Clergy Killers: Guidance for Pastors and Congregations Under Attack

I knew Dr. Lloyd Rediger through his pastoral counseling/care ministry in Wisconsin. I myself experienced what Dr. Rediger later called, "clergy killers" in a parish. I communicated with Dr. Rediger who had moved to MN. When he published "Clergy Killers," I immediately ordered the book. I read it with a great deal of appreciation and clarifying information with perspective. I can attest from my own experience the TRUTH of Dr. Rediger's analysis and his assessments. The book was a very valuable THERAPY for me after the fact. I wish I had had "Clergy Killers" to help me through that "clergy killers" situation. I am amazed that NOW I reflect on Dr. Rediger's book as I re-read it because I am an Interim in a church situation in which the "clergy killers" successfully assassinated/killed a clergyperson. I attest that I am finding Dr. Rediger's book VERY VALUABLE for me. I am sharing the book with elected lay leaders in the situation who, while not clergy, have been victims of the "clergy killers." NAMING the disease/situation is very helpful! It does EMPOWER elected lay leaders in this congregation to more assertively and effectively deal with the "clergy killers" among them. I URGE clergy persons to read Dr. Rediger's book as, perhaps, a preventative vaccination! I ENCOURAGE concerned lay persons in congregations to read "Clergy Killers" to be able to be AWARE and to ACT assertively to prevent the assassination of a clergyperson. Clergy Killers: Guidance for Pastors and Congregations Under Attack

Lloyd Rediger is a speaker and consultant on church dynamics and leadership issues; in "Clergy Killers," he addresses a shocking, yet growing phenomenon. Pastors and priests are being increasingly attacked by their own congregation members; this is more than mere differences of principled opinions, personality conflicts, or poor communication-rather the conflict involves persistent and deliberate attacks that stem from mental illness or a conscious choice on the part of a person to embrace evil. The results of these attacks are devastating: the pastor's overall health is strongly, adversely affected as is the health of the pastor's family, the health of the church leaders, their families, and the congregation itself. To further compound the issue, pastors are often neither trained nor prepared to confront abnormal conflict, most seminaries don't train in conflict management, and denominational leaders are neither equipped nor motivated to assist pastors under attack. For this important problem, Rediger presents a number of helpful suggestion to avoid serious attacks. These include recognizing the existence of mental illness and evil (both in the world and in the church), the deliberate cultivation of relationships ("Relationships! Relationships! Relationships!"), a purposeful focus on health-physical, mental, and spiritual-for both the pastor and the congregation at large, and the identification of support systems. Rediger is strong on the identification and analysis of the danger posed by "clergy killers." Weaker is his sections on solutions-not because they seem unworkable, but because they are not presented as clearly as they might have been and because the connections between proposed solution and the original problem tends to be ambiguous. Nevertheless, this reflects his holistic and systematic approach to issues (which is appreciated and tends to compliment Kenneth Haugk's "Antagonists in the Church" well). Other weaknesses in this otherwise excellent book include his well-intentioned treatment on worship/prayer (which tended to tear down traditional Western forms of worship in order to build up his favored Eastern forms) and the closing bibliography. Rediger cites a number of helpful books in the narrative yet the closing bibliography does not reflect these citations. In all, these criticisms do not detract from the overall high quality of the book. As one formerly under attack by a clergy killer, the book is dead-right in many places and has helped to prepare me should similar issues arise in the future. It (along with Haugk's book) should be required reading for pastors and lay leaders.

This is one of the most insightful, and truth-telling books on the subject of church life and ministry that I have ever read! Dr. Rediger seeks to deal with a tragic,, but growing trend in our day, which is the tendecy of some powerbrokers in some churches to target, abuse, and fire pastor after pastor. I realize that some pastors have some real problems, but how is it that some churches mistreat pastor after pastor? Is it believeable that several pastors in a row could make the same mistakes in the same church? Perhaps we should ask ourselves what are the common denominators such as the unresolved personality disorders that exist in churches. It is time for congregations to wake up and realize what these "Clergy Killers" are doing not only to ministers and their families, but also to people in the church who befriend and support the minister, maybe even YOU. In addition, we need to ask what is this doing to the cause of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ? Is this what Jesus died to accomplish? I do not think so!Dr. Rediger has given us a wonderful analysis of the problem and how congregations must accept the responsibility which is theirs and STOP FOLLOWING CLERGY KILLERS! STOP ELECTING THEM TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND STOP HINDERING THE WORK OF CHRIST. DO THINGS WHICH WILL LEAD THEM TO THERAPY WHERE THEY CAN EXAMINE WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND COME TO SEE BETTER, HEALTHIER WAYS OF LIVING AND RELATING! THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH AND ITS MINISTERS DEPENDS IN LARGE PART ON HOW WE RESPOND TO THIS PROBLEM NOW AND NOT DECADES DOWN THE ROAD. LET'S NOT CREATE A SITUTATION THAT DRIVES MANY TALENTED AND GOD-CALLED PEOPLE OUT OF THE MINISTRY!THIS IS MUST READING FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN AND ESPECIALLY EVERY MINISTER OR ANYONE WHO CARES ABOUT MINISTERS!

This text was nothing short of answered prayer in my search for handling conflict wtihin our church. Thanks for the insight.

In some churches one or more pathological antagonists lurk to make a beachhead of attack upon the pastor. These "clergy killers" are vicious, mean-spirited, and full of rage who target the pastor for elimination by any means possible. Passive, unsuspecting parishoners sit by and carelessly allow this "murder" of their pastor's ministry, career, even his marriage and family (collateral damage). Only radical surgery of these sick ("evil"?) antagonists can prevent the destruction of the pastor's life and ministry. This book should be read by all boards of deacons, elders, stewards to prepare them for a protective ministry for their ministers. Thousands of ministers are being driven from the ministry (and church) each year by these (sometimes pious, slick, and charming) destructive antagonists. Rediger shows us how to stop this bleeding of the church's leadership. If your pastor is under attack and wounded, he/she needs your help now. Redi! ! ger offers such help.