Plus, the Christian Bible recognizes gossip as a sin.

Good pastors will remember that it’s not them who is in charge: it’s the higher power that guides the church and its congregation.

The pastor is a key influence within the church, and often, they’re the guiding light that tells people what’s acceptable and what isn’t. If your pastor can’t be trusted to be a role model for the church, it means they’ve failed at their job.

It’s also important that your pastor forgives people and doesn’t hold a grudge. If you find that your pastor wants to blame others or hold their actions against them, they are not a good pastor.

On the flip side, you may notice that a bad pastor doesn’t rely on the congregation enough. Instead, they might lean heavily on the church staff and church leaders while ignoring any help offered from the congregation.

Excluding people from a certain community pushes people away from the church, and even religion as a whole. A good pastor will welcome everyone with open arms. However, note that the Bible condemns certain sins, most notably in this case being homosexuality. Because homosexuality is such an identity-centric sin, it’s not easy to preach against it, but it is important to take note how your pastor speaks about these groups; does he condemn them without loving them first, or preach toleration and acceptance without acknowledging what God thinks about it?

On the flip side, there are only so many “mistakes” one person can make. Eventually, it becomes an intentional pattern.

“Could I speak with you privately? I wanted to share some concerns that I had about the recent use of church funds. I’m not sure they’re being used appropriately. ”

Try to avoid gossiping about the pastor or talking about them behind their back. Instead, involve others by saying something like, “Have any of you noticed some odd behaviors from the pastor lately? I wonder if we should talk to him as a group. ”

“I think it would be helpful if you and the other leaders shared the business plan for the church. That way, we could all see how the money is being spent, so there’s no more confusion. ” It’s a good idea to get other church leaders on your side here. The more others agree with you, the more power your suggestions will have.

It’s important to contact actual authorities for illegal activities rather than relying on church leaders.