Personal Attacks
Resolved: that all men should live for the glory of God. Resolved second: that whether others do or not, I will.
Jonathan Edwards
Dragons are best known for what comes out of their mouths. At times their mouths are flame throwers; other times the heat and smoke are not apparent, but the noxious gas does the damage. Their tongues may be smooth, but they are usually forked.
The tongues of church dragons also wreak destruction. James compares the tongue to the small spark that sets a great forest ablaze. Pastors also know the dangers of verbal sparks in a tinder-dry congregation. In most cases, the fire eventually singes the pastor in some sort of personal attack.
These personal attacks, however, rarely start with a direct clash. The would-be attacker usually begins a covert warfare, going to others in the congregation, seeking those of like mind, those who deal in dissent.
Then, like the serpent in Genesis 3, the strategy is one of planting questions in people's minds, at first seemingly innocent questions, but with the result of raising doubts about the pastor's competence, credibility, ministry, or motives. One pastor's experience illustrates the complexities of dragon warfare and the damage these personal attacks can bring.
The Vulnerable Ministry
Gordon Landis first became aware of the undercurrents of dissension during the building program. He knew any building program puts stress on a congregation and produces criticism, but in this case, one of his decisions, made with good intentions, was coming back to haunt him.
In the six years since Gordon and his wife, Sarah, had planted Pebble Mountain Baptist, the church had grown to 250 members, and everyone recognized the need for a new facility. That wasn't the problem. Neither ...
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