They are called "clergy killers" -- congregations where a small group of members are so disruptive that no pastor is able to maintain spiritual leadership for long.
And yet ministers often endure the stresses of these dysfunctional relationships for months, or even years, before eventually being forced out or giving up.
Adding to the strain is the process, which is often shrouded in secrecy. No one -- from denominational officials to church members to the clerics themselves -- wants to acknowledge the failure of a relationship designed to be a sign to the world of mutual love and support.
But new research is providing insights into just how widespread -- and damaging -- these forced terminations can be to clergy.
An online study published in the March issue of the Review of Religious Research found 28 percent of ministers said they had at one time been forced to leave their jobs due to personal attacks and criticism from a small faction of their congregations.
The researchers from Texas Tech University and Virginia Tech University also found that the clergy who had been forced out were more likely to report lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of depression, stress and physical health problems.
And too few clergy are getting the help they need, said researcher Marcus Tanner of Texas Tech.
"Everybody knows this is happening, but nobody wants to talk about it," Tanner said in an interview. "The vast majority of denominations across the country are doing absolutely nothing."
A secret struggle
The issue of clergy job security will be front and center next month when delegates to the quadrennial General Conference of The United Methodist Church considers a proposal to end "guaranteed appointments" for elders in good standing. The church's Study of Ministry Commission says clergy job guarantees cost too much money and can focus more on the clergyperson's needs rather than the denomination's mission. On the other side, many clergy express fears that eliminating job security may lead to arbitrary dismissals. A major concern is that clergy will be judged based on their performance at "toxic" congregations, churches with so much internal conflict that it is difficult for any minister to have success.
The clergy have good reason to worry. A small percentage of congregations do seem to be responsible for a large share of congregational conflict.
Seven percent of congregations accounted for more than 35 percent of all the conflict reported in the National Congregations Study. And that conflict often had a high price.
In the 2006-2007 National Congregations Study, 9 percent of congregations reported a conflict in the last two years that led a clergyperson or other religious leader to leave the congregation.
It is difficult to get specific denominational figures, Tanner said. Many churches do not keep records indicating when a pastor was forced out as opposed to leaving voluntarily. And not only is it difficult to get clergy to open up about such painful experiences, many ministers are forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement to receive their severance package.
In their study, Tanner, Anisa Zvonkovic and Charlie Adams recruited respondents through Facebook groups relating to Christian clergy. Four-fifths of the 582 ministers participating -- 410 males and 172 females from 39 denominations -- ranged in age from 26 to 55.
The participants were asked whether they ever left a job "due to the constant negativity found in personal attacks and criticism from a small faction of the congregation."
Twenty eight percent of the respondents said they had been forced from a ministry job. Three-quarters had been forced out once, and 4 percent had been forcibly terminated three or more times, the study found.
Even one time, however, is more than enough.
A heavy toll
Ministers who were forced out of their jobs because of congregational conflict were more likely to experience burnout, depression, lower self-esteem and more physical health problems, the online study found.
In addition, more than four in 10 ministers forced out of their jobs reported seriously considering leaving the ministry.
A separate survey by Texas Tech and Virginia Tech researchers of 55 ministers who were forced out of a pastoral position found a significant link with self-reported measures of post-traumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
"This study shows that not only is forced termination an issue, but a cruel one that has very distressing effects on those who experience it," Tanner, Zvonkovic and Jeffrey Wherry reported in the current issue of the Journal of Religion and Health. "It is important that Christian organizations recognize the problem and implement steps to increase awareness and solutions."
Months of suffering traumatic and demeaning psychological and emotional abuse as they are slowly being forced out of their pulpits due to congregational conflict, Tanner said, "is a really, really horrible process."
What makes it even worse is the complicity of silence that prevents clergy from getting the help they need to go forward.
David Briggs writes the Ahead of the Trend column for the Association of Religion Data Archives.
Follow David Briggs on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ReligionData
The Clergy Killer Debate - Alban - Building Up Congregations and ...
John Mark Ministries | Managing The Clergy Killer Phenomenon
In my case, it was simply a matter of a few people who were incapable of being satisfied, but who were not so deeply ensconced in the leadership of the congregation that the rest of the congregation could not seek a change. I was fortunate, for there are definitely clergy-killing parishes who will never be happy with any pastor.
There are also congregation-killing clergy. I had friends who succeeded such a pastor, and the congregation was in such disarray that he could not effectively minister there. I happened to know where the deadly pastor served next; he made a colossal mess there also. I have heard of other such clergy; they are always unwilling to accept any responsibility, and they are so charming that many people believe that the cleric has been wronged, when the reality is that he sets people at war with one another.
Congregational ministry is difficult and fraught with challenges. It requires humility and patience - and much prayer and grace.
Part of the problem is the process which selects people for ordination. The committees like to select people like the people already in ministry. People who are too different are excluded, so the problems go on and on and on.
The anointing or gift destroys evil, but it does takes it's toll on leaders. A woman lied on me in Church and caused me to lose my job as a youth pastor. She allowed jealousy of my gift to destroy something beautiful. Great things were happening, and the city was taking notice. Our autistic middle schoolers soundly defeated a prep school in an American History contest! This woman had administrative gifts but could not take her eyes off my work with the youth. She has never forgiven herself, but I have moved on. Best thing for a Pastor.-don't ignore it. Call in the busybodies and get to the bottom of the problem!
Then by definition what you would be talking about would not be a toxic congregation. The article is not saying that whenever a pastor is asked to resign (they don't really 'fire' pastors in most situations). Of course there are situations where the pastor should be let go but that's besides the point. The situation that the article speaks of is a reality. I am a pastor. I have experienced it. I was fortunate enough to find a call not long after so I am not playing martyr. But the fact is it happens and it happens way too often. I have seen it.
Many churches have financial difficulties and the pastor is generally not paid as highly as others who spent the same amount of time in post-graduate study. Vicious rumors can be spread against pastors that can ruin an honest man's reputation by certain spiteful people in the congregation. I would agree that pastors can easily suffer post-traumatic stress syndrome and anxiety attacks in situations like this.
So give pastors a break, and take this issue as seriously as it needs to be treated.