How Do Wolves Become Overseers Of The Sheep?

Recently there was yet another report of a leader of a significant ministry being fired due to sin and mistreating and abusing others. This happens way too often, and it is always tragic.

However, what makes this situation even worse is the fact that this heinous behavior was known and warned about. But it was minimized and ultimately ignored. Furthermore, as if things could not get any worse, those who did try to sound the alarm regarding these nefarious deeds were punished for doing so – instead of listened to, valued, and even thanked.

And while this evil should be rare in Christian circles, it seems to be more the rule than the exception. But why? Shouldn’t the Church be far better at this? Why do these things keep happening among those who claim Christ?

We know there is no shortage of bad characters in this world. We also know the Church has always had many “false brothers,” false teachers, and “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matt 7:15ff; Acts 20:28ff; Gal 2:4-5; 2 Pet 2:1ff). The real question is, how do so many of these harmful and often anti-Christian people get inside the Church? How do they get into high places of leadership?

What is more, why does this keep happening? And what can we do about it?

If we dig deeper, at least below the surface of these problems, we will find our answers.

When it comes to false teachers and harmful people in the body of Christ, there are far more wolves in the Church than most Christians are aware of, or willing to admit. And perhaps the chief cause for this infiltration and overall destruction is poor leadership. With the recent high-profile wolves and abusive people in certain churches, the main problems can be traced back to the leadership of those ministries, how they failed to discern, and how they enabled/empowered the wolf in his highly harmful ways.

*Note: Conversely, there will be those in the Church who are falsely accused. We must always distinguish these innocent victims from those who are, in fact, false teachers and harmful leaders. Furthermore, we should be equipped in how to handle false accusers and false accusations (e.g., Deut 19:15ff; 1 Tim 5:19-21).

7 REASONS WOLVES FLOURISH IN THE CHURCH

Here are the seven main reasons wolves are embraced by churches and church leadership, and not appropriately handled even when spotted.

1. Wolves can be highly skilled in manipulation and deception, making it often very challenging to detect them, especially when we let our guard down.
2. The preexisting leaders lack the necessary leadership qualities. While they do have good traits, and are often wonderful people, they often lack equipping in key areas. *Note: Godly leaders are in very short supply, yet those who qualify as such are often deemed to be “undesirable” in many churches and ministries.
3. Leaders often have the wrong agenda in hiring and establishing other leaders (e.g., looking for people who can increase the numbers of the ministry).
4. Leaders lack discernment in more ways than one (and are often exceedingly naive about the prevalence of wolves trying to get into the church).
5. Leaders allow themselves to be charmed by the wolf in sheep’s clothing, and in so doing they minimize or ignore the red flags and the warnings from others.
6. Leaders lack the wherewithal to deal with significant problems (e.g., sin; abuse; error; skillful manipulators; crafty false teachers).
7. The wolf—who was usually removed or fired from previous positions—is not properly vetted by current leaders. This is due to things like: laziness; the fear of man; having the wrong agenda (see #2); willingness to compromise principles and truth, and calling this grace; making exceptions because the wolf is deemed to be valuable in other areas; and even sin and corruption on the part of leadership.

Of course, successfully leading a church or ministry is absolutely one of the more challenging things to do. The term “trying to herd cats” doesn’t even do it justice. Thankfully, there are wonderful people who are doing a fantastic job in how they lead. However, even then, even with good leaders, there will still be some bad apples who slip in (Jude 4ff). And, on the other hand, there are many fine people who are rejected for leadership because they are seen as a threat to existing bad leaders (cp. Jer 18:18; 1 Kgs 18:17-18; 22:6ff).

In addition, many people are appointed to leadership (e.g., elders, deacons) because they are seen as “Yes Men” – that is, they are considered easy to control and direct by others. Furthermore, if the senior pastor has too much control over who is chosen to be elders, then he will likely have less and less accountability. Naturally, a leading pastor like this will almost always adamantly deny that he is seeking “yes” people. Yet, tragically, this recipe for disaster is all too common in churches.

