A friend of mine from England recently asked me for counsel regarding a serious dilemma. His pastor had been involved in extramarital affairs, yet the man never stepped down after the scandal. My friend grew increasingly uncomfortable. Then he became alarmed when the embattled pastor announced he was going to lay hands on every church member during a weekend service to impart “special revelation.”
This pastor had a base of loyal fans, but the Sunday crowd was dwindling because people could smell trouble. They knew it wasn’t right for this man to remain in leadership without receiving some serious personal ministry. I advised my friend to run for the door.
I’ve never found a perfect church in all my travels—and it certainly wouldn’t be perfect if I joined it. But there are some churches that deserve to be called unhealthy. While I believe we shouldn’t give up on a church too fast, there are some warning signs that should cause you to stop and ask if you’d be better off finding better pasture.
1. No accountability. There is safety in the multitude of counselors (see Prov. 11:14). There is much less safety—perhaps even danger—when a leader does not bother to seek counsel from a diverse group of his peers, as well as from gray-haired men and women who have the wisdom that comes with experience. If a pastor or church leader isn't open to correction or financial oversight, he is headed for a train wreck. If you stay in that church, you may crash with him.
2. Spiritual elitism. Healthy leaders love the entire body of Christ. Beware of any church that claims “exclusive” revelation or suggests they are superior to other Christians. This is how cults start. There is a large charismatic church in Hungary that began in revival, but the founder began teaching that their church was the only place people could truly be saved. If a pastor ever makes such claims it is time to shake the dust off your feet and move on.
3. Entrenched immorality. The apostle Paul commanded leaders to enforce biblical discipline. This must be handled with gentleness (see Gal. 6:1) but nevertheless with firm resolve, because the enemy wants to infiltrate the church with moral compromise. If a pastor has been involved in adultery or perversion and continues preaching, meanwhile refusing discipline, his unrepentant spirit will infect the entire congregation—and you can expect to see immorality spread throughout the church. Don’t be defiled.
4. An authoritarian spirit. Some leaders develop a dictatorial style and try to control people through manipulation, threats and legalistic demands. I’m amazed at how much spiritual abuse is tolerated in churches today. No pastor is perfect, and we are called to be patient with each other’s faults. But if a church leader is verbally abusive toward his staff or members of his congregation, he is in direct violation of Scripture. The Apostle Paul taught that church leaders should not be "violent" or "quarrelsome" but "self-controlled" and "gentle" (see 1 Tim. 3:2-3). It’s best to find another pastor if yours cannot control his anger.
5. Unbridled greed. Paul made it clear that a leader has no business being in the ministry if he isn’t “free from the love of money” (1 Tim. 3:3, NASB). Yet we have turned that requirement on its head today. We have given greedy charlatans access to the airwaves and allowed them to corrupt the church with a money-focused message. Your pastor does not have to live in poverty, but if he insists on living in luxury—and manipulates people during offering time to squeeze more money out of your wallet to pay for his toys—you are supporting his habit. You should leave.
6. False doctrines and manifestations. A pastor should be open to the Holy Spirit’s spontaneous work, but he or she should also protect the flock from deception. In many segments of the charismatic movement today, bizarre New Age influences have been wholeheartedly embraced—and Christians seem to have thrown away the gift of discernment. If your church is focusing on a particular prophet’s revelations, or is going off on weird tangents—at the expense of solid doctrine—then you should go elsewhere fast.
7. A culture of pride. Some church leaders are so insecure that they manufacture a sense of importance around them in order to function. They surround themselves with security guards, “armor bearers,” handlers and assistants—and never actually build genuine relationships with their church members. They think church is all about their stage performance, so they rely on volume, theatrics, clothes and a grand entrance to impress the crowd rather than just being normal, touchable, accessible servants. If your pastor is building a personality cult rather than a dwelling place for God, run for your life!
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project (themordecaiproject.org). His latest book is Fearless Daughters of the Bible. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady.
