The Poison of Presumption

A contractor was hired to fix an old home in desperate need of renovation. Around halfway through the project, the neighbors started talking. One man said, “I heard he is using cheap materials and pocketing the difference.” Another neighbor said, “My cousin said, ‘he cuts corners all the time.’ You cannot trust someone who does that!” And another neighbor mentioned, “When I pulled in yesterday, he was not there. I wonder where he was?”

One rumor became two. Two became five, five became ten. Soon, the contractor’s reputation in the neighborhood was damaged. People stopped recommending him for work. Sadly, another neighbor took it upon himself to call another job site to express what they heard. Well, months later the truth surfaced. It turns out those “cheap materials” were exactly what the homeowner requested to stay within their budget. The cut corners were parts of the job he was not contracted to do, though he cautioned the homeowner about their need, and on the day he was not onsite, he and the homeowner had an agreement for the contractor to be with his wife during her cancer treatments.

Want to know the sad part? Not once did a neighbor walk over to talk with the homeowner or the contractor. A reputation damaged. A business now suffering, and his family endured unnecessary pain. Not because the contractor did something wrong, but because people assumed they knew the whole story. Why do I share this?

This is exactly what takes place in churches all over the world. I have been in Christian ministry for over 25 years, full-time and part-time, and I have seen the same scenario play out time and again, not towards a contractor, but towards a pastor. Regardless of whether it is a small or large church, the role of the elders (including the pastor) is to lead the flock in accordance with the Word of God. They are to shepherd the flock of God, hold character and doctrine fitting for the office, and pray for the congregation (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, 1 Peter 5, for example). Yet, there are those who are either members or attendees of the local church that forget the primary tasks and responsibilities of the undershepherd.

What are those? Well, Scripture shows the development of the office of elder throughout the New Testament. Pastors are believers who share in the Great Commission

Matthew 28:16–20

But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Following the example of the Apostles in the early church, pastors are actually not required to attend every meeting, serve in every ministry, or wait on every table. Though these things should exist as a servant of Christ, we see their primary function take more form in

Acts 6:2–4

So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not pleasing to God for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. “Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this need. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.”

As the ministry was expanded, elders were being appointed,

Acts 14:23

And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

And this practice continued even through the early church with the example of the Apostle Paul,

Titus 1:5

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

This is important, as we also read that the elders are exhorted to shepherd the flock of God that is among them, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but willingly (Read 1 Peter 5:1-15). They are overseers, able to teach (1 Tim 3:2), they are to hold firm to the word of God as taught, so they can teach in sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it (Titus 1:9). In all of this, their preaching is marked to be in the presence of God, in seaon and out of season, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting (2 Tim 4:2).

In fulfilling these vocational roles, the pastor (elders) are often required to make decisions that the congregation does not fully understand. Their meetings are confidential when dealing with sensitive matters, families, and private matters. Counseling situations cannot always be explained publicly, and how and why things are done often is for the larger picture of Kingdom living, benevolent giving, and faith serving.

Now the thing is, when it comes to the pastor, as stated, there are those who act like the neighbors. Not fully understanding or not willing to fully accept the terms of the vocation. So when matters arise, instead of asking, they assume. Instead of praying, they speculate. Instead of speaking to the elders, they speak about the elders. The Bible has a word for this, and it is not discernment. It is not just asking questions or being curious.

• When assumptions are repeated without knowledge, those assumptions become gossip.

• When motives are assigned without evidence, it becomes slander.

• When reputations are damaged through careless words, it is not simply defamation of character; it is sin.

I have witnessed many good men be taken down by such things. Writing this, let me be clear. No pastor is above correction or accountability. Any faithful pastor welcomes such things. Yet, there is a profound difference between confronting sin according to Scripture and condemning a man based on suspicion, hearsay, or incomplete information.

Remember, elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially in preaching and teaching (1 Tim 5:7). This is not just financial. Scripture is consistent on the way we should treat our overseers. Hebrews 13:17 calls all believers to “obey your leaders and submit to them.” They are the ones watching out for the well-being of the Lord’s lambs, and will give an account. This is why Scripture is clear: not only are we to be quick to listen and slow to speak, we are not to charge an elder unless there are two or three witnesses (1 Tim 5:19).

Take all this, and draw the conclusion. That conclusion should be: before speaking about an undershepherd (pastor or elder), pause and ask yourself three simple searching questions.

1. Do I know the facts?

2. Have I spoken to Him (them if plurality)?

3. Am I building unity or destroying it?

This is not just good advice; these are guardrails against one of Satan’s most effective weapons, gossip. Too many times, gossip starts with “I heard,” “I do not want to gossip but,” and the famous “Someone told me…” Sadly, all of this before the facts are known, motives determined, and many misplaced conclusions reached. They say "curiosity killed the cat," and here what started as curiosity quickly becomes gossip, which hardens into slander, and this leaves damage and wounds that often do not heal.

This is why every believer must exercise spiritual maturity. Remember 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love believes all things.” This does not mean being naive, but choosing to take the high road, giving the benefit of the doubt, which is taking the high road. Remember friends, regardless of who your elders are, humility resists the temptation to judge the motives only our Lord can fully know.

In closing, if one unanswered question could have spared the contractor’s reputation, imagine how many churches could be spared division if believers simply asked before they assumed.

Praying for you, and trusting the Holy Spirit to apply this where He sees fit.

In His merciful grip,

P/Steve