsdmenu.cfm
• Spiritual Warfare - An interesting message (in PDF format) by Dr. Wayne Barber on the subject of the spiritual realities behind attacks on clergy.
  Web - http://www.johnankerberg.org/Articles/_PDFArchives/verse-by-verse/VV1W0501.pdf
• The Beagle Principle - A rather unique look at antagonists by Thomas Fischer.
  Web - http://ministryhealth.net/mh_articles/101_beagle_prin.html
• United Church News: "Retreat helps battered clergy reclaim 'sense of call'" - An interesting article from the May 2000 edition of the United Church of Christ's United Church News.
  Web - http://www.ucc.org/ucnews/may00/retreat.htm
• Webminister.com Newsletter October 2000 - Addresses the subject of personal attacks on ministers.
  Web - http://webminister.com/mailing/x2000102.htm

Additional Sites

Use the "Google Safe Search" application below to search for additional Internet sites that might be of interest or of help to you. Try using terms such as "conflict", "bullying", "abuse" or "stress" initially before narrowing the focus of your search. (Please note that this link to the "Google Safe Search" search engine is provided as a public service, and that the owner and/or author of each web site listed in the search results is solely responsible for the content thereof.)

Inspiration

When you're under attack it's very easy to slip into "survival mode;" and while it's tempting to keep your head down, sometimes the best thing that you can do for yourself is to look up and then look around at all of the good, wholesome, positive -- inspiring! -- things that God has brought your way. Understand, this is not the "every cloud has a silver lining" response of a naive Pollyanna; rather, it is the response of a mature disciple and servant of the Lord. As Paul told the Philippian believers, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things" (Philippians 4:8). This strategy will not only help to keep us from excessive "navel gazing," it should also enrich our understanding of how God continues to work His will in our lives despite the most difficult outward circumstances. Consider what God might have to share with you through the following:

Nature - There's nothing like a walk in the country to help you to keep or to regain your perspective about the things that really matter. Is it any wonder then that Jesus would comment about "the birds of the air" and "the lilies of the field"? As evening falls, take a look up, and remember the words of Isaiah 40:26 "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing." Science tells us that there are billions of stars in the universe, and yet the more compelling miracle is that God knows each of us, and yearns to draw us to himself.

Art - They say that "one picture is worth a thousand words." Conceived by human minds and wrought by human hands, art has often also been inspired by God, and many of the great works of art of the past centuries can speak volumes about the wonder and power of God. Paintings of the life, sufferings, death and ultimate triumph of the Lord Jesus can be especially meaningful. Take some time to browse through a local art gallery, check out some art books from your local library, or go online and peruse the online collections of the major international galleries. Don't just limit yourself to religious art, as there are many wonderful landscapes and portraits that can also inspire the soul (just ask everyone's favourite anchorite art critic, Sister Wendy). Art is very much a matter of personal taste, and what seems trite to one person may have a powerful impact on another. This is especially true when it comes to modern, popular religious art. I personally appreciate the work of visual artist Ron DiCianni, whose work is featured in many Christian bookstores. One work of his is particularly evocative. It's called "The Legacy", and it portrays a minister with Bible in hand preaching from the pulpit, surrounded by a number of visibly glorified "heroes of the faith." I would encourage you to examine it for yourself online at Ron DiCianni - The Legacy. Here's some of what the artist had to say about this particular painting:

"Jesus made it clear that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion..."

With that passion, those we know as ministers, long to follow in the footsteps of the Master to fulfill the same mission. They know they have been "sent" and not just to a job, but to a "calling." It doesn't take long, however, for many of them to realize the size of the shoes they are filling, as well as the difficulty of the task. Discouragement, doubt, and meager results, sometimes give a servant the temptation to quit. Many have. Too many think about it.

D.L. Moody once told young preachers, "Preach as if there is a broken heart in every pew." Sobering words in the light of the possibility there may also be a broken heart behind the pulpit. What started as a crusade to win the world, can quickly deteriorate to a contest of just barely hanging on to the smoldering embers of a prior flame.

Is there a secret to survival? I believe there is. It may be found in the remembrance of Who has commanded you, and in whose footsteps you follow. It is also found in the realization that you are not called to be successful, just obedient!

