Dontcha just hate troublemakers?

[Scott]

Speaking to a friend of mine recently - his church has some trouble makers causing problems. Attacks on the ministry and on the church. Some attacks have been subtle, some have been overt and some have been via internet/social networks.

I just don't understand why people choose to cause problems, if you don't like where you go to church, the door you walked in also allows you to walk out.

I grew up in a church with people like that, hated it then, still do.

[mini]

*whew*

I thought I was in trouble for the past orneriness I caused on Godplace.

[Chseeads]

Some people seem to think it's their own special personal ministry to stir up stink.

[SippinTea]

My dad had someone come up to him and announce that she was "called to be a thorn in his flesh". Delightful.

[Lynx]

The trick is to be able to judge when it would cause more damage to leave the tares and when it would cause more damage to pull them out.  Sometimes, for all the trouble they cause, it would be more damaging to call them on it and make them leave.

[Chseeads]

My dad had someone come up to him and announce that she was "called to be a thorn in his flesh". Delightful.

Did he address her back as a "messenger of Satan?"

[Scott]

*whew*

I thought I was in trouble for the past orneriness I caused on Godplace.

Oh ... you aren't out of the woods yet....

[Melody]

*whew*

I thought I was in trouble for the past orneriness I caused on Godplace.

BOL! Ruby that is hilarious! Though I'm sure it wasn't at the time.  There are so many wonderful things going on for people to be trouble makers.  Every once in a while I run into someone that is a trouble maker or gossip by calling other people trouble makers or gossips.  It's hard not to smirk while they're talking or completely undermind them with something incredible positive... lol Sometimes I do, just to be onery.  Otherwise I'm trying to get out of the conversation.

My mom is like that.  We didn't hardly ever get to see family when they left the church and she told people for years how all us children were trying her and would be the death of her and she was just doing the best she could.  To this day I know who is decent family to interact with and who isn't based on how much they bought into this saintly mother degrading her hopeless hellbound children.   Lol

[Scott]

The trick is to be able to judge when it would cause more damage to leave the tares and when it would cause more damage to pull them out.  Sometimes, for all the trouble they cause, it would be more damaging to call them on it and make them leave.

Seriously? Make someone leave? You open yourself to law suits and negative publicity.

In my 199 years of life, I know of one person we told to leave and not return. It was a demon possessed woman who was sexually coming on to the men. She was talking dirty and causing problems. The Ministry tried to cast the devil out and she said she liked that devil of sexuality and refused to be delivered.  After she was told to leave, she'd sneak into church and crawl under the pews - it took the police to remove her each time.

My dad had someone come up to him and announce that she was "called to be a thorn in his flesh". Delightful.

I've met a few people like that.

I grew up in a church that had lots of church trouble and trouble makers. I've seen way too much over the years.  Once during an argument at the church, someone called the fire department and reported a fire in the church. Firemen and cops stormed the place while a huge argument was going on.

I was 15 at the time and no one paid attention to me as I followed behind to figure out what was going on.

One day we came to church, one side turned off the water, another side turned off the lights. The pastor  someone in the city to get them both turned back on.  OY!

It got so bad, we hired armed security guards to patrol the auditorium during service.

[Scott]

Every once in a while I run into someone that is a trouble maker or gossip by calling other people trouble makers or gossips.  It's hard not to smirk while they're talking or completely undermine them with something incredible positive...

I've had people come up to me to tell me what people were going to gossip about so that I would not believe nor receive the gossip!   

My mom is like that.  We didn't hardly ever get to see family when they left the church and she told people for years how all us children were trying her and would be the death of her and she was just doing the best she could.  To this day I know who is decent family to interact with and who isn't based on how much they bought into this saintly mother degrading her hopeless hellbound children.   Lol

Even worse when your family is in the middle of it all.  oy vey.

[SippinTea]

My dad had someone come up to him and announce that she was "called to be a thorn in his flesh". Delightful.

Did he address her back as a "messenger of Satan?"

No, but if I'd been there when it happened, I might have been awfully tempted. She really WAS, too. It was a pretty horrid situation. I would have thought when she started having dreams about herself being a snake that it *might* have given her cause to check her actions/motives/words/etc. But apparently not.

Regarding the whole asking people to leave thing.... My dad has only done that twice that I can think of. Both times were EXTREME situations, and since my dad is one of the most patient and forgiving men I know, you KNOW it's bad when he gets pushed to that point. One individual has quite a reputation in our area... hopping from church to church, and causing absolute havoc everywhere she goes. Seriously, there is complete uproar whenever she's around. Sooo.... about the time she decided such-and-such pastor just "wasn't feeding her, and she couldn't place herself under such a man who claimed to be a man of God" and decided to come (back) to our church (for the third time?? fourth time?? I've lost track) dad very politely told her that she was welcome to attend here once she had made peace with her current pastor, but not until then. She hasn't been back. *whew*

[Lynx]

The trick is to be able to judge when it would cause more damage to leave the tares and when it would cause more damage to pull them out.  Sometimes, for all the trouble they cause, it would be more damaging to call them on it and make them leave.

Seriously? Make someone leave? You open yourself to law suits and negative publicity.

In my 199 years of life, I know of one person we told to leave and not return. It was a demon possessed woman who was sexually coming on to the men. She was talking dirty and causing problems. The Ministry tried to cast the devil out and she said she liked that devil of sexuality and refused to be delivered.  After she was told to leave, she'd sneak into church and crawl under the pews - it took the police to remove her each time.

Yes, that would be a good example.  I didn't say it happens a lot.

[Heather]

I finally found out why I was asked to leave my last church. #1 My ex-husband was uncomfortable with me there. Him and his latest wife were very involved in ministry in just about every department leaving me just able to attend church without getting involved. #2 12 years ago I dated the pastors son for 3 years until he backslid. Now he is completely out of church and expecting a child with his girlfriend. The pastors wife claims it's too hard to see me and 'what could have been' for her son.

I don't completely understand and it seems super flakey to me, but it is what it is. I'm just glad to have found a good church now 

[BroTrey]

It's par for course in our line of work...