I recently stumbled upon an article by Tom Rainer titled “9 Traits of Mean Churches.” Tom should know. He’s a long time church consultant and currently president of LifeWay Christian Resources. In our work at Blessing Point Ministries we’ve seen these traits and others. Here are the 9 traits Rainer identifies among a growing number of local churches:
1. Too many decisions are made in the cloak of darkness.
2. The pastor and/or staff are treated poorly.
3. Power groups tenaciously hold on to their power
4. There is lack of clear accountability for major decisions and/or expenditures.
5. Leaders of the power groups have an acrimonious spirit.
6. A number of the members see those outside of the church as “them” or “those people.”
7. Many members have an inward focus; they view the church as a place to get their own preferences and wants fulfilled.
8. Many people in the community view these churches negatively.
9. Most of the members are silent when power plays and bad decisions take place.
Mean churches? Yes. However, in most cases these churches are acting out old wounds in their “bodies” that have never been healed by Christ. Painful events in their histories have disfigured the dispositions of these churches.
Like an old curmudgeonly spinster who seems irascible and resistant to help, wounded churches (of which there are thousands) go through the motions of ministry all the while alienating unsuspecting saints who get too close. Not until the old lady dies do you discover she was eaten up with cancer and thus her uncharacteristic grumpiness begins to make sense.
It’s the same with what Rainer calls “mean churches.” It’s more than a catchy blog title. The Bride of Christ is sometimes a real mess. However as pastors and church leaders we are called to help her hear from Christ afresh, lead her to repentance and help her overcome her dysfunction.
It’s dangerous and courageous work. Nevertheless preparing the Bride for her Groom is the call of the hour. Without doing so the world is repulsed by her condition and the Spirit grieved at her state. Does your church show signs of being a “mean church?” Contact us at Blessing Point Ministries to see how we can help heal your church body.
Rev. Mark Barnard serves as President of Blessing Point Ministries. Blessing Point works to heal congregations that have been wounded by internal crises. Barnard is the author of several books and coauthor of The Eighth Letter – Jesus Still Speaks! (ChurchSmart 2014)
What do you think of the 9 Traits of Mean Churches? Are there other traits? How have you been impacted by such painful issues? What might the world or the Lord think of churches with such characteristics? Let us hear from you!
Gentlemen
Your article caught my attention. I came FROM such a church. We were there a mere 19 years, so we got to see the inner workings. I was very close friends with the pastor. A lot of the older and a few younger folks were very mean to the staff and pastor. It made me upset that christian folks would be so disrespectful to servants of God. Eventually, the pastor was so discouraged he left (after 9 years). Your ministry is a vital resource to Gods church. We left one mess for another. The church we joined in 2010 is Bethel Baptist in Ellicott City Md. Dr Quick ministered to us after a moral failure of the pastor there. We have a new pastor now and are rebuilding. Old hurts were heard and dealt with. I am convinced that undealt with old hurts make people mean and their spirits disgruntled. Thank you for what you guys do. It is much needed, although the mean people wont initially admit it!
Gary – Thank you so much for your comments. You are an encouragement to us. Praise the Lord for what He is doing at Bethel Baptist. May more churches discover the healing you describe.
I went to a church once that had a big clique. It was a miserable experience and only time in my life I hated to go to church.
Thanks for commenting Nancy. You know a church needs healing when it’s so painful you hate to go.
I used to attend a synagogue that fits all 9 of Tom’s characteristics. Rabbis come and go. One rabbi though, was especially destructive to an already hurting congregation. I have never met so many mean-spirited congregants there in my life. They talk unkindly of other congregants. Some are mean to newcomers or non-Jews. There have been a couple of bullies that have never been asked leave in spite of bad behavior and unkindness toward others. They are not a unified congregation but individuals who are vying for attention and recognition. God is all but lost in the shuffle.