The Uriah Syndrome: THE MISUSE AND ABUSE OF AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH

Church leaders caught in immoral behavior and the cover-up of physical, sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse-authoritarian leaders who insist on maintaining control over the flock while wreaking havoc and causing profound emotional, spiritual, and psychological stress, including the need for psychiatric hospitalization, while some even succumb to suicide. Congregations riddled with broken relationships, divided families, separation, divorce, and children who reject God or anything having to do with church! Why is this happening? What is the cause and culprit of such upheaval in the church today? Is there a remedy? Just like King David, who sent Uriah to his death in order to cover up his own scandalous behavior, many leaders in the church today are willing to sacrifice individual members and even entire congregations in order to maintain power and control over the church and choose to cover up horrendous abuse in order to preserve their reputations. God never intended it to be this way. Yet why do many congregations find themselves in such a precarious position? The church-who is the fullness of Christ, the pillar and foundation of the truth-was never meant to cower before power-mongering leaders who take Scripture out of context in order to advance their own agendas and propagate a legalistic and performance-based culture in the church. Bob Dixon has written an insightful and compelling book that answers these and other questions, as well as provides a surprising answer for individuals and churches who suffer from these pernicious but avoidable problems that find their root in the misuse and abuse of authority in the church, what he refers to as-the Uriah syndrome.