We have dealt with this subject several times over the years on our website. But it seems to meet a need to return to the matter from time to time. There are two answers to this question: The best and shortest is to put mature leaders and sound structures in place to head off troublemakers. That is, stop trouble before it begins. And the other answer is everything that follows here…
In South Carolina, a pastor entered the worship service one Sunday morning and his jaw dropped. There sat a family that had belonged to every church in town, and had torn each one up. The only church they’d not joined was this one. And now they were here.
Sure enough, during the invitation they came forward and, because this was the way they did things in that church and no plans had ever been made for dealing with troublemakers, the pastor presented them to the congregation. The people dutifully voted to accept them into the membership. Then, the pastor called on an elderly deacon for the benediction.
The courageous old deacon prayed, “Lord, we have a wonderful church. We love our church. Now, Lord, this family standing before us today has torn up every church they’ve ever belonged to, and now they’ve come here. Lord, don’t let them hurt this church. Even if you have to strike them down. We can’t kill them but you can!”
At last report, the family was still behaving themselves.
Practical Ways to Handle Troublemakers in Church
In our opinion, the way to deal with troublemakers who float from church to church spreading havoc involves a combination of the following:
1. Pray deliberately for protection.
Make this a regular prayer:
“Lord, protect Your church. Send the people You want here. Keep away those who would harm this body. And if anyone needs to leave, please remove them.”
2. Stay alert.
Do not assume your church is immune because your leaders are strong or your people are faithful. Every healthy church is a target. The more effective you are for the Kingdom, the more attention you will draw.
3. Prepare before trouble shows up.
The best time to prepare leaders to handle conflict is when things are peaceful. Some will accuse you of stirring up fear or expecting problems that may never happen. Scripture disagrees. Acts 20:29 reminds us that danger comes from both inside and outside the church.
4. Set expectations when people join.
New members should be taught, privately and clearly, how the church functions. They should understand that this is God’s church, that leaders take their role seriously, and that there are healthy ways to ask questions or raise concerns.
5. Teach on unity regularly.
When things are going well, pastors should still preach about unity. Scripture offers no shortage of guidance. John 17 and Ephesians 4 are foundational. Unity grows through humility, mutual submission, and obedience to Christ.
