3 Signs of a Bad Pastor (Bad Church Leadership, False Pastors, False Teachers . . .)

3 Signs of a Bad Pastor: How can you know if your pastor really is the problem or not? We want to believe the best of our pastors, but what if it feels like there is really bad church leadership?

Here are three signs you may have a bad pastor on your hands:

1. A Bad Pastor Will Teach You He Could Never Become a Problem
2. A Bad Pastor Always Points the Finger and Is Always the Victim
3. A Bad Pastor Usurps the Other Elders or Forces Them Out

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[sarakhan]

Some pastors loves to humilates members in front of a congragration or when the member leave church for good they get critized by the pastor.. Ive seen this happened before..I think thats very disrespectul ..

[nickmystah]

Nepotism is the worst in Pastor's. If you are not within the Pastor's "Circle of People", you're pretty much screwed. That's what I am going through now, and they can't be wrong in everything. These points are true right now.

[Consolegamer]

When you go to a new church do not take any leadership post for three years or until you learn the how the church operates

[graftme]

I've attended a church just like that. I was sure God told me to get out, but I thought I was being critical so I kept going. I started having panic attacks at church, and dreams of demons dressed as angels flying around in the church and suddenly attacking people. I also had other dreams about the members of the church that I can't repeat here. As soon as I quit going, the dreams ended. It wasn't until after I left the church that I began to understand the demonic spirits that were actually in charge at that "church." I believe it is becoming almost impossible to find a true church these days. Those that have one near them should be grateful!

[jrender]

Just because you have a "church", and people listen to you and give you money and accolades, does not mean you are a pastor. Pastors take care of sheep in the wilderness.

[humblejoy]

Coming out of a legalistic cult, I'm so thankful for this. praise God 🙂

[aakk]

I was having demonic attacks and reached out to my pastor. He redirected these interactions to manipulate and guilt me into returning to a church team that I had left. I'd been there for months before COVID hit, did my best to help out but it just wasn't a fit for me. I declined and he lashed out.
He's one of those people who you'll open your heart to and he'll gently say others have it worse. Tired of the veiled emotional abuse.

[gracesue]

Pastors with their inner circle of friends will take sides and support

[pollyjetix]

A good pastor is very much like a good parent. It's not easy to be in leadership. It takes openness and humility to do a good job. A good leader is not just one who issues orders and disciplines. He first of all walks the walk, showing how to live.

[NoelAndersonhere]

I'm a pastor, and I feel like these three points are spot on. These same things come to apply in lay leaders as well.

[railroadaddict]

Yes you should add the Pastor and his clicks friends to your list. An example would be that your pastor only talks to the wealthy or higher class people and pretty much ignores everyone else.

[tiffanyjohnson]

Don't give no one or anything the benefit of the doubt. Use discernment. PLEASE PRAY 🙏

[saynotohookups]

When a Pastor lets on like he knows God's specific will for your life and doesn't want you doing something that you thought about doing (i.e, going to school, buying a new car or house, moving to a new town or city). He does this without asking you about your plans, without going over scriptures and praying for God's will about what you would like to do. He merely says, "That's not God's will for your life." and he doesn't like it when you talk back. This is wrong.

[emiypat]

This is super helpful. I’m going through leaving my church and it is not easy.

[abeekuworldchanger]

Pastors are so hard to trust these days. I've been burned by them a lot, opened my heart to them, and I'm in a season where I'm done doing so. Find a trusted friend you've known who will walk with you. I'm thankful that God has given them a calling and all, but relationally, I can only think of a couple I've truly connected with.

[CoffeeRaven]

Wow I needed this! Having problematic leadership can be draining on the spirit.

[patsmith]

Mt former pastor played favorites and defended it saying God "told him to do it." At one point, he knew I was in the hospital and never showed up. But, when it came to his favorites, he was there for them and supported them with love and compassion. His favorites also turned out to be members of his extended family. I felt like a second class citizen there. It ended very badly a few months ago. Since then, I have not had much heart to go to another church.

[elizabethbrewer]

I dealt with a false pastor. After confronting him about not doing God's work and having church members exclude me from events. He had me fired from my church position and then had my membership revoked. The members knew what he was doing but didn't confront him about it instead they covered for him. I had never experienced such betrayal before. It took me months to forgive them and let God deal with them.

[calebmichaelaugustine]

The worst things about most Pastors is that They don't care about People who have mental illnesses.

[ar.]

I went to church today after having this tugging feeling in my heart and mind for months. I just feel like I’m being called to be out in my community helping those who are homeless or mentally ill or at correctional facilities, etc. and the service I attended talked all about volunteering and being OUT in the community in groups. To help those in need to give others hope with the Lord. So I spoke to the pastor after the message and said, “I’ve been wanting to do this for so long. The message really spoke to me today. Where can I sign up to help and join your volunteer groups?”

So the pastor says, “We get help through offerings. Go to this Bible study, it will change your life.” And I was so discouraged that they spoke on and on about volunteering and helping out, to simply turn me away.