The Legacy was painted for the express purpose of encouraging ministers that "a great cloud of witnesses" indeed surrounds them (Hebrews 12:1). Just as the Bible is full of the "heroes of the Faith," every climb up to a pulpit is a chance to go down in Heaven's record as one who acted just as valiant. While John had to face those wanting to behead him for preaching, Moses had the grumblers, and Elisha had the Arameans, ministers today have to contend with those who are watching the clock so as not to be late for the restaurant. While not as deadly, it's just as discouraging.

If each time a sermon is given, a minister had the chance to peek behind the curtain of this dimension, I have a feeling he would see those who are cheering him on, especially noting Jesus' promise that He would be with us if two or more were gathered together in His name!

Expect the fire to fall the next time you stand behind the pulpit and imagine those who would tell you it's too early to quit! I have a feeling you're preaching will never be the same. Maybe the results will be more than you can expect!

Jesus, John, Moses, Paul, Peter, Elisha, and many others are counting on you, and so are we!"

Literature - From Dickens to Hugo, from Tolstoy to Tolkien, great literature is often at its greatest when it explores the universal theme of conflict, whether man against nature, man against man, man against himself, or man against God. Each author invites us into a journey of the imagination, where good struggles with evil, until one or the other must prevail. And so it is with life, and so it is with ministry.

Theatre - Jesus used the dramas of everyday life to bring his teachings (often in the form of parables) alive for people. Whether it's from Stratford, the West End, Broadway, or "off-Broadway", dramas can express both the rawness and the sheer vitality of human experience. Many dramas, though rife with conflict, can also portray powerful images of grace and mercy, both human and divine. And as for musicals, well, the medium may be that of musical theatre, but the message of productions such as "Les Misérables" would be right at home in many churches today.

Sport - It's no accident that the apostle Paul used illustrations from the world of sports to convey important teachings. From the fields of amateur athletics to the arenas of professional franchised sports entertainment there are countless opportunities to experience, whether actively or vicariously, both the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory. We understand that victorious champions rightly deserve the admiration of their fans, and yet in the world of sports there is often a great interest taken in the underdog, those who struggle against overwhelming odds -- sometimes to prevail, yet often just as likely to fail -- yet in so doing earn the respect and admiration of those who recognise good sportsmanship for what it truly is.

Movies - To borrow a phrase from Nathaniel, "Hollywood! Can anything good come from there?" Apparently, for many wounded warriors, the answer is a hearty "Yes, amen!" From the rough and tumble Westerns of a bygone era to the latest special-effects blockbuster trilogies of today, the silver screen has always been a medium to explore the themes of conflict and victory. Some movies in their treatment of antagonism can hit especially close to home, as for example the heart-warming "Radio," the irresistible "Chocolat," and of course the inspirational "The Passion Of The Christ." Contemporary military dramas such as "We Were Soldiers" and "Black Hawk Down" perpetuate the myth that "No one get's left behind." Wounded warriors know otherwise, of course; but it could be a pleasant delusion to occupy one's mind for a couple of hours, and one can always hope that things will be better the next time around.

Television - Clergypersons do not find a lot of mirrors for themselves in the characters of most TV dramas and sitcoms. Even those characters that are supposed to be clergy are often less than believable, not because the roles are badly acted (to the contrary, they are often portrayed by remarkably gifted actors) but because they are usually so poorly contrived by the scriptwriters. Every so often though, a gem of a series or a rare jewel of an episode will hit the airwaves, giving viewers an opportunity to reflect on the privileges as well as the pitfalls of the divine calling. Apart from these rare instances of high art, though, television can also be counted upon to provide less stimulating and yet still satisfyingly escapist entertainment. Some may even get wry amusement from watching the latest sordid evolution of inter-personal conflict on the "Survivor" series. If all else fails, embattled clergy can at least feel some relief that the most outspoken critic on "American Idol" is not on their church board!

Humour - Antagonistic conflict is no laughing matter; but as Madeleine L'Engle once pointed out:

"If we are sure of our God we are free to laugh at ourselves, and artists have helped heal with laughter -- from Moliere's comedies poking fun at the human condition, to Aristophanes' hilarity at our bewilderedly mixed emotions, to some of Bach's mirth-filled and even slightly bawdy secular cantatas. It's all part of what helps keep us in proportion; we can best take ourselves seriously if we are free to laugh at ourselves, and to enjoy the laughter of God and his angels."