BRINGING IN WOLVES TO OVERSEE THE SHEEP

There will always be wolves, “false brothers,” and false teachers trying to infiltrate the Church (e.g., Gal 2:4-5; 2 Cor 11:3-4, 13-15; 2 Pet 2:1ff; Jude 4ff). The bigger problem, however, is a lack of equipping and discernment within the existing leadership of the Church. This is specifically revealed in those who choose to embrace and hire the wolves and abusive people. Given that, here are some principles to ponder:

• We can prevent wolves from being in the Church—however, it is poor leadership, a lack of discernment, and a willingness to compromise that allows them in.
• One of the worst things we can ever do is to put a wolf in charge of sheep.
• There is a spectrum between a wolf and a good and godly leader. That is, it is not “all or nothing.”

CHARACTERISTICS OF POOR LEADERSHIP

While they usually have several good characteristics, here are some troubling traits of those in preexisting leadership. These leaders are ultimately responsible for hiring, enabling, and not firing “wolves.”

1. They are easily enamored by the charm and gifting (e.g., gift of teaching) displayed by deceivers and manipulators, all while discounting the reality and history of a given individual. They fail to see through the charm of the wolf/harmful leader.
2. They have a Machiavellian mindset (e.g., “Good preaching covers over a multitude of sins.”) instead of highly valuing principles and purity.
3. They not only lack discernment, they believe they possess great discernment. Even worse, they often belittle and are dismissive of those who highly value discernment and who, therefore, point out problems (cp 1 Sam 16:7; 1 Kgs 3:9; 18:17-18; Jer 18:18; Acts 17:11; Phil 1:9-11).
4. They themselves became leaders for the wrong reasons (e.g., “Yes Men;” success in business; nice, but lacking in actual biblical leadership; cp Ti 1:5ff).
5. They frequently make the mistake of equating high numbers (e.g., people; book sales; etc.) with quality of teaching and character, or necessary as “good fruit”; therefore, that is who they tend to look for and hire (cp. Matt 7:13-23).
6. They willfully minimize or ignore red flags (1 Sam 8; Acts 20:28-31; 2 Tim 4:1-5).
7. They trust the words of the wolf over his or her actions—and then they expect, if not demand, that others trust the leaders over the actions and reality of the wolf.
8. They trust the words and promises of the wolf over the words and character of those who are far more worthy of trust (cp 1 Kgs 12:1ff; 22:6ff).
9. They are far more subjective (e.g., rely on feelings, the wisdom of the world, mysticism; seek world-approved theology;  pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe and follow) than objective (cp. Is 8:19-20; Acts 17:11; 2 Tim 2:15-18).
10. They selectively use and misuse “grace,” “love,” and “forgiveness” as a way to minimize, cover up, and not deal with the ugly reality of the wrongs done, and of who he or she is (i.e., saying things like, “Nobody is perfect”).
11. They have already compromised with more than one false teacher and harmful leader (e.g., promoting their material; admitting to the problems with these wolves, yet minimizing them at the same time; cp Gal 5:9).
12. They are willing to put certain “doctrines” over the character of the individual in question. In other words, if he/she holds to doctrine A, B, and C, then bad traits can be overlooked or minimized (cp Ti 1:5ff; 1 Tim 3:1ff). “Good doctrine covers over a multitude of sins.”
13. They are quick to dismiss—and even shame, attack, and punish—those who ask challenging questions or try to warn others about the wolf.
14. They preemptively and re-actively demean, shame, falsely accuse, and personally attack those who highly value both grace and truth—and who will not compromise when it comes to being qualified, disqualified, or re-qualified for ministry.
15. They do not handle conflict and discipline well within their ministry—and, instead, they often avoid or take the path of least resistance. They may also punish and shame those who try to confront problems in the church (i.e., they have a history of enabling sin and error).
16. They do not easily admit wrongdoing, or make necessary corrections (Prov 12:1; 13:1; 15:31-32).
17. They choose to give more value to the number of people a potential hire might bring in, rather than to the reality of who this person actually is.

The above traits are not applicable to every situation. Nor do they apply to every person in leadership when a wolf gets in. But these are problems that frequently exist. And where they do, there will eventually be wolves in that church or ministry.

