Authoritarian Pastors

“Christian leaders are called to be servant leaders, willing to be last in order to lead (Matt 20:26). Even Christians, though, wrestle with a desire to be powerful and influential.” - Chuck Lawless

“There is a difference between a predator and a wolf. A predator may come from anywhere. But the Bible gives a special warning about wolves—namely, church leaders who look the part but are dangerous. Matthew records this warning from Jesus” - Sam Rainer

“It is not often that I endorse a book I did not enjoy reading. Nevertheless, I heartily endorse Bully Pulpit, a book about the abusive tactics of some church leaders and the spiritual devastation left in their wake.” - DBTS Blog

“As a pastor, I must convince, not command…. If a member does what I ask, just because I ask it, but not because they are convinced that what I am asking is truly God’s will and truly scripturally supportable, then I am running a cult, not a church” - P&D

“7. He demands unquestioned loyalty. Even the slightest sign of disagreement is considered rebellion…. 14. He regularly tears down others who lead effective ministries.” - Chuck Lawless

“Is all authority—by virtue of one person having power over another person—in its very nature, abusive? I ask these questions in a day when accounts of sad experiences with abusive pastors are all too common.” - Mark Dever

“Nice dictators exist, at least in the leadership sense. I refer to these types of leaders in the church as amiable autocrats. Friendly church dictators rule from their positional authority. They order everyone around because their title enables them to do so, and they do it with a smile.” - Sam Rainer

“The necessity of a first among coequals in human economies is resonant with (though not equivalent to) the way the Son submits to his Father in the incarnation (Philippians 2:5–11), as well as in the order God ordains in the home (Ephesians 5:21–33). Leadership is not a consequence of the fall, but represents God’s good design for human flourishing in a well-ordered world.” - Desiring God

Podcast: “How has the therapeutic culture we live in changed the conversation, even the language employed? Who are more likely to be abused—ministers or congregants? Our hosts weigh in with insight based on personal experience, and offer advice about tools that could help curb abuse in the church.” - Ref21

“A man may be a good preacher, and may be good in a variety of pastoral situations, but the key issue here is ‘How does he handle disagreement with his vision or viewpoint, or how does he handle people when they aren’t where he would like them to be?’” - C.Leaders