Smear Campaigns Gone Spiritual

Smear campaigns happen in churches quite often today.  If you have been on the receiving end in a church, whether a leader or not, you know the frustration, heartbreak, and weariness in dealing with the instigators, their lies and your dear friends under their influence.

This wickedness works so well and so often to discourage and destroy churches, to bring disunity and establish distrust, and to turn people from the vision of enjoyable worship and engagement in mission.  

Have you ever been a witness to such a work of the devil and people’s fleshliness in a church?  What can you do?

Little Lies Work Best

Classic accusations against leaders and teachers are that they are out for the money, power, fame, and sex.  They are accused of being deceitful, using flattery, teaching heresy and abusing resources.  Such severe accusations don’t often work well in a more refined society, however, especially when such unproven accusations can invite legal action.  

So, enter the intangible, subtle and potentially even more damaging accusations.  People have developed more sophisticated and spiritually sounding allegations; and have discovered that elusive grievances work even better than the classic approach of big lies.  Little lies work best.

A sampling:  This is not a loving church.  People are unfriendly.  The pastor isn’t really a good shepherd.  They do not understand other perspectives.  I am not being fed.  I was not touched in worship.  They do not lead biblically.  The leaders do not spend wisely.  Ministries are not meeting the most important needs.

Six People Easily Used

Who listens to this stuff?!  Sadly, a lot of people.  And if caught up in it, they will join in the smear campaign.  Here are some types of people to watch out for in a church as easily used by the evil one in his sinister plans against all of Christ’s churches.

• Beware of those who complain, and after being heard are rarely able to come to a peaceful resolution.
• Beware of those who talk a lot about ministries and take positions, but are largely uninvolved.
• Beware of those who discuss other people’s motives thoughtlessly and carelessly, even openly.
• Beware of those who purposefully avoid developing close relationships with others in the church.
• Beware of those who aren’t learning, and yet present themselves as knowledgeable and spiritual, and ever-ready to teach.
• Beware of those who are spiritually discontent and generally unhappy in God.

Answer Directly and with Our Lives

Speak directly to those promoting a smear campaign.  Speak with truth, love, and in the power of Holy Spirit.  Be ready to suffer for glory of God, and yet maintain hope that He will grant them repentance and true faith.

Speak directly to those being affected by it.  Encourage people not to listen to unsubstantiated negative comments, but rather to re-listen and re-observe the lives of the rest of the congregation, especially those of their leaders and teachers, in order to find out the truth.  

The power of God is stronger in the end, and on the whole.  One significant way in which He manifests this power is in the character and behavior of His faithful servants.  Point this out:  counter with genuine Gospel living as the apologetic!

The Apostle Paul used this strategy in dealing with the smear campaign in Thessalonica against himself and his mission team.  So he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2:3-12.

“For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.  

For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.  

For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”

This remains the most effective response to smear campaigns gone “spiritual.”  Let us keep ourselves open to review before people, and even appeal to our merciful God.  And by God’s grace we can turn people around and get the church back on track with the vision of glorious worship and Gospel mission!