by ephraim | Jun 17, 2026 | Difficult Church Members
I was in a coaching call about gossip in church leadership when my coach stopped mid-conversation and said something I haven’t been able to unhear since. “Gossip among leaders is cancer. And cancer doesn’t negotiate. You cut it out, or it... 
by ephraim | May 9, 2026 | Difficult Church Members
Several years ago I was part of a staff team dealing with a church power struggle I didn’t see coming at first. A woman led one of our largest life groups. She was gifted, capable, and deeply committed to the ministry. She was also slowly trying to reposition... 
by ephraim | May 6, 2026 | Difficult Church Members
You know the meeting I’m talking about. You walked in feeling prepared, maybe even hopeful. You walked out wondering if you were losing your mind. There’s a person in your church who is generous with their giving, well-connected to the founding families,... 
by ephraim | May 2, 2026 | Difficult Church Members
A pastor I worked with described it this way. He had just finished one of the best Sundays his church had seen in years, and by three o’clock that afternoon, his phone was lighting up with staff messages, all from the same deacon: “Can we talk this week?... 
by ephraim | Apr 29, 2026 | Difficult Church Members
I walked into that committee meeting feeling good. We had prayed over this idea. The timing was right, the resources were there, and I stood up, laid out the vision, and watched the room split right down the middle in about four minutes. Half the table leaned forward.... 
by ephraim | Apr 25, 2026 | Difficult Church Members
He kept making mistakes. Not catastrophic ones. But consistent, visible ones the kind that people notice and feel the need to mention. So they did. A deacon pulled him aside after service. A staff member sent a follow-up email. His wife said something on the drive...