A pastor’s greatest fear is being openly, credibly, and theologically challenged in front of others. One might think their greatest concern would be falling short of God’s glory and ending up in hell, but that is far from the truth.
As an experienced and active local shepherd, I have spent years among these men, built friendships with at least three, and listened in on enough conversations to know that power, prestige, and position are their greatest treasures—ones they will fight tooth and nail to protect.
In full transparency, I must admit that this fear was stripped from me at 18 years old as a United States Marine Corps recruit. More than anything else, the Marine Corps instills accountability—being held accountable and holding others accountable. Over 13 weeks of boot camp, this principle was drilled into our heads.
It would be easy to conflate my Marine Corps experience with what the Holy Ghost has done in my life. Scripture tells us, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28), and my military service was no exception.
I offer this not to soften the blow—my regular readers and YouTube subscribers know that I am a direct speaker, unapologetic in my approach. However, unlike many other articles, this will not be a hypercritical analysis simply pointing out what others may not understand.
Of course, as a reminder, I am speaking only of those truly called, anointed, and sent—not the other 80% who have called and sent themselves. Every church leader who reads that sentence will believe they are in the 20%, and their sheep will assume the same.
Nevertheless, being around church leaders has taught me many things, but for the purposes of this article, two stand out:
They rarely, if ever, say what they truly mean to one another.
Holy Ghost-led, critical feedback is never welcomed, even when delivered in love.
The reason is that most—if not all—who are truly called struggle with deep insecurity over why God called them for such a mission. While I don’t necessarily claim insecurity myself, as my calling is more in the prophetic and watchman realm, there isn’t a day that goes by when I am not stunned that the Lord has chosen me.
If that is insecurity, I have not yet made the philosophical connection—but any insights in the comments would help me in my faith maturity. When someone is not accustomed to being credibly, cogently, and theologically challenged—if at all—such a confrontation can be a shocking surprise for a local pastor.
Pastors are used to being worshiped, adored, and viewed as quasi-celebrities. These are the very reasons why the 80% come along for the ride. It is interesting that if even a fraction of God’s people truly understood the equality of the gospel, the 80% would be a much smaller number. Let those who have ears hear.
First, the ministry is meant to be a blessing to pastors in the areas of chastisement, rebuke, and instruction in righteousness—yet, in over two decades of ministry, I have seen it received only once.
Second, even when much less capable believers—who, according to Jesus, have not been given the knowledge of the Kingdom—manage to mount a credible and Holy Ghost-led challenge to a pastor’s behavior, it is often dismissed as the work of Satan.
If you have ever brought concerns to your pastor, whether publicly or privately, do not be deceived by their smiles and false humility. They take it personally and often view it as an attack from the enemy, even when their conscience convicts them.
Although my mission is to love these men and women enough to confront them, others with a prophetic and apostolic anointing—scripturally validated—have come to me with words of correction as well. Let me be clear: I do not like it!
However, I recognize when it is the Holy Ghost and from the Lord. As a Black pastor, I know that anyone bold enough to challenge me or any other Black pastor must be sent by God. Of course, there are also messy church members who believe they are speaking truth but are only voicing satanic opinions.
Having been raised in a Black church and now leading one, I see firsthand how we are often unrighteously viewed as more anointed, special, and favored by God. The Bible explicitly warns against all three, yet somehow, we remain on this pedestal.
Standing on that pedestal for so long makes us disciples of arrogance, developing in us an ungodly ability to reject righteous correction. When correction does come, the fear of not aligning with the image of the “perfect pastor” who has it all under control can drive leaders into dark places.
I began my pastoral journey with transparency, making it clear to God’s people that I am not someone to be placed on a pedestal. This is rare in the Black church psyche because, according to flawed logic, if we are sent from God, we must be immune to the struggles that those who follow us face.
Yet, as Scripture warns, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Those who refuse correction ultimately face the consequences of their arrogance. Let those who have ears hear.
This fear has its roots in feelings of hypocrisy because pastors cannot live up to the hype they have allowed to encircle them. Imagine hearing from the Lord God, being charged to preach, all the while harboring feelings of unworthiness.
This is no small matter. It is evident not only in how superficial and phony pastors are with one another but also through the direct Holy Ghost practice of Jesus’s words in Matthew 18:15-17.
I arrived at my first pastorate believing—naively so—that my fellow preachers loved the Word enough to preach and believe its fullness. However, the opposite turned out to be true. Not only do they reject the very correction they hold others accountable to, but they would rather suffer the private torture of a convicted conscience than admit their fallacy.
I am not saying all leaders are unaware of their own pretense—only that they fear others knowing.
I cannot imagine existing in such a prison, let alone as one who has been saved by Christ and sent forth to preach glad tidings. Far from being condemning or accusatory, I feel terrible for those who so passionately share the grace of Christ with others yet reject it for themselves.
It is like a person who hands out business cards for a rehab clinic, knowing it is effective for addiction recovery, yet they themselves, addicted, are too proud and fearful to seek the very help they promote.
This is the primary reason church leaders preach nonsense like, “We are not supposed to judge others,” or “When a preacher is struggling, stay silent and just pray for him.” Both of these, along with other false doctrines, serve to shield them from accountability and exposure.
This article is not meant to call these men and women to repentance or be filled with endless biblical proof texts—they already know the truth. My guess is that as they read, scripture is already surfacing in their minds affirming what I have written.
What I can and will offer is this: Those who follow them must understand that when you love them enough to show concern, they will become angry—not with you, but with God.
Yes, they are supposed to be the Bible teachers, and you the pupil.
However, discipleship, at its core, teaches that we are all perpetual students of the Word of God. Correction is part of the journey.
Let those who have ears hear.
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