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
AnonymousFebruary 28, 2013 at 7:35 PM
ReplyDeleteRead the 3rd chapter of Philippians.Look at the warnings that He gave also what he counted as loss.Why he gave them up.Look at those in 17-19,that are enemies of the cross of Christ,who set their minds on earthy things.Is Jesus truly your Lord are you following another jesus, a money jesus?The thing in the word of faith teachings a few years ago was divine healing because a preacher laid hands and prayed and said you were healed. After people saw it didn't work just like they said it did,they changed programs now it is money cometh to me now.We will see how long this lasts.Because when people start losing their cars and homes because they can't pay their bills and the (so called church) will not help them,and they cry out to God and go to the Bible and they allow the Holy Spirit to rightly divide His Word He will set them free. And lead them to a Church that teaches the truth.Look at Luke 6;38 Joyce teaches this about money. Read the chapter it is about Love your enemies,being merciful,judging and forgiving.Your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return. In my Bible Paul and the other apostles where not rich in silver and gold but where rich in their walk with the Lord, and their main purpose was preaching the Gospel and souls were saved.With all your riches Joyce where are the souls that are being saved.Did Paul preach money cometh to me now?
This was so good I had to repost this Thanks anonymous for your words they are totally true.
Greedy preacher will always attract more greedy people and most of the time it will be the poor who are taken advantage of. I just do not understand how anyone who works for a living can be so stupid as the give Joyce Leiphon so much money each year that she brags bout taking in over $200,000 a year and give her man of god over $100,000 a year.
ReplyDeletewhen does she start sharing the wealth with the the flock she is fleecing? Leroy doesn't need the money according to him. Joyce doesn't need to money according to her so when does she help those in her church. Or do you have to give her the deed to you home and business
That is why the bible calls man sheep. Look how dumb a sheep is.It is hard to believe that little group on her website gives her $200,000. a year.I would like to know what kind of jobs are in the area that pay that kind of money that they give her this much money.With this much money where are the outreach programs to the lost,church growth. Been a church since 2004? Something must be really wrong.Look at the bible The Lord blesses and causes growth,where He is lifted up and the truth is preached.He will not honor another jesus.
ReplyDeleteIf this pitiful little group of people in Joyce's church are so wealthy that they can give $200,000 a year to their pastor, then they must be trafficking in drugs, running a big time call girl/escort/prostitution service, selling government secrets to Al-Quada, smuggling illegal aliens into the country, or robbing Brinks. So if these people in her church are not doing any of this, what is Joyce herself doing to bring in so much money? You are right, anonymous. SOMETHING IS REALLY WRONG HERE.
ReplyDeleteIf Pastor Leiphon is that wealthy, why doesn't she build a really nice church in the community instead of preaching her Gospel of Greed in some dumpy strip mall that looks like a piece of s---?
ReplyDeletei wonder why Joyce Leiphon never preaches the word of God in context of what is written. But jumps from one scripture to another to prove her point. As I listen to her preaching I hope and pray the ones following her will do as she says and study Word of God and ask Him to reveal what he is meaning by what they read. Not going to Joyce but going to the LORD himself. The Holy Spirit is the true teacher to all them that believe.
ReplyDeleteI just listen to Joyce preaching on LOVE. I have my doubts that she even know what true love of God is. Oh yeah she preaches it but does she allow you to fellowship with those to do not accept her teaching. Are you allow to speak or fellowship with those who no longer listen to her ramblings. How long has it been since any of you have reached out to someone that has left her teachings. If you are shunning anyone the LOVE OF GOD is not in you. God the Father so love the world that he sent HIS son to die for all men not just a few but all. He loves us so much he will allow false teacher such as Joyce all the time in this life to repent and if she choose not to turn he will allow her to go to hell with all the rest of the false teachers. If you can only fellowship with the ones that believe like you well I truly feel sorry for you not knowing the truth about the LOVE of God.
ReplyDeleteHow can Joyce Leiphon talk about love when she has divorced 5 husbands? Talk about a hypocrit. And supposedly taking in 200 grand a year, while at the same time taking half the pension of one of her ex-husbands, a totally disabled amputee. This woman truly deserves to rot in Hell. What a slimeball.