 

SPOTTING WOLVES

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.   [ Matthew 7:15-16 ]

So, how can we spot these wolves who sneak into the Church?

It is imperative that we not look merely at what people present outwardly (1 Sam 16:7; Jn 7:24). If we do not closely examine them “inwardly,” and their “fruit,” then we are likely to be deceived. As a result, we, and others, will be greatly harmed.

*Note: It is very telling that Jesus tells us we will know wolves “by their fruit” right after He makes a correlation between high numbers and destruction, and between low numbers and life (cp. Matt 7:13-14).

Yet most Christians tend to see this in the opposite way – that is, high numbers equal “good fruit.” To be clear, having a large following is not necessarily a bad sign. Nor is a low number necessarily a good sign; however, it often does reveal something important regarding a person’s handling of the truth.

 

WOLF-DETECTOR

Here are 16 KEY TRAITS OF A WOLF. Of course, we must keep in mind that many of these can be harder to detect due to the manipulative skills of the wolf.

1. They have specific characteristics such as: a pattern of not taking personal responsibility (minimizing; lying; making excuses; blame-shifting); lacking personal integrity (being duplicitous; hiding the truth about things); self-focused; manipulative and abusive; a history of harming those they should be protecting and loving; significant false teachings.
2. They not only have many damaged relationships in their life (for which they are at least largely responsible), they have a history of making promises to seek reconciliation, but there is no actual fruit that they did, in fact, seek to reconcile (at least with full and contrite confession and repentance).
3. They give lip-service to and the appearance of valuing the truth, but, in actuality, when pressed, and when held accountable, their true colors are revealed (e.g., evasive; avoid specifics; appeal to grace and generalities; redirect the focus and blame; appeal to good intentions, while often ascribing and condemning the motives of others).
4. They do possess attributes that appeal to others, and at the top of the list are usually: likability, charming, a gift of teaching, and the ability to increase numbers.
5. They are highly practiced in ingratiating themselves with others in ways that are far more calculating than genuine (e.g., to win people over to gain credibility and power).
6. They often acquire followers by seemingly serving and loving others, at least at first. In other words, they start off by giving the appearance of a humble servant who just wants to love others and help the church or ministry. This, then, produces advocates who become blindly loyal to them (cp 2 Sam 15:1ff).
7. They subtly or overtly seek more and more prestige and power—and they likely left a previous ministry because they were not given the control and esteem they think they deserve.
8. They have a heavy dose of the fear of man, particularly when it comes to needing adoration from others.
9. They have a significant amount of underlying pride, insecurity, self-centeredness, and even narcissism, which is often skillfully masked by their charm and false humility.
10. They are very stubborn and do not receive correction well (cp. Jer 7:22-28). At first, they rely on the usual false humility, counterfeit-concessions, and feigning of contrition and repentance, but this always fades when pushed for actual fruit of repentance. Due to a past of being enabled (e.g., by parents, friends, admirers), and getting by on their charm and skills of manipulation, they are not used to needing to actually repent.
11. They do not confront well. They will often avoid confronting others, or will have others do this for them. If they do confront, it is usually shame-based, inaccurate, and laced with intimidation—and even subtle and overt threats—through the power of their position in leadership.
12. They likely have a history of being removed from one or more churches or ministries (e.g., fired; asked to leave; forced to resign). Or they quit after they caused hurt and damage. And instead of addressing and seeking to resolve this, they not only abandoned their flock, they blamed others for the problems they themselves caused. Making matters worse, many in the new church/ministry have little to no idea these things happened, or the facts of why this often abrupt departure happened.
13. They were previously seen as the “Golden Child” at home, at school, on a sports team, in a ministry, etc. In other words, they were highly adored and viewed as a person who could do no wrong, who always succeeded, and who rarely, if ever, needed to be confronted, chastised, etc.
14. They have been enabled by others (e.g., protected and shielded from consequences)—their failings and harmful tendencies have been frequently minimized, covered over, and the blame shifted to others.
15. Can be controlling and abusive – usually, the less people fall for and see through their charm and manipulative ways, the more he or she  displays controlling and adversarial, if not abusive, behavior.
16. When finally caught or confronted, they will often play the victim, redirecting blame to the actual victims and/or confronters.

