How Strong is Envy Part 2

Pr 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

About thirty years ago, a good Baptist church was running about 175 in children's church, mostly due to their bus ministry. The pastor asked me (I didn't ask him) to be in charge. Several of us worked hard, and attendance grew to around 300.

Meanwhile, the pastor's wife held a lot of authority in the church, mistreating secretaries and other staff, and often forcing her husband to carry out policies he disagreed with. I was called into the pastor's office one day, where she told me that she was a mature Christian and I was an immature Christian, and therefor God had called her to take over the children's church.

When I pointed out that she had nothing to do with the blessing God was giving us, she replied that God hadn't called her to work on bus routes; He had called her to rule over people who did. I refused, her husband over-ruled me, and three years later, she had taken the children's church from 300 to 10.

Earlier, I had pointed out this same problem with jealousy: if you're in a family-run church, your church probably has incompetent leadership. And if you start being blessed and used by God, that family is going to start moving in to take over your ministry.