The fear that freaks out church leaders …

Of all the issues and challenges that church leaders face in the routine work of ministry, the one that strikes fear in the heart of many ministers is the issue of criticism.

For many, this fear has grown from experiencing persistent criticism — not because they have done anything wrong, but simply because they have failed to meet someone’s expectations. And the issue of church members criticizing church leaders is a prevalent one. In 2025, Lifeway conducted a large-scale study of 730 former pastors and found that 49 percent reported experiencing personal attacks or sustained criticism from church members during their ministry. Many described that this criticism was frequent and often unrelated to actual wrongdoing, highlighting how pastors routinely face negative judgment from members even when their leadership is competent and faithful. The Hartford Institute’s 2023 nationwide survey of clergy confirmed that criticism from church members is a common and ongoing experience for pastors, with respondents indicating that dealing with persistent negative feedback is a regular challenge in the course of their ministry.

When a person is criticized — especially negatively and without grounds — a natural desire is to defend themselves, something Augustine noted about himself as he wrote, “Lord, deliver me from the lust of vindicating myself.” But making such a defense often leads to another issue strongly disliked among church leaders — conflict. This tension between wanting to vindicate ourselves but avoid conflict can result in fostering a “fear of man.” William Jones wrote the following about this “fear of man”:

One of the most gifted speakers in church history was John Chrysostom – the name comes from a Greek word meaning “golden tongued.” John was sent from Antioch to what was then Constantinople where he preached fearlessly in the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. His denunciation of the lavish extravagance of the rich and ruling class and his condemnation of excess infuriated many, including Empress Eudoxia who arranged for him to be exiled.

When he was told of his fate, Chrysostom responded: “What can I fear? Will it be death? But you know that Christ is my life, and that I shall gain by death. Will it be exile? But the earth and all its fullness is the Lord’s. Will it be the loss of wealth? But we brought nothing into the world, and can carry nothing out. Thus all the terrors of the world are contemptible in my eyes, and I smile at all its good things. Poverty I do not fear. Riches I do not sigh for. Death I do not shrink from.”

Far too many today are more worried about what people think than about what God thinks. The desire not to offend others (which is not a bad thing in itself) is often elevated to be the most important thing. As a result, many shrink from speaking the truth.

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe,” Proverbs 29:25

Such conditioning from the tension over how to deal with criticism can result in our becoming closed to receiving even “constructive criticism” that could be beneficial. Mignon McLaughlin described this discrepancy about criticism like this: “Most of us would rather be ruined by praise than helped by criticism. Nobody wants constructive criticism. It’s all we can do to put up with constructive praise.”

Ministers today face too much negative criticism that isn’t beneficial, but that doesn’t change the reality that sometimes we need to be open to appropriate rebuke. Sometimes, constructive criticism is what we need to become the servant leader we should and could be. One example of how constructive criticism can help us become better comes from the sport of baseball:

When Orel Hershiser was in his first season as a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he had great talent but had not been able to translate that into success on the field. Early in the 1984 season he was struggling with his control. Finally, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda called the young pitcher into his office for a verbal confrontation that Hershiser later referred to as “The Sermon on the Mound.”

Lasorda told Hershiser that he was capable of much better work than he was doing and that he owed it to the team to reach his potential. Hershiser took the rebuke to heart and approached the game with a new attitude. He went on to win the Cy Young award as baseball’s best pitcher in 1988 while leading the Dodgers to the World Series title. If Hershiser had not responded properly to his manager’s rebuke, it is doubtful that he would ever have achieved such success or helped his team so much.

Sometimes the “fear of man” can tempt us to act in an ungodly way, and we need positive rebuke to correct our error. That was the case for the Apostle Peter regarding a situation the Apostle Paul records in Galatians 2:11-13:

“But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”

While church leaders often face undue criticism, allowing such experiences to foster a “fear of man” can result in behaviors that actually need to be rebuked. So how can church leaders learn to not “freak out” with a fear of criticism?

To begin, ministers can learn not to fear criticism by retraining their response. Fear arises when criticism is taken as a personal verdict rather than as data — sometimes accurate, sometimes not. Leaders who pause before reacting, asking themselves, “Is this true? Is this helpful?” begin to separate the words of critics from the value of their own calling.

Next, ministers can seek trusted sources of feedback. Chrysostom did not rely on public opinion; Hershiser responded to someone he trusted and respected. Pastors who have mentors or peers who will give honest, constructive feedback can practice receiving correction safely, without the pressure of judgment from the broader congregation.

Another key is shifting the source of affirmation. Leaders who ground their identity in God’s approval rather than human applause are less shaken by criticism. This doesn’t remove accountability, but it changes the lens: the question becomes, “Am I faithful to God?” rather than “Am I pleasing everyone?” This was a practice Paul employed, as noted in 1 Corinthians 4:3-4, “As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.”

Finally, ministers can practice small acts of exposure to criticism. Engaging with feedback in controlled ways — through mentorship, coaching, or small accountability groups — builds resilience. Over time, they learn to absorb critique without defensiveness, seeing even uncomfortable feedback as a tool for growth rather than a threat to their calling.

When pastors combine discernment, trusted guidance, God-centered identity, and gradual exposure, criticism stops being a source of fear and instead becomes a mechanism for maturity, courage, and effective leadership.

Scotty