Overview

A practical guide for church leaders looking to prevent, or navigate accusations of, pastoral malpractice.   Good spiritual leadership is vital to the health of a church. When leaders misuse their position and are controlling, egotistical and proud, they abuse the trust they have been given by the Lord. Abuse of power is not a new phenomenon however, it is an ancient biblical category, and must be addressed.   There are delicate situations to be navigated. Drawing lines between abuse and normal, appropriate pastoral care, including warning, admonition and discipline is crucial, as is discovering when accusations are false.   The author team behind this book bring many years of pastoral experience, as well as wisdom and training in the area of abuse within the church.      This book is for –        Those struggling to navigate this hazardous landscape –        Church leaders working through these issues –        Churches seeking to create a healthy Christian community   Contents include Spiritual Abuse and Scripture Healthy Church Culture Abusive Church Culture Trauma and those who Suffer Developing Healthy Procedures Media and Abuse

Full Product Details

9781527110281

Table of Contents

Reviews

This book is full of practical advice on creating a church culture that is healthy, positive and safe. I'm especially pleased to see it coming from the independent church community, but there is valuable guidance here for churches more widely. -- Marcus Honeysett (Director of Living Leadership and author, Kent, England) ... a wise and biblical resource that not only helps Christian institutions understand spiritual abuse, but provides practical steps to address it. May God use it to protect and purify his church -- Michael J. Kruger (President and Professor of New Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, North Carolina) This book ought to be essential reading for the leaders of churches and organisations, and will challenge and encourage them to foster a healthy culture in which everyone can flourish. -- John Stevens (National Director, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, Market Harborough, Leicestershire) I pray that this book will help us, by God's grace, to prevent the trauma of abuse by and of pastors from ever occurring in the culture of our churches but also to handle this sin in a healthier way, with the godly seriousness it deserves, when it does rear its ugly, gospel-denying head. -- Lee Gatiss (Director of Church Society, and Adjunct Lecturer in Church History, Union School of Theology, Bridgend, Wales) Blending biblical depth, theological orthodoxy, gospel conviction, and pastoral concern, the authors navigate a field often dismissed by conservative evangelicals for miring itself in therapeutic language. ... the love for the bride of Christ is obvious from start to finish. -- Stephen McAlpine (National Communicator: Third Space)

A welcome contribution to the literature on pastoral malpractice in churches. This book is full of practical advice on creating a church culture that is healthy, positive and safe. I'm especially pleased to see it coming from the independent church community, but there is valuable guidance here for churches more widely. -- Marcus Honeysett (Director of Living Leadership and author, Kent, England) While the last few of years have seen an increasing number of cases of pastoral malpractice-Christian leaders who shepherd in harsh and heavy-handed ways-churches have not always been quick to recognize and address the problem. That's why I am so thankful for this new volume, Challenging Leaders. It is a wise and biblical resource that not only helps Christian institutions understand spiritual abuse, but provides practical steps to address it. May God use it to protect and purify his church -- Michael J. Kruger (President and Professor of New Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, North Carolina) The soul-wrenching scandals of recent days have made pastoral malpractice the subject of more intense and urgent public concern. I pray that this book will help us, by God's grace, to prevent the trauma of abuse by and of pastors from ever occurring in the culture of our churches but also to handle this sin in a healthier way, with the godly seriousness it deserves, when it does rear its ugly, gospel-denying head. I commend it as a resource for the constructive conversations on this topic which church members and leaders all need to have. -- Lee Gatiss (Director of Church Society, and Adjunct Lecturer in Church History, Union School of Theology, Bridgend, Wales) In recent years the conservative evangelical constituency in the UK has been rocked by the exposure of abuse by several high-profile pastors and leaders within it. Some have been found to have been predatory sexual or physical abusers, whereas others have exercised pastoral power in a domineering, coercive or bullying manner that has caused severe psychological harm to the members of their churches. Denominations, networks, organisations, and local churches have quite rightly wanted to take action to prevent such abuse and care appropriately for its victims. This book is a valuable addition to the growing literature on what has been controversially termed 'spiritual abuse.' It draws together an experienced team of pastors, theologians, women's workers, and safeguarding professionals to help churches and Christian organisations identify sinful abuse of pastoral power. They bring biblical clarity to the definition of pastoral abuse, legal expertise on safeguarding responsibilities, pastoral sensitivity to victims of mistreatment and practical wisdom for investigating complaints fairly. This book ought to be essential reading for the leaders of churches and organisations, and will challenge and encourage them to foster a healthy culture in which everyone can flourish. -- John Stevens (National Director, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, Market Harborough, Leicestershire) At a time when the fog of war has descended over the topic of spiritual abuse in the church, this work clears the air. Blending biblical depth, theological orthodoxy, gospel conviction, and pastoral concern, the authors navigate a field often dismissed by conservative evangelicals for miring itself in therapeutic language. And this is no church-bashing exercise: the love for the bride of Christ is obvious from start to finish. More than a textbook, this is a preventative manual, one worth reading with your leadership community. It will help you find safe passage through what is a cultural minefield, and better equip your gospel community to adorn the sound doctrines it confesses. -- Stephen McAlpine (National Communicator: Third Space)

Blending biblical depth, theological orthodoxy, gospel conviction, and pastoral concern, the authors navigate a field often dismissed by conservative evangelicals for miring itself in therapeutic language. ... the love for the bride of Christ is obvious from start to finish. -- Stephen McAlpine (National Communicator: Third Space) ... a wise and biblical resource that not only helps Christian institutions understand spiritual abuse, but provides practical steps to address it. May God use it to protect and purify his church -- Michael J. Kruger (President and Professor of New Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, North Carolina) This book is full of practical advice on creating a church culture that is healthy, positive and safe. I'm especially pleased to see it coming from the independent church community, but there is valuable guidance here for churches more widely. -- Marcus Honeysett (Director of Living Leadership and author, Kent, England) This book ought to be essential reading for the leaders of churches and organisations, and will challenge and encourage them to foster a healthy culture in which everyone can flourish. -- John Stevens (National Director, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, Market Harborough, Leicestershire) I pray that this book will help us, by God's grace, to prevent the trauma of abuse by and of pastors from ever occurring in the culture of our churches but also to handle this sin in a healthier way, with the godly seriousness it deserves, when it does rear its ugly, gospel-denying head. -- Lee Gatiss (Director of Church Society, and Adjunct Lecturer in Church History, Union School of Theology, Bridgend, Wales)

Author Information

Graham Nicholls is Director of Affinity, an organisation seeking to promote Christian unity and partnership throughout the British Isles. Graham provides strategic leadership of the ministry teams, and he regularly writes and speaks in the media. He is also one of the Pastors of Christ Church Haywards Heath and preaches there regularly. He is married to Caroline and has three grown up children.

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