The Case
For a few years, everyone tiptoed around Jenny's abrasive but fragile personality. "After all," we reasoned, "she is doing such a wonderful ministry for our church" (and she was). Besides, her in-laws were powerful, dedicated, longtime members of our church. As time went by, however, more people were quietly gossiping or mumbling about Jenny's destructive "servanthood."
What Would You Do?
What Happened
After much discussion, we resolved to follow the pattern in Matthew 18, dealing gently but directly with the situation. Our committee decided the pastor should talk to Jenny first. After only a few sentences from the pastor, however, Jenny flew into a rage, stomped out of the church, resigned from every position, and then called our pastor-parish committee to complain about the "worst pastor this church has ever had." Our committee members didn't waffle; they supported the pastor, quietly explaining to Jenny why we felt it was necessary to confront her. Although the experience was unpleasant, the committee actually felt tremendous relief that someone finally spoke up. Neither Jenny nor her in-laws left the church.
Discuss
2. What is the biblical pattern for dealing with a destructive volunteer? How does Matthew 18 work in this situation? 3. How do we determine who confronts a destructive volunteer? 4. How well do we hold volunteers accountable?    Caryolyn Custis James: What It Means to Be a Woman in MinistryJames shares leadership lessons.  Record KeepingHelp your administrators and staff handle documents properly. A CEO Connects with His Calling Determining our calling may make us more effective leaders—in ways we don’t expect. Start with a Strategy Successful recruitment doesn’t happen by accident; it begins with a plan.
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