In keeping with that thought, here's a few tidbits that might lighten your day:

• Church note in The New Forest Magazine, England: "In the future the preacher for next Sunday will be found hanging on the notice board." (Leadership, vol. 1, #2)
• From the bulletin of an unidentified church: "The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing 'Break Forth into Joy.' " (Internet)
• Murphy's Laws For Ministers: 1. "The amount of flak received on any one subject is inversely proportional to that subject's true value." 2. "For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism...." (Leo W. Cummings, Leadership, vol. 4, #2.)
• The pastor of a small southern church was on his way home when he met an acquaintance from town who was not a member of his church. After chatting a while the man asked how many members he had. The pastor responded, "Fifty active members."
  The friend said, "My, that certainly speaks well for you."
  But the preacher responded, "Well, I wouldn't say that. All fifty are active -- but twenty-five are actively working for me and the other twenty-five are actively working against me!" (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1988)
• Three little boys were arguing over whose dad was the richest. One said, "My dad is the richest, 'cuz he owns the biggest farm in the county."
  Another said, "That's nothin', my dad owns the biggest bank in town."
  Then they both turned to the third boy and said, "Bet your dad doesn't own anything, 'cuz he's a preacher."
  "Oh yeah," the preacher's kid replied, "My dad owns something bigger than a farm or a bank. He owns hell."
  The other boys laughed and said, "That's ridiculous. How do you know your dad owns hell?"
  The boy replied, "When my dad came home from church last night, I heard him tell Mom that the elders gave him hell!" (G. Lloyd Rediger, Clergy Killers. Inver Grove Heights: Logos Productions Inc., 1997.)
• A husband and his wife arose one Sunday morning and the wife dressed for church. It was just about time for the service when she noticed her husband hadn't moved a finger toward getting dressed. Perplexed, she asked, "Why aren't you getting dressed for church?"
  He said, "Cause I don't want to go.
  She asked, "Do you have any reasons?"
  He said, "Yes, I have three good reasons. First, the congregation is cold. Second, no one likes me. And third, I just don't want to go.
  The wife replied, wisely, "Well, honey, I have three reasons why you should go. First, the congregation is warm. Second, there are a few people there who like you. And third, you're the pastor! So get dressed!" (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1988)
• Caption of a cartoon showing a coffee-time confrontation with a pastor: "All I'm trying to say is that certain people might think that 12:15 is a little late to be getting out of church, that a pastor doesn't need three weeks of vacation, that your office is offensive, that a guy my age doesn't need a guy your age telling me how to raise my kids, and that if it weren't for your crazy Third World projects we could have repaved our parking lot by now. I'm not saying those are MY opinions, of course. I just thought you should know what others might be thinking." (David B. McGinnis, Scott Becker, Leadership, vol. 12, #3.)
• Pastoral lines you may not be around long enough to regret:
  Sometimes words have to be eaten. Other times, they turn out to have teeth that bite. From an unscientific sampling of a few contributing editors, Leadership offers here the most frequent phrases in ministry that become preludes to a fast farewell.
  10. "I think I've earned the right to say this."
  9. "Thank you for the unanimous vote of confidence."
  8. "We'll incorporate a seeker sensitive approach into our present worship service."
  7. "In ancient Israel, the people danced before the Lord."
  6. "Recently, I've been reading about the importance of publicly confessing your own sins, so today... "
  5. "I'll show the church secretary who's boss around here!"
  4. "I'm sure I can trust you to keep this confidential."
  3. "Then there are no hard feelings, right?"
  2. "I'm sure Mrs. Jones will agree that she's been our organist long enough."
  1. "They need to realize this kitchen belongs to everyone." (Ken Westphall, Leadership, vol. 14, #2.)
• Ever wondered what the differences are between all the various Christian denominations? This little illustration might give you a clue:
  When a clergyperson takes a tumble down a flight of stairs, the Pentecostal preacher will exclaim "Hallelujah, Lord! Glory!! Roll me down again, Lord, roll me down again; just so I can jump up twice as high!!!" The Catholic priest will conclude "Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, I must have deserved that as punishment for my sins." The Presbyterian minister will declare "Since this was preordained to happen, I'm certainly glad that it's over!" The United Church clergywoman will pray "Creator God, help me to understand this incident more fully, and thus to become a better person for it." Whereas the Methodist pastor will simply ask "Alright, which one of my second-blessed, entirely-sanctified board members pushed me?!" (A Canadian version of a joke cited by G. Lloyd Rediger, Clergy Killers. Inver Grove Heights: Logos Productions Inc., 1997.)
