Dennis R. Maynard, When Sheep Attack. CreateSpace, 2010.
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Maynard addresses what happens when a small group of antagonists maneuver successfully to completely derail a ministry, despite strong support from the vast majority of the congregation. This is not the norm, but neither is it uncommon, and it is always painful.
This is in the same genre as other volumes such as Clergy Killers and Antagonists in the Church, but with the difference that it addresses primarily Episcopals (though the insights translate well into other contexts) and targets the extreme situations where antagonism leads to the minister’s dismissal. It is based on interviews with twenty-five ministers and church members who have experienced this tragedy. Maynard describes the process that typically transpires, how members can work to reverse the tragedy, and how minister and members may recover.
From the Publisher
Do you love your parish? Are you fond of your pastor? Would you believe that in just a matter of a few weeks your pastor and his family could be abused, humiliated, and unemployed? In just a matter of days your parish could be split down the middle. A couple of months from now close to forty percent of the people you currently see at worship could no longer be there. Close to half of those will never again attend worship or participate in any church. Friends that you see talking and laughing this Sunday may never speak again. If you want to do whatever you can to keep that scenario from happening to your pastor and your parish, then this book is for you.
It is the product of nearly a decade of work with parishes that are undergoing or have recently undergone the very scenario described above. The substance of this book is based on twenty-five case studies of clergy exercising faithful ministries with positive results that were attacked by a small group of antagonists in their congregations. The antagonists successfully “removed their senior pastor.” This book describes how it happened, what could have been to stop it, and what can be done to prevent it from happening to your pastor and parish.
About the Author
The Reverend Doctor Dennis R. Maynard is the author of ten books. He has served as a consultant to over one hundred parish and school boards in the United States and Canada.
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