Bullying in adult life is not as rare a reality as one might expect. We hear about it in the workplaces of our country but much more seldom do we hear about it in church circles. For further information on this phenomenon please click here.
However, there are cases where ministers have been bullied by their congregations and also by their fellow-elders, and a growing number of ministers have been forced out of their calling to seek employment elsewhere.
But yet another twist to this anti-social behaviour is emerging where church members are being harassed and bullied by the church's elders. Professional men are being reduced to pathetic weaklings and are at a loss to know who to handle this situation.
Because they are not employed by the church, one could imagine that they are thereby spared the worst effects of such behaviour. That is not the case, however. For victims or targets of bullying, so much damage is done to them emotionally and psychologically that their career is adversely affected by this treatment.
What compounds this is that they cannot feel free to go to their minister for spiritual support, for then, the minister would be seen to be siding with the victims of his elders' treatment. So he has no one to whom he can turn to talk this matter over.
So while there are dangerous workplaces, there are also dangerous social and religious places where the same ill-treatment can be meted out to the unsuspecting.
If you are interested in understanding a bit more about this evil issue, then click here.
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