• Guilty Pleasures - Things you wish you could say to your antagonists... but probably shouldn't:
  1. "I'll try to be a better pastor in the future if you'll at least try to be a Christian."
  2. "You're obviously out of your mind, so give me a call when you're back from your mental vacation."
  3. "Funny, it sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying."
  4. "I'm sorry, were you talking to me? Your tone of voice indicated that you were addressing your personal slave."
  5. "I'm not being rude by ignoring you. You're just insignificant."
  6. "Being a pastor is a thankless job; but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off."
  7. "Any connection between your reality and God's is purely coincidental."
  8. "Speaking of 'whitewashed tombs,' how are you today, brother?"
  9. "Chaos, panic, disorder -- well sister, I'd say your work here is just about done."
  10. "This isn't a church you're running; it's a way-station on the road to Perdition."
  11. "Yes, you do sign my paycheck; but at least my name's written in the Book of Life."
  12. "Do I look like a people person?"
  13. "Sarcasm is just one of the many extra little services that I throw in for free."
  14. "As a matter of fact, I am holier than thou!"
  15. "If I toss you a stick, will you stop barking and go away?"
  16. "Just for the record, exactly what part of 'love one another' do you not get?" (Internet)
• From the Milwaukee Sentinel, June 16, 1875: Wanted - A rector for St. James' Church. He must possess all Christian graces and a few worldly ones; must have such tact and disposition as will enable him to side with all parties in the parish an all points, giving offense to none; should possess a will of his own, but agree with all the vestry; must be socially inclined and of dignified manners--affable to all, neither running after the wealthy nor turning his back upon the poor; a man of high-low church tendencies preferred. Must be willing to preach first-class sermons and do first-class work on second-class compensation--salary should not be so much of an object as the desire to be a zealous laborer in the vineyard; should be able to convince all that they are miserable sinners without giving offense. Each sermon must be short, but complete in itself--full of old-fashioned theology in modern dress: deep but polished, and free from the eloquence peculiar to newly-graduated theologians; should be young enough to be enthusiastic, but possess judgment of one of ripe years and experience. Only he who possesses the above qualifications need apply. To such a one will be given steady employment for a term of years. (Leadership, vol. 2, #2.)
• Good News: The Women's Association voted to send you a get-well card.
  Bad News: It passed 31 to 30.
  Good News: The church board accepted your job description the way you wrote it.
  Bad News: They also formed a search committee to find someone capable of filling the position.
  Good News: You finally found a choir director who approaches things your way.
  Bad News: The choir mutinied.
  Good News: Church attendance rose dramatically the last three weeks.
  Bad News: You were on vacation.
  Good News: Your biggest critic just left the church.
  Bad News: He's been appointed bishop.
  Good News: You finally got a key to the church kitchen.
  Bad News: Somebody re-keyed the lock.
  Good News: Your deacons want to send you to the Holy Land.
  Bad News: They are stalling until the next war.
  Good News: It's Sunday!
  Bad News: It's Sunday... (James D. Berkley, Leadership, vol. 3, #3.)
• You Know You're in Trouble When ...
  You call the groom by the bride's former boyfriend's name.
  Your personal parking space gets relocated to the Denny's Restaurant three blocks away.
  You forget to turn off the cordless microphone while using the rest room.
  The church begins exploring the possibility of a missionary trip for you... to Libya.
  The organist is asked to play while you preach.
  The church votes to change your day off to Sunday.
  You get assigned to nursery duty... during the morning service.
  You preach the same sermon for the second week... and nobody notices. (Bruce Hoppe, Dwight Dally, Dave Maurer, Ron Saari, Leadership, vol. 9, #2.)
• A young pastor was making farewell visits to his congregation before moving to another church. Visiting a homebound member, whom he had called on regularly, the pastor carefully explained why he was leaving. The woman sighed deeply and said, "Well, we'll never have another minister as good as you've been."
  The young man blushed, scuffing his feet along the floor. "Oh, I'm sure your next pastor will be excellent."
  The woman shook her head with determination. "You don't understand," she said. "I've been here through five pastors and each one has been worse than the last." (Doug Scott, Christian Reader)

