Manipulative Practices in The Church

Back in March 1987 when I first began to do systematic Bible studies I was simply amazed to be learning of the nature and character of God Almighty, Who was revealing Himself to me in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ using a book – or sixty-six books, known as the Bible. No greater miracle is there in all the world, so far as I am concerned. Before I met the Lord, I was many things not good, but especially was I a manipulator.  Like many insecure, selfish people, I had manipulation down to a fine art whereby it would not be too long before I got my own way.

The more I was learning about God through those studies and the fact that it was His life that He was imparting to me, the more I could see that I wanted no part of my old self.  I was fascinated to discover what it meant when looking in-depth at Jesus as being TRUTH.  It did mean such a lot to me, because my whole life up until eighteen months earlier was a lie!  I’d been a phony.  Jesus had already shown me that, but now I was learning why I had been like this and more importantly, He was showing me the way out of it.  I had a long way to go, but at least I was on His pathway following Him.

Later, when I got baptized and became a member of that church, the odd business-type meeting took place whereby at the end of discussions the membership would be asked to vote.  When it came to “really important” matters, the pastor would reveal to certain ones among us in advance what his desires and intentions were.  Then prior to the meeting he would arrange for those people to sit up the front, so that when it came time to say, “All those in favor?” the hands at the front would rise, ensuring a greater majority of other hands behind would rise too, based on what they were observing.

Union leaders have been using that tactic for years, so to see it working in the church seemed to me to be a clever move.  It was only later when I looked at how Jesus operated did I begin to see the wickedness of such behavior.  It was manipulation.  It was man-centered behavior – insecure behavior – the old self in action, not the new man we are in Christ Colossians 3:9-10.  However, how common that sort of behavior is in churches and always has been.  Time was to confirm that this pastor was more man-centered than he was Christ-centered.

Another pastor we sat under used manipulation as his way of getting what he wanted.  He was rather skillful, especially with the subtle way he used Scripture.  The man was a materialist, expressing desires for things which we could ill afford but he got them by asking some of the wealthier people to give the church a loan – all in “preparation for church growth.”  There was no growth, the church died.  Here is what I have observed.  Smile, speak with a soft voice, use appropriate Scriptures, talk of people dying and going to hell, talk of saving souls, mention church growth and you can be 100% sure of getting money out of people.  But you may well be a manipulator.

In the last church I was a member of, a leading elder was an extremely skillful chairman at our business meetings, being able to handle people’s emotions when they got heated, able to satisfactorily meet all objections to proposals brought before them, quick to clarify certain confusing points of the church constitution – over all, a gifted politician.  With regards to the constitution, years long before, he was a major player in setting it up and in getting the fellowship of that time to accept its final draft.  Like nobody else, he knew it back to front.

At an election for elders, I was one of two scrutinizers counting the votes and one of the nominees missed out.  She did not meet the required 2/3rds, missing out by three votes. But this skillful man explained that everybody had been returned with the required majority.  When challenged about the matter, he was able to explain it away because of other ambiguous clauses in that constitution.  In the weeks prior to the election much prayer was offered up that, “God’s will be done,” but we need not have bothered because she was never going to lose anyway.

It would appear that elections were only necessary if you had more nominees than positions.  The rest of the time they were merely held to give people the impression that they were having a say.  A skillful chairman?  Yes, but also a skillful manipulator.  In all the churches I’ve been associated with, manipulation has been the major tactic used by both men and women when organizing working bees and rosters of all kinds.  And, “fear of what others will think of me,” was the greatest trigger for response.

Examples:  “This is a test of your love for God.”  “How much do you love Jesus?”  “How much does the extension of the Kingdom of God mean to you?”  “We are a very privileged and blessed people in this place.”  “Nothing you and I can give will ever make up for what God has given us.”  “God has blessed us with this lovely property, He expects us to be good stewards of it!”  From what I have discerned over the years, “fear of man” Proverbs 29:25 is the motivation for most people’s responses much more so than authentic, biblical love for God.  It shows up in other ways.

The dictionary tells us that the word “manipulate” means:  to control or influence somebody/something in a skillful way, often in a dishonest way so that they do not realize it;  esp. to manipulate people’s feelings.  Governments, Political parties, Charities, Insurance companies, Health organizations, Terrorist groups & nations – all of them are well-schooled in the art of manipulation.  They know how to bring the deepest fears out of human beings.  But, when one turns to the Lord Jesus Christ, the last place we should expect to find manipulation is in the church.  Yet, it is rampant.

Of the various manipulative practices in the church however, the worst is not that of using it to get one’s way at business meetings, or recruiting people for working bees or rosters.  The worst is expressed when church leaders manipulate the Scriptures of the Bible – when they turn away from the plain-sense meanings of Scripture in favor of spiritualizing and allegorizing – making them say what God never intended them to say.  This too is rampant.  If this practice was limited to leaving, “nice thoughts” with the people (which can be sometimes the case), it would be rather harmless, but in reality, it is often most harmful.

From time to time over the years, I have had dear people share their nice thoughts with me based on what they’ve heard from their pulpits, teachings and books etc and where possible, acknowledgment was given.  However, in most cases when an attempt was made to bring them back to the plain-sense meaning, mindful of context as well, some became offended.  Others have given me that, “I feel sorry for your lack of deeper spirituality”-type look, whilst in others I have discerned a spiritual “fog” come over them.  In other words, they gave every indication of listening, but not hearing.

It seems to me that the embracing of Scriptural spiritualizing and allegorizing at the expense of retaining the plain-sense meanings creates two kinds of Christians.  The first kind appear to be solid in their faith when everything is going along well.  No sickness, good money, good job, husband, wife, family etc…. life’s good.  But when circumstances change, even slightly so, they are quick to fall in a heap.  It is then when it shows up that this embracing does not sustain them in their faith.  Why not?  Because they have failed to solidly ground themselves in the plain-sense meanings of God’s word.

The second kind who embrace the same practice become indoctrinated, blinded and deceived, reaching the point where they no longer want to see the plain-sense meanings for what they are.  They “see” something else altogether.  Not only do they “see” this something else in a verse of Scripture, but also in the passage or even in the chapter itself.  For far too many years I sat in a fellowship where this went on and each time I attempted to ask about the plain-sense meanings to a leader, I would get, “Yes, it does say that, but we believe it’s saying much more than that………”  Thank God for the Holy Spirit, Who ever quickens me to switch on now, whenever I hear, “Yes,…..but we believe..….!”  “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden.”   Zephaniah 3:18.