Three Kinds of Preacher-Eaters
I stood in the church foyer and noticed her heading straight toward me. My stomach dropped a few inches before she ever said a word. I already knew what was coming. I couldn’t predict her exact phrasing, but I could tell you the theme of her impending monologue.
“You know, Pastor, I saw three typos in the newsletter this weekend.”
“Pastor, I visited my sister’s church in Atlanta—just amazing. Some of the best preaching I’ve ever heard.”
“You know, Pastor, our church doesn’t offer enough for preschool families, children, youth, college students, adults, retirees, divorcees, veterans, nurses, union members, pet owners…”
She would unload a basketful of negativity right into my heart, then walk away proudly believing she had done her part in keeping our church on the right track.
Sigh.
You’ve met people like this. I call them “preacher-eaters.” The term isn’t original to me—I honestly can’t remember where I first heard it—but it stuck. It’s fitting. Most every pastor has been the main course at one of their meals. They’ll feast on your soul and leave you empty, ready to find another job—any other job—just to avoid being the entrée for their insatiable appetite.
Every church has at least one preacher-eater. And every pastor knows you can’t just run every time one heads your way.
In my years of ministry, I’ve found three categories of preacher-eaters.
1. The Socially Unaware Preacher-Eater
These men and women typically mean no harm. They’re just careless with their words. They haven’t heeded the wisdom of Proverbs 10:19: “Where there are many words, sin is not absent.” They speak first and think later.
“Pastor, my friend came with me to church last week, but she said this week she’d rather stay home and watch [famous pastor so-and-so] on television.”
The comment is probably true, but the speaker doesn’t pause to consider how it lands on your heart.
Early in my ministry, I knew a man known affectionately as “the benevolent pessimist.” He was negative about everything—the music, my sermons, even the color of the carpet—but he was harmless. To his credit, he never tried to recruit others to his side; he was just perpetually dissatisfied.
Don’t let these individuals get to you. Manage them kindly but firmly. Keep them away from the greeter team and leadership positions if possible. You likely can’t change them—but you can limit their influence. Keep them at arm’s length and guard your heart.
2. The Critical-Spirit Preacher-Eater
These individuals are believers, but they’ve developed what Paul described as “an unhealthy interest in controversy and quarrels” (1 Tim. 6:4). They operate out of the flesh rather than the Spirit (Gal. 5:19–21).
Paul instructed Titus to deal with such people quickly and, if they remain unrepentant, to “have nothing to do with them”(Titus 3:9–11). That means confronting them honestly—naming the sin and its damage—and, if they refuse correction, creating distance for your own spiritual health and the church’s unity.
I once met with a man in this category. The conversation was direct but gracious. It didn’t go well. In the end, he and his family left our church and went on (as I later heard) to “bless” another congregation in town.
That departure was painful—but also healthy. Our church healed. Theirs would eventually face what we had endured.
3. The Weed-in-the-Wheat Preacher-Eater
In Matthew 13, Jesus told a parable about a farmer sowing good seed, and an enemy sowing weeds among it. The lesson: not everyone in the church belongs to Christ.
Some unbelievers sit quietly and cause little disruption. Others, however, become tools of the enemy—seeking to harm the church by discouraging the pastor. If they can distract or demoralize you with complaints and criticism, they can stall the mission of reaching the lost.
I’ve had a few men and women I suspected fell into this category. You probably have, too.
My advice: stay faithful. Keep preaching the gospel. Keep making disciples. Keep your eyes on the harvest, not the weeds. If you persist, these individuals often grow frustrated that they can’t derail you—and they usually leave to try their tactics elsewhere.
A Final Word
Whatever type of preacher-eater you face, refuse to let yourself—or your ministry—become their meal of the day.
Guard your heart. Protect your calling. And remember: while some people are determined to criticize, God is still determined to build His Church—and you are part of that sacred work.
