Congregational abuse towards clergy families : a pastoral care challenge

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to help clergy families who have been hurt and been abused by congregation in their circuits. This is a sporadic in many churches, particularly in mainline churches. The study is dealing with clergy, minister and their families who have been attacked in the church chapel even in the manse. Most circuits when a clergy is sent to their circuits to sever, congregation thinks they own the church, they own the manse, they think they can do whatever they want, and abuse the clergy families. This thesis will try to show kinds of leaders the church is having. It will also show how congregation are cruel and easing influence. What makes things worse is that the church faced with church discipline, most of the time clergies are many even today, there are clergies who are in the waiting list waiting for disciplinary hearings as they have been charged, and congregations lay their charges. Since the researcher has been is the church for guide sometime, his experience let him to make a thorough study. It will also try to introduce and make the top leaders to deal with this kind of issue thoroughly. That is why most children of clergy families when growing up they are also wounded emotional It is the wish of the researcher to equip church leaders and to help clergy families to deal with the congregational abuse.