Those inflexible people that can be found in every church

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart….”  (Acts 7:51). 

“No one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment and a worse tear results.  Nor do men put new wine in old wineskins….” (Matthew 9:16-17).

Let’s start with an intriguing quote from a great churchman….

“The church recruited people who had been starched and ironed before they were washed.”  –John Wesley

Not sure of the context of Wesley’s quote, but I like it because it so accurately sums up the situation of a small contingent within every church.  Now, I have to say this conjures up memories of my childhood.  Mom did her own washing and ironing, and often, to starch a shirt or blouse, she would soak it in a bucket into which she had mixed up the dry starch with water. These days, anyone starching at home uses a spray, I expect.

There’s nothing like a great starched shirt.  I love them. Alamo Cleaners of River Ridge, Louisiana, does them for me. My wife loves me but not enough to do that!

Now then, some church members have been starched and ironed before they were washed.  A great metaphor!  But what does it mean?

“Starched and ironed” means they are now–

–prim and proper

–firmly set and fixed in their ways

–but they are missing something essential: An experience with the living God by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Scripture promises “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7).  But these people have bypassed that experience for one reason or the other.

As a result, they are–

–rigid and not flexible.

–pretty but not functional.

–self-righteous but not actually righteous.

–legal but unloving

–pharisaical and proud of it.

They have convictions and plenty of them.  Unfortunately, none that have anything to do with grace, but everything to do with law–with rules and regulations, with prohibitions and requirements, expectations and qualifications.

Pity the church that has the unwashed inflexible in leadership positions.

Anyone wondering why and how this could happen should pay more attention to the ways of humanity.  It’s not leadership qualities you have to demonstrate in order to be elected to a place of authority; it’s strong convictions about things. Even if those convictions are wrong-headed.  The fact that you speak up and speak out and take a stand convinces the weak and passive among the membership that you are a force to be reckoned with. Since no one else wants the job, it’s yours.

That’s how it happens that pastors end up having to deal with boards and committees and officers who are opposed to anything having to do with grace.  They are fiercely opposed to what they consider weakness in the more spiritually minded, and “intend to put this church on a firm business-like basis.”

Before they will help the needy, all kinds of requirements must be met. Before you can join their church, you must agree to a long list.  Before you can be elected to anything, there are plenty of hurdles you must surmount.

When the unwashed inflexible are in control, God help the church.

People who have been starched and ironed before they were washed have no compassion for the needy of the world, no vision for the unreached of their community, and no patience with the compassionate visionairies who do!

What are the godly to do when the church is being controlled by the unwashed inflexible? 

It all starts with the pastor–and never gets far away from him.  That is, he must give strong leadership under the Holy Spirit from A to Z if the church is to be wrested away from the death grip of the inflexibly unwashed.

1) The pastor has to know who the people of faith are and spend a great deal of time with them.

2) The pastor has to be a person of prayer, and sometimes fasting.  If he is not, then nothing of any importance is going to happen.

3) The pastor must be willing to pay a personal price to unseat the unwashed inflexible from positions of leadership.

4) The “unwashed inflexible” will not go quietly. If the pastor and other leaders are not courageous enough to face the attack these people can mount, nothing will ever change.  Lest readers are prone to take these people too lightly, I recommend reading Numbers 16.  Verse 2 calls the group rebelling against Moses’ leadership “men of renown.”  They were people to be reckoned with.  Only determined leaders looking to the Holy Spirit can win this struggle.

5) When they leave the church–as they will if the pastor and his faithful helpers will stay the course–they will take with them other members and whatever finances they contribute. So, things will get worse before they get better.  Godly leaders must see this as a necessary step for the church to get healthy.  Weaker leaders will see the lesser numbers and budget problems as proof they erred in forcing these people out.

6) By forcing the “unwashed inflexible” to make a decision–go along with the faith-filled leaders or leave–several things are happening….

–The leadership is showing them tough love.  You are not hating them, but showing them true righteousness.  It goes without saying–almost–that everything you do regarding them should be in kindness and Christlikeness. Even in resisting them and pointing out their errors, you can be both kind and firm.

–The great majority of the membership is watching this dispassionately at first (they did not know what it was all about) and but will rally around the pastoral team as soon as they realize they could end up with a healthy church.

–Only this kind of radical surgery can save the patient, the church. Otherwise, it remains good looking on the outside but with a deadly cancer on the inside.

A final caution…

Churches must exercise great care in choosing leaders to make sure those who become deacons and committee members and other key leaders are solid blood-washed believers filled with a balance of grace and truth (see John 1:14). Truth keeps them doing right, but grace makes them merciful and gracious. (Clarification: truth refers to doctrine, knowledge of the Word, and such.  Grace refers to one’s attitude toward everyone, but particularly to the undeserving and fallen.)

How do you find out these things about prospective leaders? Pay attention. Listen closely. Ask around. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you discernment.

Do not be put off by the beautiful exterior (including the starched shirts!).  Listen for two things: An appreciation of the mercy of God in saving a sinner like himself, and a graciousness toward everyone else around him.  (See what Isaiah said in Isa. 6:5.)

“Dear Lord, bless your church, please.”

4 thoughts on “Those inflexible people that can be found in every church

  1. “The fact that you speak up and speak out and take a stand convinces the weak and passive among the membership that you are a force to be reckoned with. Since no one else wants the job, it’s yours.”

    I don’t really agree with you on this part. Additionally, I have never personally seen an instance where this could have occurred. Speaking up and out also means that your real opinion becomes known. That means you can be punished for expressing that opinion generally by being shot down and prevented from ever having a leadership role in the future. It does mean that you are a force to be reckoned with though perhaps too much of a force. Too many leaders don’t want to have to reckon with anyone and because of that, you can’t enter leadership. I have seen too many self-perpetuating leadership bodies that only wanted yes-men.

  2. I totally agree with this post. Most churches have a few bullies in them. If those people make into leadership it’s ruinous.

    I think this sentence (just below “A final caution…”) captures the tone the tone of the article… ” Churches must exercise great care in choosing leaders…”

    I might also add, some governmental structures within churches make it possible for the meanest and most unqualified to find their way into positions of leadership. God help us.

    Good article. Job well done.

    • While you have to define unqualified, I think you mean people who should not be in leadership period. Some churches in thinking that they are doing right, ask only for scriptural objections, which leaves out things like the person only represents a faction, is hard to deal with, does not care about people, etc. I think the scriptural requirements are the lowest bar and not the highest bar.

      • I have experienced both help from the silent majority and complete lack of help in different situations so I can so that it does occasionally happen that good people do stand up when they see another trying to speak out. Other people’s participation never was the deciding factor for my own obedience to what the Spirit lead me to do. But as far as scriptural requirements being the lowest bar – I say not so . Read 1 Timothy 3:8-13. If actually used blameless covers any real objection.

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