The Church Lobby

Ep 082: Pastoring Difficult People, with Craig T. Owens

Aug 1, 2024

Craig T. Owens, an insightful author and guide for shepherd leaders, shares his experiences with difficult congregants in this thought-provoking conversation. He discusses the challenges of dealing with flattery, criticism, and gossip, offering wisdom on handling slander with grace. The impact of personality clashes and the importance of emotional wisdom for pastors are emphasized. Owens also explores the evolving landscape of pastoral work, underlining the necessity of balancing personal life and ministry while sharing amusing anecdotes from his journey.

55:38

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Episode guests

Craig T. Owens

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Pastors should reflect on their own roles in conflicts, recognizing that personal responsibility is crucial for growth and healing.

Maintaining a balance between confidence in their calling and humility allows pastors to handle criticism and opposition gracefully.

Understanding the differences between flattery and constructive criticism helps pastors discern valuable feedback from potentially harmful remarks.

Deep dives

Understanding the Pain of Pastoral Leadership

Pastors often find themselves in difficult circumstances due to the complexities of human relationships within their congregations. It's highlighted that pastors should begin by examining their own contributions to issues rather than immediately blaming the congregation. Idealistic perceptions about pastoral work can lead to unrealistic expectations, which in turn can cause disillusionment when faced with conflict. Acknowledging personal responsibility and approaching challenges with humility can transform difficult situations into opportunities for growth and healing.

Intro

2min

Navigating the Challenges of Pastoral Leadership

22min

Navigating Constructive Criticism and Gossip in Pastoral Care

5min

Navigating Gossip and Slander in the Church

12min

Navigating Personality Clashes in Church Leadership

7min

Navigating Modern Pastoral Ministry

4min

Anecdotes of Ordination and Leadership Challenges

2min

The Power of Narrative in Personal Growth

2min

Sometimes pastors are our own worst enemy, so we need to recognize that God chose us for this work.

There’s probably not a single pastor (at least not a long-term pastor) who can’t relate to the title of Craig T Owens’ latest book, When Sheep Bite: Help for Shepherd Leaders Who May Have Felt the Painful Bites.

In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Craig about what those bites mean, where they come from and what to do about them. Then they spend the bulk of the episode covering the chapters that make up the meat of his book:

When the Sheep Flatter You
When the Sheep Criticize You
When the Sheep Gossip About You
When the Sheep Slander You
When the Sheep Question Your Authority
When the Sheep Abandon You

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BONUS MATERIAL

Navigating Your Way Through Good Stress And Bad Stress, with Craig Owens

Karl Vaters interviews Craig T Owens about the fact that there are two kinds of stress that we all face:

Unbalanced, unhealthy stress, which we call distress
Balanced, healthy stress, which is known as eustress

In life, as in ministry, it’s essential that we know the difference, and that we’re aware of how to reduce the negative, while embracing and growing with the positive.

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The Church Lobby

Ep 082: Pastoring Difficult People, with Craig T. Owens

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Understanding the Pain of Pastoral Leadership

Recognizing God’s Call and Maintaining Balance

Navigating Criticism and Flattery

Dealing with Gossip and Slander

Handling Abandonment and Letting Go

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts