Vince Guerra

We came up with this term called Institution Creep, where more and more, the institution matters more than the people who are in that church. And when the institution matters more than the people, you have problems.

When the pressure comes on, they think: How can we preserve this church and my position, rather than that person who’s been wounded?…We discovered that toxic churches, toxic institutions, value loyalty. I can’t tell you the number of people who’ve used the word loyalty as though it’s the most important value in that church. Loyalty to the pastor, to the leader.

— Scot McKnight, Expedition 44 Podcast Aug. 24, 2022