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ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (ANS) -- Most people feel it is incongruous that individual churches would serve as settings for the workings of evil. G. Lloyd Rediger in his book Clergy Killers establishes a convincing picture of the realities of how clergy killers operate, and he uses statistics and case studies.
I first read the book while taking seminary courses, and being sponsored by my church as a candidate for Holy Orders- several years ago. The insights raised by Rediger helped me to realize how vital it was for me to be aware of the vituperative nature of potential clergy killers, and how to deal with problems as best I could. Since I was the first woman to be nominated for Holy Orders in the history of the church to which I was assigned, in terms of gender alone, I was outnumbered and vulnerable to critics who did not approve of female clergy.
An alarming statistic related to clerical life is pointed out by Rediger stating that a pastor is forced out of the ministry every six minutes in the United States. Clergy killers appear to be at the heart of the crisis, and are defined as those members of the congregation and among the laity who harass and abuse spiritual leaders. During my time as a candidate for Holy Orders, I was called upon to minister to the sick and homebound in the community. At that time, I was the only member of my congregation doing so, although the position was open to all congregants. Every Sunday after the service, the priest to which I was assigned performed a laying on of hands upon me as the Church sent me out to serve the sick. One Sunday, a member of the congregation approached me after Mass and said: "I was surprised at the laying on of hands you received."
Needless to say, I was confused by her comment, so I asked her to say a little more to clarify. She simply said again she was surprised, and wanted to give me the name of a person at our sister church who also needed to send ministers out on a rotating basis. I realized at that time that I would need to tread softly among some of these folks who were somewhat presumptuous. At that time, I had many additional duties in the church as a candidate for Holy Orders, and it suddenly came to me that there was a possibility that this woman may have unconsciously been trying to distract from some of my mandatory duties in the church, by having me get involved in a program at another church.
Because I understood by reading Rediger's book that 60% of pastors appear to function effectively, yet one quarter have been pushed out of the ministry, or have become stressed, overworked and vulnerable to public opinion, I knew I would have to set limits with members of the church who had the potential to be "energy drainers." The priest to whom I was assigned had forty years of experience, and tended to take an inordinate amount of mini-vacations with his family. I recall one episode when, at the last minute, he requested I lead an Advent Quiet Day because he had decided he wanted to join his family in selecting a Christmas tree. He said it was a family tradition.
He did agree to meet with me to plan the agenda. The meeting was no more than ten minutes before he fled for his family outing. When I explained the situation to my spiritual director, she was appalled on my behalf. Thankfully, I was a quick study and well trained writer, so producing the content for the Advent retreat flowed easily. Even though I was well prepared to lead the retreat, only two showed up. The lack of support for my ministry was becoming more and more evident. It is interesting to note that a clergy killer may appear as "an Angel of Light" and yet the astute, observant cleric can often see through the guise. To some, my illustrations may seem more like mischief than evil, but when you begin to analyze that being unsupportive of those called to serve God and the Church sets the tone for envy rather than love, apathy rather than commitment- could there be a greater evil?
Doesn't the abuse of clergy serve as a model of the wretched spiritual condition of some churches rather than a commentary on the effectiveness of individual clergy? It would be wise to take the following expression to heart: The tribe that kills the shaman, loses its soul. It is a sad commentary when in some churches in similar fashion to the secular world, there exists a general malaise and distrust of authority- and such distrust contributes to the clergy killer mindset and that of their cohorts.
Books like Clergy Killers serve as eye-openers to the nature of clergy abuse. Throughout church history, evil has been a problem for clergy and parishioners alike. Sometimes dysfunctional clergy open the door to it, and it appears in ways you would never expect. I was often shocked by a cleric at my church that refused to light the altar candles before the Mass, and I interpreted his neglect as a sign of keeping Christ's presence out of the church. I'd rush to light the later candles, only to find that the oil was depleted and I would suddenly feel helpless and cast down of heart.
Since these experiences, I have been ordained for two years and am grateful to Rediger for enhancing my understanding. He presents a clinical perspective as well as a clear view of the contextual dynamics of the problem. I learned about the indicators of personality disorders present in clergy killers such as borderline personality and anti-social behavior. When I was a candidate for Holy Orders, I never imagined I would be called upon to examine the role personal mental health plays in keeping clergy killers in action, nor did I ever imagine I'd have to be so vigilant and be aware of keeping my guard up with my brothers and sisters.
Jackie O'Neal is a freelance writer and regular contributor to The Press of Atlantic City and she also wrote for The New York Amsterdam News among others. She holds an M.F.A. in Poetry and Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College. O'Neal teaches Developmental Writing as a Senior adjunct professor at Atlantic Cape Community College where she was nominated for an Excellence in Teaching Award 2007.
Used by Permission of Assist News Service: www.assistnews.net
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