Sadly, after laying low for a while, the wolf will inevitably rise from the ashes and join or start a new ministry. Eventually, given enough time, they will almost always gain more adherents due to: the lack of discernment of these followers; a lack of good pre-existing leadership; the lack of receiving warnings; the lack of consequences in the past; the charisma and gifting of the unrepentant wolf; a reputation of past success (i.e., numbers); along with  appeals to counterfeit grace, confession, forgiveness, repentance, love, unity, and restoration.

 

14 THINGS THE CHURCH CAN DO TO AVOID WOLVES

These are practical things that any church, and specifically church leaders, can practice as they grow in godly maturity.

1. Encourage members to think for themselves, according to God’s written Word, and to not merely rely on the word of others (Acts 17:11; Heb 5:14).
2. Equip the body of Christ regarding the warning signs of wolves, of false teachers, of weak leadership, of deceit and manipulative tactics, etc.
3. Provide accurate and appropriate teaching and equipping on sin and false teaching, and how to reconcile and overcome these … with grace and truth.
4. Ensure transparency—and willingness to openly and adequately answer questions.
5. Commit to true accountability. Specifically, there should be appropriate consequences for sin and failure, rather than “cheap grace.” Instead, there should be grace and truth, coupled with loving discipline so that people can rightly learn, repent, and perhaps be restored to a place of leadership (when it is reasonable to do so).
6. Value discernment—not just in word, but in actions, truth, and love (1 Jn 3:18; Heb 5:14; Acts 17:11; Phil 1:9-11; 1 Kgs 3:9).
7. Compromise when it comes to preferences, while at the same time commit to not compromise over principles. Practice more discernment to know which is which, and exercise the love to unswervingly stand on the truth.
8. Determine to be far less concerned about numbers (Matt 7:13-23).
9. Love others according to the truth of God’s Word (Jn 17:17; 1 Jn 3:18; 1 Cor 13:6).
10. Trust God, God’s Word, and His ways. Put far less trust in man’s ways (e.g., techniques for increasing numbers or “success” in our church or ministry; cp. Ecc 7:29; Is 55:8-9).
11. Apply the right criteria for who should be in leadership (e.g., 1 Tim 3:1ff; Ti 1:5ff; Acts 17:11).
12. Develop godly leaders, and give significant consequences to any leaders who hire, protect, and enable wolves.
13. Seek out more leaders who are truly trustworthy, while discouraging blind trust in leadership.
14. Correct any existing enabling and counterfeit love in the leadership, while also being keenly aware of the potentially devastating consequences these things can have within the entire church.

9 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO AVOID WOLVES

When it comes to avoiding wolves, you, as an individual or family, can and should do the following:

1. Focus on all that you do control, and faithfully fulfill all that you know God is calling you to do.
2. Hold reasonable expectations of your leaders and other Christians, but never lower your standards and accept sin, deceit, false teachings, etc.
3. Grow continually in your personal love for and understanding of God’s written Word.
4. Practice discernment as you continually grow in this area (Heb 5:14; Phil 1:9-11).
5. Speak the truth in love to others, especially to church leadership whenever need be, with accuracy and respect (e.g., 2 Tim 2:23-26).
6. Be courageous. Do not give in to fear, even when those in leadership may diminish or shame you and your discernment.
7. Shine as a light to those around you (Phil 2:15-16; Matt 5:14-16).
8. Seek to help those around you, but only out of love, and only according to the truth (Jas 5:19-20; Gal 6:1; Prov 24:11-12).
9. Do hard things. Ultimately, after exhausting all other biblical options, vote with your feet—leave if it is too destructive; leave if leadership is toxic and unreasonable, and warn others about all of the above.

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.   [ Acts 20:28-32 ]

 

We have much more on this topic in our books: Failure To Protect: Why Sin & Abuse Is Not Handled Well In The Church and Enablers: Enabling Dysfunction or Enabling Reconciliation – as well as our Forgiveness Book Bundle, along with all the other Hope For Life Resources