(This is the type of article some church people will find objectionable.  I’m fully aware of that and am willing to run the risk of the flak from writing it.  If it results in one congregation standing up to a member who has held the church in a stranglehold and run off preacher after preacher, if it puts just one bully out of business, it’ll be worth the flak. This is a far bigger problem than most people realize.)

No church bully thinks he’s one.  He’s just (ahem) looking out for the interests of the church since a) no one else seems to be willing to do it and b) even though it’s a difficult task, he has the courage to step up and do the job.

Cooper Manning, oldest son of Archie and Olivia Manning, and thus older brother of football champions Peyton and Eli, admits that he gave his little brothers a hard time when they were children.  “I never thought of it as bullying,” he says.

They never do.

Bullies–whether at home or in the workplace, on the playground or in church–think of themselves as a) natural leaders, b) gifted for ruling, and c) willing to speak up and take action when everyone else backs off.

In their minds, it’s all about strength and courage, vision and leadership.

Let’s talk about church bullies.

Someone is calling the shots behind the scenes at your church, perhaps running off preachers, intimidating new pastors, pushing his own agenda as though he knows best what God wants in this place.

Know anyone like that?

We think of Diotrephes in the little epistle of III John. The Apostle John writes, “I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren (traveling missionaries who need hospitality in their ministry), and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church.”

He loves “the pre-eminence” is how the KJV puts it.

Sound like anyone you know?

Someone, you say to yourself and your spouse, ought to stand up to such a person and see if he can’t be put out of business before he destroys the church. He’s already ruined the ministry of several preachers and besmirched the good name and reputation of this church.

Someone should. Not you, of course.

You’re too nice to do that. And maybe a little fearful?

My question to you is: What are you afraid of?

“Well,” you reply. “I wouldn’t know what to say. Mr. Bully is a powerful person in our town.  And he has a way with words. Why, he can cut people off at the knees with just a few words.  I couldn’t stand up to a person like that.”

So, you’re not a fighter? Is that what you’re saying?

Good. You’re just the one for this job.

In fact, the last person who needs to take on a tyrant is another strong-willed, acid-tongued, outspoken church member who is the equal of Mr. Bully in every way.

The best person to stand up to him is the sweet-spirited and humble little lady who teaches Sunday School to the senior women and has not risen in a church business meeting to question the leadership in her lifetime.

Second best would be some older man who has served the Lord quietly for a generation or more, going about his work, always supporting the church program, loving his pastors, and never engaging in gossip.

Okay, we’ve got our leader. It’s you.  Now, all we need is a plan.

Pray. Ask the Lord. Listen to Him.  Wait on Him.

Listen to church members around you.  Surely you’re not the only one concerned about what Mr. Bully is doing to pastors and your church.  Who are they?  What are they saying?  Listen and learn.

Bide your time.  Again, listen to the Lord and obey Him.  And remember this….

“The Lord is not pleased when His children wimp out.”

By listening to the typical church member today, you’d think all God has is wimps.  In his wonderful book (from 1986), “No More Mr. Nice Guy!” Stephen Brown tells of attending a gathering of Christian leaders in Washington, D.C. During a lull in the session, a black bishop rose and asked to speak. “My friends,” he began, “I have a message for you from the Lord. The Lord says that if you Christians ever get over your fear, you’re going to be dangerous.”

Brown says in His first miracle, Jesus turned the water to wine. Ever since, “Christianity has been turning the wine back into water.”

“Now, as they observed the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

Don’t wimp out, Christian.  “Be strong and of good courage” (Joshua 1:6,7,9,18).

How to confront a bully and live to tell about it.

You ask him a question.  That’s all.

Just hold him accountable for what he has done.

What question should you ask?  Whatever the Holy Spirit puts in your heart. Trust Him to tell you.  It could be something like…

“I’d like to pose a question to Mr. Bully. I know you were chairman of (whatever) committee.  How was the decision made to (do whatever)?”  Then, sit down and be quiet.  (Do not overspeak.  The simpler and more direct your question, the better.)

