There are two equally dangerous extremes that local congregations may fall into as they relate to criticism. The first is a culture of criticism where nearly everything and everyone is viewed with suspicion and negativity. Self-righteous criticism becomes the defining character trait of the church. The second is an uncritical culture where no one dares ask questions or utter a word of critique, especially toward the leadership. It is not that the people aren’t critical; they are. They just can’t conceive of making their negative judgments known through proper biblical and church channels.
So write Joel Beeke and Nick Thompson in their excellent book Pastors and Their Critics: A Guide to Coping with Criticism in Ministry. One of the most helpful chapters in the book bears the title of this blog post and provides five ways church leaders can cultivate a church culture that is open to constructive, not destructive, criticism.
Preach Christ – “A healthy church is one that is shaped by the gospel. Our people need to see the beauty of Christ. Nothing will enable them to lovingly and humbly give and receive constructive critique more than heart-searching, expository gospel preaching. This is our great task and
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