I have had an extremely bad experience in the Church. I’ve discussed it previously here and here. In another article by Trevin Wax, a list is offered. I’d like to share it here.

How do you recognize abusive leadership? Paul requires two witnesses for a charge to be leveled against an elder (1 Tim. 5:19), probably because he knows that leaders will be charged with infelicities more than others, often unfairly. That said, abusive churches and Christian leaders characteristically

1. Make dogmatic prescriptions in places where Scripture is silent.
2. Rely on intelligence, humor, charm, guilt, emotions, or threats rather than on God’s Word and prayer (see Acts 6:4).
3. Play favorites.
4. Punish those who disagree.
5. Employ extreme forms of communication (tempers, silent treatment).
6. Recommend courses of action that always, somehow, improve the leader’s own situation, even at the expense of others.
7. Speak often and quickly.
8. Seldom do good deeds in secret.
9. Seldom encourage.
10. Seldom give the benefit of the doubt.
11. Emphasize outward conformity, rather than repentance of heart.
12. Preach, counsel, disciple, and oversee the church with lips that fail to ground everything in what Christ has done in the gospel and to give glory to God.

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