ReplyDeletei hear Joyce talk about religion is not what the LORD wants from His children. That to me is so funny because the Word of Faith doctrine is a religion. It is man made rules and regulations. It is false doctrine because it is totally against the finished work of Cross of Christ. It is about profess the scripture which make you a little g god and God has to give you what you declare. That is not what the True Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. Joyce has come out of one cult and now she is teaching those who follow her into another cult which is pure evil. It is doctrine of devils. When she preaches money cometh to me now she is saying that Jesus did not do enough on the Cross to meet her need and is leading others to think they can demand God to give them what they want by quoting any scripture that says what they want. She say on one teaching she has become "Him" and then she says that " You can never become god" so with contradicting herself how can you believe anything that she preaches. I realize from the blogs that many are praying or this false teacher and I surely will be praying that she repents.
ReplyDeleteI have listen to Joyce teaching of 3-3-2013. Some of the same ole stuff. However I have been thinking about the things she says God told her. Her whole teaching is about what God told her she would be or do. None of what she says God told her lines up with the truth of the Word of God. If you can not find what the you think the LORD has spoken to in the word of God then it isn't God. It is either your flesh or the devil. Now I know Joyce and others can take scripture and twist it to mean what ever they want it to mean but the fact of the matter is Jesus Christ and HIM Crucified is the true Gospel not money cometh to me now. God Gives to all his children and none not one is more deserving then another. Read the Word for yourself. Look up in the concordance about money see that Jesus speaks more about money then any other thing. Joyce love money always has and unless God does deliver her from this sin she will die loving money. Money is her God. You want proof. All of you who are throwing your hard earned money at her feet. Stop for one month do not give her a dime. She will be moaning the blues. She will come down on you like a cop arresting the thief. Of course I know none of you will do that because you would be afraid she will call you out and you will loose your money you are commanding to come to you. Let me tell you a secret unless you become a preacher like she is and can have a following that throw money at your feet you will never receive that kind of money and JOyce know this to be true. The church she represents is a scheme she knows it. God will allow this just for so long He also has sent many to show her the error of her way but she refuses to listen. Time will run out forf all of us one day. Jesus is standing at the door of your heart knocking will you open the door to the truth and allow him in or will you remain as Joyce you own God.
ReplyDeleteQuestion. I see the term [g God] frequently. What does the little [g] stand for?
ReplyDeletewell it is a word of Faith believe that you can become a little god meaning you can create whatever you can speak it into existence like God did when he make the earth and all that is in it. Just truly means some believe the have become little gods that is all
ReplyDeleteI also have listen to many of Joyce Leiphon teachings from her web-site. I wondered why she brags so much on herself. Does she not realize how horrible the Cross of Jesus was. Did he suffer this horrible death so people could become rich? Or did he suffer this death as he did so the Father could and would pour out His wrath upon his son as not to have to pour it on upon His creation. Jesus was the only way man could be saved His perfect sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteIt's not difficult at all to figure out why Joyce Leiphon brags so much on herself. She is a true sociopath and sociopaths think they are so much better and so much more important than everyone else. They put themselves on a pedestal, think they are above the law, and have no feeling, compassion, or empathy for the feelings of others. They are strictly for themselves. Sociopaths have no conscience whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteI wondered after listing to Joyce audio of 3/3/13 then listen to the video why she preached only 58 minutes on the video and over an hour on the audio. Also on the video she didn't mention money cometh to me now as she did on the audio. why does she edit what she preaches? why is there no praise and worship why does it seem her first words are cut out. What is she hiding?
ReplyDelete2nd Cor.13;5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you fail the test? Read this whole chapter to get the context of what Paul is saying. In 2nd Peter 1-11 tells us about the faith given to Peter. Is yours the same? As one reads these verses they can see if these qualities are in their lives. One can also see them practiced in others lives. In the New Covenant not counting the Gospels or the book of Revelation we have been given warnings in 14 books. About false prophets,false teachers, and not to be deceived.It looks like the Holy Spirit want us not to be robbed from everything that Jesus went to the cross for us to inherit.Read John 14;26 see who the real teacher is 24/7. if you don't fail the Test.Each person has to walk the walk no one can do it for you. God doesn't have any grandchildren.The true FAITH brings us to a rest in what Jesus did at the cross. It is not about how many times that I confess something, how much money I give or any other work that I do. Those things are about self(flesh), trying to please God, really rejecting God's plan, what He did at the cross with Jesus. I pray you ask the Holy Spirit to draw you to His word and show you the truth for your selves not what someone else has to say about the bible.
ReplyDeleteI see where Leiphon is holding some sort of Faith conference the middle of March in her cult and for people to come and "receive from God" But first, exactly how much money will all of these folks have to throw at the feet of this woman in order to "receive from God"?
ReplyDelete2 Peter 2:1-3 but there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring on destructive heresies even denying the LORD who bought them and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2) and many will follow their destructive way because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3) By COVETOUSNESS they will exploit you with deceptive words: for a long time their judgment has not been idle and their destruction does not slumber.
ReplyDeleteyou can read the rest of the chapter. It is not going to fare well with anyone who preaches Money Cometh to me now and the Word of Faith doctrine. all Faith and Trust must be only in the Cross of Jesus Christ. That is the only way to the Father. So whoever preaches what they think the Word of God says well they will meet with destruction if they do not repent. Read the whole chapter of what your preacher teaches from then read the whole book to see if what they say are in line with the book chapter an verse is talking about. I can take scripture and make say what ever I want. Joyce is not a super Christian as there all none. She like the rest of us still have a sin nature and when we allow the sin nature to rear its ugly head we are capable of all sin. Even Greed. Love of money is the root of all KINDS of evil .
Joyce Leiphon must really need money as she is having a faith conference 3/15-17/2013 then in April she is having a healing conference. Money must really be tight for her need to draw people in. Be very careful you see MY God does not charge for the Healing he gives. You see the debt has been paid at the cross of Christ Jesus. When you faith is totally placed in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the Cross you have all you need to live a victorious life in this church age. Healing Comes from the Blood of Jesus and it has nothing to do with how much faith to be healed you have as these Word of Faith preachers preach. It has nothing to do with how much money you give. Why do you spend money for things money cannot buy. We who believe that Jesus Christ paid the debt we all owed receive all the Promises of God at that time. Now if you have food clothing and shelter that is all we are promised in this life. Our rewards are to be looked for in the coming Kingdom age. When you as Joyce is doing seeking all the blessings in this life well she just may not only loose blessing in the Kingdom age to come but she and those following her just may loose their souls also. Its all about what Jesus did not what any of us do
ReplyDeleteMaybe her greed and gluttony is finally catching up with her.
ReplyDeleteJoyce and her followers need to read Matt.16;1."And the Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Him asked Him to show them a sign from heaven." They say (Joyce etc.) that God want us rich who want to listen to poor people talk about Jesus.(6) And Jesus said to them,"Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Need to read chapter and verse and the book and ask The Holy Spirit if what anyone is teaching is truth.(13)last half,"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"(16)And Simon Peter answered and said,"Thou art the Christ,the Son of the living God."Read verse 17 and has God the Father revealed Jesus Christ to you.Read then rest of the chapter and see Jesus gave his life doing the will of The Father.And the Church is to lay down their lives also and preach Jesus and Him Crucified.In verse (26)"For what will a man profited,if he gains the whole world,and forfeits his soul?Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?( Money cometh to me now!!!)really worth It? Read the rest of the chapter.Do you want to see Jesus? The real Jesus.
ReplyDeleteAre those who remain in her church finally waking up and getting sick and tired (and smart) about this woman ripping them off; are they finally realizing that Joyce will be keeping all of their money; that they will receive none of it as promised? I don't believe any of these people are dumb enough to stay with this pastor forever.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea if they have come to their senses or not. My prayer is they all ask God to give them: Eph 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
ReplyDeleteNot the teaching of any man but only the Word of God which is Christ Jesus and Him Crucified. from Genesis to Revelation it is all about Jesus not man
I recently heard Joyce Leiphon sing the praises of Leroy Thompson. After hearing this and praying about this I believe the LORD sent me to this scripture.
ReplyDelete1Cor 1"10-14-7. 14) Now I plead with you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11) For it has been declared to me concerning you my brethren by those of Choloe's household that there are contentions among you. 12) Now I say this that each of you says "I am of Paul" or "I am of Apollos" or "I am of Cephas" or "I am of Christ". 13) Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14) I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius. 15) lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16). Yes I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17). For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel not with wisdom of words lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect