4. Fight progress and growth; refuse to accept change in the church; don’t welcome new people into the church.
I once had a church member say to me of our church, “the smaller, the better.”
Spiritual leaders take people on a journey. They are assigned by God to move people toward God. They discover where the church is and where God wants to take it.
There is no such thing as a leader who remains motionless. When God places a vision for growth in the heart of a leader, it can be devastating if people refuse to go.
Certainly, there are many conditions that are required which pastors must observe. They must earn the trust of the people and be able to discern the direction of the Spirit.
But once this is realized, the refusal of participation by church members is one of the greatest sources of frustration that a pastor can experience.
5. Leave the church.
Although many people approach church as consumers and change every time something happens that they don’t like, pastors hope for more dedication.
When someone leaves the church, it hurts personally.
It is rejection. Pastors suffer when people leave.
The list could go on …
Most people don’t want to hurt their pastor; I hope you don’t. But please don’t overlook the possibility that you may be doing so inadvertently.
Grace and peace to you!
