The Bible is clear when it describes false prophets. Jesus tells us to beware of them because they come to us in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. These false prophets have mastered the art of being fauxernable because they love power and use it to get what they want. In Acts chapter 8 we read about Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Magician, who amazed the people of Samaria with his tricks and proclaimed himself to be someone great. He was able to convince everyone, from the least to the greatest, that he was a man of great power. Even after his conversion he couldn’t escape the desire to be powerful and influential just like the Apostles. The same addiction he had before his conversion was still driving him to envy. Simon wanted the power for himself. Jealousy often drives a person to worship the very thing he/she wants. The root of bitterness for Simon was that he wanted to be seen as powerful so that he could feel significant. This relentless desire for self-promotion led him to do the unthinkable…he offered to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit for himself. Matthew 7:15-20, the MSG version says, “Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.” So, what happens when the Church does not heed Christ’s warning, and we accommodate these wolves in sheep’s clothing? What are the ramifications of denominational leadership or church networks that deliberately look the other way because of the influence of these wolves in leadership? We acclimate, we adapt, and in so doing we perpetuate the self-promoting pastor’s drive for personal significance. We stop listening to the warning of Christ and rather we have become accustomed to being Raised by Wolves.
Using the phrase, “Raised by Wolves” to describe someone usually suggests that a person is aggressive or uncivilized, much like the culture that has become a regular and accepted practice within many of our churches. It isn’t hard to find pastors who privately conduct themselves like wolves who are raising the next generation of leaders to also act like wolves. We esteem these kinds of teachers because with a gentle voice they preach and teach that doing church as team is the ultimate call that we must answer. But behind the scenes the ravenous attributes of the wolf come out. These kinds of leaders will use you to build their kingdom, all the while pretending to be focused on building the kingdom. They become skilled at publicly disguising themselves as humble and gentle sheep but behind the scenes their wolf-like intensity and jealousy for personal significance causes them to seek their prey at any cost. Personal kingdoms will be built, glowing accolades will be given, and the once earnest desires of young, upcoming leaders will be sucked up in this vortex of being raised by wolves. Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to find churches that are healthy? Have you ever asked yourself why so many churches look and sound the same and have identical liturgies? One Sunday morning in 2019 while watching worship on YouTube, a man named Ben Kirby discovered that many of the most well-known and successful worship leaders were wearing sneakers and clothing that were worth well into the thousands of dollars. What started as just a funny observation led Kirby to create the PreachersNSneakers Instagram account which grew to over 200,000 followers by asking the question, is it appropriate to turn the church into a For-Profit, as it generates revenue from selling the gospel of Jesus? In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with nice shoes or clothing but when is too much…too much? When you are raised by wolves it’s never too much! This raised by wolves culture is mirrored at many churches. All you need to do is go on social media and visit churches online to see for yourself. You will notice that as you go visit these church websites the give button is strategically inserted to be conveniently used.
If this phenomenon is unbiblical and unhealthy, why is it so prevalent in our churches? I do not profess to have any of the answers, but I would like to have an honest conversation about what I have experienced. These wolfish leaders intentionally disguise themselves, they want to fly under the radar so they can get what they want at any cost. Simon the magician was one of these kinds of exploitative leaders but the difference between now and then is that those in leadership were not afraid to call Simon out and correct him. Unfortunately, this is not the case today because to correct and expose an unethical leader today would mean that those in authority would have to expose their own unscrupulous behaviors. Just recently, I was reminded of screenshots of texts of a male staff member from a former church, which were clear examples of immoral behavior. His wife had taken and sent me screenshots of her husband’s text conversations with a young girl in an internship program. He was communicating on a regular basis with this young girl and while she was on vacation, telling her how he had missed her being at the conference that was going on at the time. Included in the messages was an image that he had taken off her Instagram story while she was poolside wearing a bathing suit and subsequently sent to her saying “you’re the cutest buddy”. Along with this there were numerous pictures of other people. When I addressed this obvious misconduct by a staff member with the lead pastor, he considered it to not be a big deal. It was resolved with a quick talking to, and no follow up or any professional care. What was more important here was the preserving of the two jobs these individuals held rather than the restorative care that needed to take place. This is how problems are often addressed in a “raised by wolves” culture. If statistics are correct, there will be a reckoning to pay for the lead pastor having looked the other way. Today, I know of churches that have been investigated for similar incidents and found to be guilty. Again, executive leadership is not willing to address these problems publicly because they believe that no one knows about them… but everybody knows. What is terribly wrong is when denominational leaders, boards and/or peer pastors all know when there is a wolf disguised in sheep’s clothing. Everyone knows about their egos, their ongoing sinful activity, and their narcissistic behaviors. How many times have we seen pastors be found guilty from a formal investigation for sexual harassment, harsh work environments, or other illegal activity and it is publicly covered up? What usually happens is the perpetrator is corrected behind closed doors and given a public going away party celebrating all the good they have done. They are given their golden parachutes, their severance packages, and their adulation given by people that have no idea what these perpetrators have done. This treatment is only reserved for lead pastors because denominations or church networks need to protect their liability, their self-interest, and most importantly their brand. At the same time, victims that showed bravery to stand up and say something are not acknowledged, they are disregarded, and usually become ostracized from the community they were victims of. Imagine with me that the victims usually have no attorney representation while the lead pastors have full access to an in-house attorney and the vast resources of their church bank accounts. The victims are on their own. If there is any help, usually it’s in-house counsel that are being compensated by the very organization that complaints are being brought up against. No conflict of interest there.
I believe in the old adage that the church is like a hospital, and you will certainly find imperfect people there. Not only do I believe this to be true, this is what I love so much about the church. It is expected when you go to a hospital that you will find people that are not well. And everyone should have an expectation that when you go to see a doctor that he or she is qualified and is upholding their Hippocratic oath. The same needs to be said about the church. People are imperfect and as a community of imperfect people, we are endeavoring to follow a perfect God that sanctifies His people daily. And we all should expect that pastors should be mature, competent, and striving to live out their lives demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit.