His name was Claire. He was 72 years old at the time. He didn’t like my preaching style. He said it was too conservative. He didn’t like my laughter he said it was too loud. He didn’t like how we sang invitation hymns. He said we sang too many verses. He didn’t like sermons that mentioned the word “sex.” He said that was crude. His list of complaints was endless. 

Every couple of months Claire would type out a list of complaints or criticisms to bring to me or the elders. After a while, I got so I dreaded seeing him come. He even tried going to my wife at my home, behind my back, to convince her how wrong I was about so many things! Can you believe it?

It was strange, too, but he seemed to attract all the widows in the church who swirled around him listening to his complaints and soon they were complaining. Complaining is like that - - it’s contagious. Soon several people in the Church, who were perfectly happy before, started complaining after hearing Claire complain. Then, Claire would come to me with their complaints and say “certain people” in the church had problems with my leadership. Then he’d unleash a page full of anonymous complaints on me (Satan always works through anonymity and secrecy!).

Claire was admonished by the leadership to stop his negative, complaining ways, but he refused to listen. And after I had been pastor at the church for about 3 years, he led a coup to get rid of me and my family. The coup failed, but the church suffered irreparable damage as a result. People left and while there was growth after that, the church never really recovered from Claire’s demonic antics.

Satan loves to work through guys like Claire to destroy churches and discourage leaders. Usually such men have no qualms about defying church leadership or refusing to submit to spiritual authority (which the Bible tells them to do – see Hebrews 13:17). They assert their right to free speech and insist that they won’t be muzzled. Then they run around spreading their negative poison to others.

When you encounter such people as Claire – negative, complaining, criticizing all the time – stay away from them! Don’t hold a grudge or stay angry at them or anything like that. But if you warn them to stop gossiping and they refuse, inform the church leadership and then simply choose not to hang out with them anymore. Tell them, “I love you and am concerned about you, but you are spreading strife in the church which God hates and I don’t want to hang out with you if you’re going to do that.” Then ignore their emails or calls until they are ready to repent. Distance yourself from gossips before their negativity rubs off on you (the Bible says bad company corrupts good morals - 1 Corinthians 15:33). That’s exactly what Solomon says to do when he writes, “A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers” (Proverbs 20:19 – NLT).

Don’t be a Claire or a person who encourages the “Claires” of this world in their sinful behavior. Instead, walk in the light, speak the truth, and refuse gossip.