BREAKING THE GRUMBLERS’ GRIP
How to respond (and not respond) to chronic complainers.
John White
January 1, 1993
For years I'd been awaiting this board meeting. After enduring overcrowded facilities and countless hours of planning by the building committee, the elders now stood on the verge of recommending to the congregation that we accept an offer to purchase our current facilities. The building committee could then begin the construction process.
Dave, our most outspoken and influential elder, raised his voice. "You know, there's a lot of dissension in the congregation about this project. I'm not sure now is the right time to go ahead." As he spoke, I could feel the board's confidence leaking.
In near panic I mentally reviewed our discussions in the last several church business meetings. While some had raised doubts about tackling a project of such magnitude, the overall attitude was definitely optimistic. I knew Dave had been hit by a force I'd battled before: the grumblers.
Like termites, grumblers slowly chew away at the foundation of church vision and confidence until what a majority see as God's will crumbles into the trash heap of what might have been.
Annoyed that a man of Dave's maturity was so easily swayed, I spoke up, "Dave, this strikes me as a case of a few murmurers resisting the progress of the church. Let's be firm and move on."
Dave wasn't convinced, and the rest of the elders' support waned. They felt his point was legitimate. The meeting's outcome was disappointing: the issue would be tabled.
I left the meeting discouraged but resolved to do what I could to keep this from happening again. I researched the subject of grumbling in Scripture and thought about my experiences, and here's what I've concluded.
Grumbling Versus Legitimate Concern
We can't expect unanimity on all matters of church business. The diversity within ...
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