How Churches Should Handle Good and Bad Leaders
Abusive or predatory leaders always want more—influence, power, and control. They recruit followers and manipulate conditions to shield themselves from scrutiny.
As a church leader, you should realize that people are watching and taking notes. How you handle good and bad leaders sets the tone for the leadership culture in your church. People will decide to pursue or avoid becoming leaders by observing how you treat current leaders.
Briefly defined:
Good leaders pursue self-sacrifice for the sake of the church.
Bad leaders pursue selfish satisfaction at the expense of the church.
1. When You Handle Good Leaders Well, People Will Want to Become Leaders
In healthy churches, vulnerability is an asset. Signs of fatigue are warning lights that a leader needs rest and other supports. Regardless of their present state, good leaders are recognized for their efforts, honoured for their contributions, and given the resources they need to recover.
Future leaders see this and take note: “If I fall on hard times, I’ll be well taken care of.”
2. When You Mistreat Good Leaders, People Will Avoid Leadership
In unhealthy church environments, vulnerability is fatal. When long labour and inadequate rest lead to depletion and instability, politicos in the church see this as a good time to terminate a pastor or force his exit.
Potential leaders see this and take note: “I can’t get tired and if I do, I can’t show it. If I let anyone know, I could be quickly eliminated in the same way.”
3. When You Handle Bad Leaders Well, People Will Want to Lead
As Paul warns in Acts 20, fierce wolves—also known as “bad leaders”—will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert…”
Handling bad leaders well requires courage and persistence because bad leaders manipulate and scheme to achieve their goals. These are the wolves God’s Word warns us about and they cannot be tolerated or appeased.
Dealing with such leaders comes with a high cost, especially if they’ve used their position of authority as a net to collect devoted followers. But the cost of not dealing with them is always higher. So take this on and if you’ve been delaying, start today. God will give you the strength you need and has already supplied wisdom from his Word.
If you do this, potential leaders will take note: “Safeguards are in place. If something bad happens, current leaders are not afraid to deal with it.”
4. When You Mishandle Bad Leaders, People Will Avoid Leadership
Abusive or predatory leaders always want more—influence, power, and control. They recruit followers and manipulate conditions to shield themselves from scrutiny.
When leaders pursue self-satisfaction at the expense of the church, you must take action. Good leaders avoid environments where abuse is tolerated. They’ll stay away from leadership and often leave the church altogether.
They see that sinful behaviour is tolerated and that they will not be protected. They take note: “I see leaders abusing fellow leaders. I’m not signing up for that!”
Summary
A healthy leadership culture requires two commitments:
1. Encourage good leaders consistently. Welcome their vulnerability and ensure they have time to recover and resume active duty in good health.
2. Confront bad leaders courageously. Don’t back off or try to appease. This never works out. You pay the price now or you pay a higher price later. You’ll never appease these leaders by giving in to their demands. Instead, they’ll see they can control you and increase their demands.
Do these two things well and create a pathway for new good leaders to join your team. If you’re struggling to find leaders for your church, you might have mistreated the good leaders you had and mishandled the bad leaders you still have.
Need Help?
Take some time to evaluate how you are handling both good and bad leaders in your church. If you need help navigating a difficult situation, feel free to get in touch.
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Michael Krahn is a pastor, the husband of Anne Marie, and the father of Madeleine, Olivia, and Sophia. Make a connection on Facebook, X, or Instagram.