“Mr. Chairman, I wonder if Mr. Bully would like to respond to the rumor that he is responsible for our pastor leaving.”

“Mr. Moderator, may I ask what offices Mr. Bully holds in the church?”

“Brother Pastor, could we ask Mr. Bully to explain to the congregation why he is leading the movement to get our pastor fired?”

1. Be sure you know what you are talking about.

Few things are more embarrassing than to rise in a business session ready to set some people straight when it becomes obvious that you had your facts wrong.

2. Know the answer you are going to hear before you ask it.

Lawyers say never to ask a question to a witness you don’t know the answer to, otherwise the matter will blow up in your face.

3. Be sweet and kind, but persistent. “Wise as a serpent, innocent as a dove” (Matthew 10:16).

No inflammatory language. Nothing but kindness.  Do not allow Mr. Bully to outsweet you or out-spiritual you.  Claim the high ground and stay there.

4. Do not lose your cool. 

Saying too little is better than saying too much. The last thing you want is to make Mr. Bully appear to be wronged and yourself the aggressor.

5. If no one else in the church rises to support your questions or to further challenge Mr. Bully, don’t push it. 

You cannot do this by yourself. But trust the Lord to work on people’s hearts. These things sometimes require more than a one-hour business meeting.

6. Do not let this be a personal thing, as though you and Mr. Bully are enemies.

Your concern is for the welfare of your church, the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the man whom He has sent as the shepherd of His flock.  You are not trying to humiliate anyone.

7. If Mr. Bully gets upset and displays his temper, good.

Let people see him for what he is.

8. If he threatens to leave and “take my substantial contributions with me,” remind everyone present that “This is the Lord’s church and He doesn’t need any of us.” 

This might be a good place to quote the line from Psalm 50 that goes, “If I were hungry, I would not ask you; the cattle on a thousand hills are mine.”

9. Where is the pastor in all this?  Standing by, observing, sending up urgent prayer messages to Heaven, hoping that you and the rest of the membership are going to be strong and finally put Mr. Bully out of business, that’s where!

If you do, or if tonight’s business meeting signals to Mr. Bully that his days are numbered, there will be joy in the pastor’s home throughout the night.

10. Do not get into a tit-for-tat argument with Mr. Bully’s wife or adult children who rise to his defense. Do not take that bait.  Be sweet. Saying less is better than too much.

What happens next?

11. If the pastor is moderating the meeting and feels impressed by the Lord, he might ask the congregation at some point, “Does anyone have a motion to make?” And then wait.

See what God does.

Once the pastor knows that the membership has Mr. Bully’s number and that they are reining him in, he becomes encouraged to resist the man himself.  After all, what is going to happen–mark my words–is that the pastor’s office phone will ring early tomorrow morning. It’ll be Mr. Bully trying to cut his losses and still come out on top.

This is critical now, pastor. Don’t you wimp out. Do not give in to him.

Ask the Lord what to say to him.

If necessary, ask if you can call him right back in a few minutes. Don’t give him a reason. You could be in your bathroom or have someone standing there. Just say, “I need to call you back.  Give me three minutes.”

Then, get on your knees and ask the Lord what you should say.

And, pastor, remember that this is not about you.  Even though you will feel it is in some respects and, if Mr. Bully is neutralized, will feel you have just been handed a wonderful present.

But you are going to love the Bully family and be kind to them.  After all, they are bruised now.  They had taken pride in Dad’s domination of the church (they wouldn’t have called it that in a hundred years, but no doubt felt he is the leader of the laity and stands up to lazy pastors, that sort of thing) and now he has been humiliated.

Do not apologize. You didn’t do anything in that business meeting but moderate. The congregation rose up and held him accountable, and took whatever action they did.  Just assure them of your love and tell them “it’ll be all right,” then shut your mouth.

Don’t you undo in private what the congregation has finally gotten up the nerve to do.