Wolves in Sheeps Clothing
John Dorhauer printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Mon Aug 28, 2006 at 11:06:03 PM EST
John Dorhauer, Talk To Action writer
Another tactic of the religious right needs to be talked about. Though not universal, it happens frequently enough that congregational leaders should be aware of it, and should adopt strategies intended to lessen the likelihood of its success.

On the website of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, in their very own mission statement, they talk about training activists. It is the role of these activists to show up in churches and dismantle them. Trained by others in the art of dissent, they are clever manipulators of thought and action who know the things that make for unrest. Sent from another place with a particular mission, they first appear as eager new members who are gladly received into the life of their new target. They are wolves in sheep's clothing.

This is where churches must be smart. No one suspects new members of any ill will or wrong doing; and no where are churches more accommodating and more conciliatory than in their early relationship with new, young, prospective members who show up telling them how wonderful they are. But caution must be advised.

These activists are trained to work their way into positions of power - especially when it is known that there might soon be a pastoral transition. They are looking to get onto Councils and Boards where they can effect meaningful change. They are taught to look for allies along the way - but to do so in ways that do not attract attention to them. They are very good at having the kind of casual conversation about a variety of topics that allow them to know immediately whether the one to whom they are talking and visiting will ever support their effort or not - and the one to whom they are speaking will never know that they have been used in this way. They can do far more than a previously known disgruntled member, because no one suspects a new member of harboring any rancor against a church he or she has just joined; and at the same time, the know disgruntled member attracts the kind of attention that keeps everyone on the lookout for their next move.

Once on boards, they begin to maneuver their way into power. They try out motions intended to curtail the liberality of thought and the extent to which an extravagant welcome can be maintained. For example, a known infiltrator at one of our area churches - Vice Chair of the church's council after only two years in the church - brought a motion to the council limiting what a Sunday School teacher could talk about in an adult Bible Study. This was just the start for this church.

The point is, be wary. This is perhaps the hardest message for church leaders to hear: to move from a position of extreme welcome to visitors and prospective members to one of presumed caution and suspicion is not palatable: not at all.

But there are some simple steps that can be taken without ever threatening any new member who comes simply to enjoy the fellowship provided by your church. First of all, do not receive any member until you know with great certainly from where they are transferring their membership. A call to the pastor of that church does not seem overly paranoid, and can reveal a lot about one for whom caution should be reserved. Finding out that there were problems in the previous setting should not prevent a church from receiving a new member, or lead one to draw the conclusion that this is a trained activist. But it does signal to the leaders, or at least to the pastor, that this person should be watched, and that the church should wait until there is implicit trust in this person and their dedication to the mission, vision, and purpose of the church before they are given positions of leadership, power, and authority.

It should also become the standard practice of every church that they do a new members class before taking in new members. If folk are going to join a particular church and denomination, they should do so fully aware of and fully invested in the life, mission, and vision of that church. It is essential that in these classes that the especially controversial positions of a church and denomination are discussed and that at the very least everyone know that there will always be an atmosphere of open and mutual respect. And no one should be asked to join the church unless and until they can demonstrate their appreciation for and comfort with this openness. Let me be clear here: this is not to say that every member that comes into a denomination or a church must every position they have taken. But they should appreciate that in any denomination there is space for dissent, respect for the other, and covenant even with those whose positions are contrary.

If these steps are taken, it increases the likelihood that activists, moles, and outside agitators are found before they begin their work. For the preservation of a local church, these simple steps should become standard operating procedure.




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John-

Thanks for this alert.  Anyone with any experience in the SBC and CBF knows that this can, and often does, happen in moderate churches.  

Is it necessarily a bad thing to require something of church members?  Is it wrong or immoral to screen people, or to require a few things of people as they enter the fellowship of a new congregation?  For centuries many branches of the church has practiced a three-year catechesis prior to joining.   Don't forget that the primitive church had to run a background check on Saul/Paul before trusting him with full access to the community!  The fundamentalists have learned, in many instances, that high barriers to entry have led to the formation of stronger Christians.

Pastors should not become overly suspicious, but requiring more of church members should be seen as a positive, not negative, development.  

by Steven D. Martin on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 06:53:56 AM EST

How right you are.

We are all already being told to screen all volunteers - even ones whom we have know for years - for background checks. Without that, no church will be offered liability coverage. It is seen as a step taken to protect the church, and especially its children, from predators - none of which wears a scarlet letter on their forehead.

It does not seem untoward at all for church's to take the same kind of precaution for the safety, protection, and preservation of their members when new families join the church. Ensuring both that new members know full well the purpose, mission, and vision of the church they are joining, and can fully embrace it, is a simple thing for church leaders to undertake.
Shalom, Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer "Time makes ancient good uncouth; we must onward still and upward who would keep abreast of truth." from Lowell, "The Present Crisis"
by John Dorhauer on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 08:11:41 AM EST
Parent



Having standards before admitting people to positions of authority is not a bad idea (especially if it blocks the dominionists and fundamentalists), but putting barriers to church membership is an idea that truly bothers me.

There are a lot of unchurched people in the world who have been severely burned by the churches (my wife and I are two).  Indeed, from the things I've learned from TTA and CAP, the dominionists have been largely the ones to blame for most of the injuries- at least those of the last 10 years or so.  If I went to a church because I found it welcoming... but then found barriers before full acceptance, I would turn my back on them and go elsewhere.  While in the Episcopal church, I passed the barriers and standards- yet found myself to be at best a "second class citizen".

I am tired of being a second class (or even third class) citizen.

by ArchaeoBob on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 11:02:55 AM EST

I do not perceive that as barriers - not at all. And I certainly do not hope that it leads to a notion of second class of any kind.

I just think that before anyone join any organization, they know full well what the organization stands for, supports, and expects from its members: this is sound advice under any set of circumstances. Also, every organization should maintain its right to refuse membership to anyone who is unwilling to support its central purposes and mission - inlcuding the church. It is unwise under any circumstances just to receive any and all into membership, and especially true in an environment in which we now know that some are being trained to join us with the particular mission to tear us apart from within. And they can do that without being given official positions of power.

This is good advice I think even without the dynamic of church takeovers. Again, it is not about putting up barriers, but about ensuring that they who join do so because they know who you are, what you expect of them, and can affirm that willingly and wholeheartedly. No one should be offended that a pastor of a governing board require new members to join a new members class prior to joining a church - in many places this has been standard for quite some time.
Shalom, Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer "Time makes ancient good uncouth; we must onward still and upward who would keep abreast of truth." from Lowell, "The Present Crisis"
by John Dorhauer on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 02:38:33 PM EST
Parent



I suspect that those Cleveland Sunday school members Steve wrote about,  who so conveniently used material from IRD to present propositions at the Holston conference, were in fact trained agitators.  I'd really like to know the names and backgrounds on those folks to confirm or rebut my feelings.

by nofundy on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 11:04:24 AM EST
Perhaps not front-line shock troops, but I think it's plausible that the IRD gave the Cleveland Sunday School class I wrote about some help after the fact.  I suspect this because of a rebuttal that appeared in our conference newspaper in July.  The style of writing was typical of someone formerly employed in CIA psyops, if you catch my drift...

by Steven D. Martin on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 06:20:42 AM EST
Parent


FWIW I got a bit of discussion from and IRD defender when I blogged on this item.  If I ever get time I may "rescue" that last comment for more discussion!  http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/daily-harold/2006/09/02/two-faces- orthodoxy/

by Harold on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:20:50 PM EST


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