Music - Music is a wonderful gift of God, one that can bring His healing touch in a powerful way to the wounds in your mind, your heart, and your soul. There are so many varieties of music available today, from the soothing sounds of the classics to the joyful exuberance of the latest praise and worship choruses. Whatever your favourite genre(s) of music, ask God to lead you to selections that will be of help to you in the recovery process, as you move from being a "victim" to becoming a "survivor."

The following hymn, "I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say," has brought much comfort to many a "wounded warrior" over the years. If your computer hardware, web browser and multimedia software support links to external sound files, you can click on the speaker icons below to hear either a piano or organ MIDI arrangement of the tune "KINGSFOLD," a traditional melody for the hymn (Hint: you might wish to run your media player in a minimised mode, so you can still read this page while the music is playing).

3KB piano arrangement of KINGSFOLD

3KB organ arrangement of KINGSFOLD

I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say
(Horatius Bonar, 1846 - Public Domain)

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto me and rest;
lay down, thou weary one, lay down
thy head upon my breast."
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn, and sad;
I found in him a resting place,
and he has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I freely give
the living water; thirsty one,
stoop down and drink, and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's light;
look unto me, thy morn shall rise,
and all thy day be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my Star, my Sun;
and in that light of life I'll walk
till traveling days are done.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section reserved for future answers to the most frequently asked questions concerning antagonistic conflict in the church.

News From The Front Lines

This section reserved for future coverage of news items concerning antagonistic conflict in the church.

Last Words

As a member of the church of Jesus Christ, I'm both grieved and appalled by the unconscionable targeting and abuse of pastors (and other leaders) and their families that is allowed to take place in the church today. I've personally seen a number of pastors attacked and forced to leave the church, and as a veteran of the pastoral trenches myself I've also had to endure a few wounds along the way.

There is a stinging indictment from Israel's past (recorded in Isaiah 59:1-15a) that also provides a sobering depiction of the present-day church, and thus should serve as a wake-up call to us all:

"Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things.No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched. Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace. So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead. We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away. For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: rebellion and treachery against the LORD, turning our backs on our God, fomenting oppression and revolt, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey."

This web report has been posted in the dual hope that first and foremost it will be a source of information and comfort to the "Wounded Warriors" among us, and second that it will also help to convince other persons who care deeply about the church of the urgent need to rally to the aid of besieged pastors and put a halt to antagonistic conflict once and for all.

This is very much a work in progress (one of the distinct advantages of the medium of the Internet as compared to the printed page), and as such it is anticipated that the contents will be revised, expanded and updated periodically, so be sure to check back here often.

Please feel free to e-mail any questions or comments that you might have, and let us know if we may be of assistance to you. You are welcome to share your own "war stories" if you like, and be sure to let us know of other resources that you may have found to have been helpful to you as well. Most of all, though, remember this:In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

This web report is respectfully dedicated to the many Wounded Warriors among us.

About The Author

Born and raised in Canada's historic Ottawa River Valley, John Classey now lives near the village of Hepworth, a small rural community nestled at the base of the province of Ontario's picturesque Bruce Peninsula. John has served as a pastor in Toronto (Ontario) with The Mennonite Brethren Church of Canada, as a deacon in Sauble Beach (Ontario) with The Canadian Conference of Brethren In Christ Churches, as a pastor in Shawville (Québec) with The Wesleyan Church, and as an interim pastor in Owen Sound (Ontario) with The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches In Canada.

Except where otherwise noted, Scripture passages are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Information in this web report is provided as a public service and with the understanding that it does not constitute medical, legal or other professional service.

Updated February 10, 2008
The URL for this page is http://www.bmts.com/~lolr/wounded/wounded.htm

The background sound is
MIDI file "Soldiers Of Christ, Arise"
Text by Charles Wesley
Tune (DIADEMATA), composed by George J. Elvey, is a traditional melody associated with the hymn
Sound files in this web report courtesy of The Cyber Hymnal