Blacklisting, Isolation, and Broken Pastoral Systems in Independent Baptist Circles: Standing Against the Silent Scourge

Blacklisting: the silent way brothers are made to disappear.

Exposing Blacklisting, Hearsay, and Tribalism in Independent Baptist Circles—And Calling the Church Back to Biblical Shepherding

By Brent Madaris, DMin

Giving Voice to the Silenced

There is a kind of suffering that rarely gets spoken of in Independent Baptist circles. It is not the suffering of persecution from the world.

It is not the suffering that comes from doctrinal compromise or moral collapse.

It is the quiet suffering inflicted by the brethren from within — This is not "friendly fire" done by accident. It is intentional!

What we shall discuss today is the suffering of being:

• marginalized,

• blacklisted,

• rejected,

• ignored,

• talked about instead of talked to,

• cut off without explanation,

• and treated as a threat rather than a brother.

This is the pain of those who have been cast aside by the very men who should have shepherded them. It is a pain that many cannot name, cannot articulate, cannot (sometimes) fully perceive, and most of the time do not feel permitted to express.

But I will speak for them.

I have nothing to lose.

I have no allegiance to a particular tribe.

My only loyalty is to Christ, to Scripture, to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ...His flock...and especially the wounded sheep.

This is not a personal vendetta.

This is a pastoral responsibility.

Blacklisting in Baptist Circles: This is the topic of the hour.

What Is Blacklisting? A Biblical Definition

Before we can address the problem, we must define the term.

Blacklisting, in the context of ministry, is the quiet relational practice of treating a brother as though he no longer matters, no longer counts, and no longer exists within the circle of fellowship or ministry opportunity. It is not formal church discipline. It is not the restoration process of Matthew 18. It is not the defense of sound doctrine commanded in the pastoral epistles..

It is something far more subtle—and far less biblical.

The closest biblical category for this behavior is what Paul rebukes in Romans 14:10, where one believer “sets at nought” another.

To set at nought means to treat someone as insignificant, to disregard their value, to view them as beneath notice. It is dismissal, not discipline. It is contempt disguised as caution.

This is the essence of blacklisting:

• A man is no longer considered.

• His name is quietly removed from recommendation.

• His calls or texts go unanswered.

• His ministry is treated as irrelevant.

• His presence is avoided or regarded with suspicion.

• His future among those brethren dries up without explanation.

Blacklisting is not a biblical safeguard—it is a fleshly mechanism of control, a way to maintain power through relational pressure rather than through truth, Scripture, or legitimate spiritual authority.

The early church corrected sin openly, restored repentant brothers warmly, and handled conflicts in the light—never in the shadows. Blacklisting takes place in the shadows, where reputations can be harmed without evidence, without witnesses, and without biblical process.

And because it is unspoken, it is almost impossible to confront—until the damage is already done

A Small World With a Long Shadow: The Network-Wide Effect of Blacklisting

Independent Baptist circles form a surprisingly small ecosystem. Social media makes it painfully clear: everyone knows everyone, and the informal networks of influence are tightly interlocked. In such a world, blacklisting does not stay local. One leader’s coolness toward a pastor or evangelist often ripples outward into region-wide and sometimes nationwide marginalization.

Notice a few opening remarks about this matter. This blacklist culture is...

A Culture Foreign to the New Testament Church

The early church was not free from conflict—far from it. But it handled conflict biblically, not politically.

• Paul confronted Peter publicly—yet still called him a brother (Gal. 2:11–14; 2 Pet. 3:15).

• Barnabas disagreed sharply with Paul, but the disagreement did not result in a “don’t use Barnabas” whisper campaign (Acts 15:36–41).

• The Jerusalem Council listened, reasoned, and responded as shepherds, not as gatekeepers (Acts 15:1–29).

• When the apostle John warned of Diotrephes, it was because the man “loveth to have the preeminence” and “casteth them out of the church” (3 John 9–10). Scripture condemns such behavior—not the ones who were cast out.

What we see in much of Independent Baptist culture is the opposite:

• Instead of Matthew 18, we have Matthew 00: The Book of Silence and Avoidance.

• Instead of Galatians 6 restoration, we have reputational quarantine.

• Instead of 1 Corinthians 12 interdependence, we have tribal exclusion.

• Instead of Acts 20 shepherding, we have institutional self-protection.

This is not historic Christianity. It is ecclesiastical politics wearing a King James tie.

The Network Effect: One Man’s Whisper, Ten Men’s Distance

One of the saddest realities is this: in our circles, you can be blacklisted without a single sin ever being named. All it takes is:

• A raised eyebrow

• A cold handshake

• A subtle distancing

• A single phone call

• A “concern” shared in the right back-channel

And suddenly you are radioactive.

People do not oppose you because they believe anything specific about you; they oppose you because they fear what opposing your opponents might cost them.

A Ministry Shutdown by One Man’s Word

A young pastor (we will call him Jonathan) served faithfully in a Midwestern church for nearly a decade. He was balanced, biblical, evangelistic, and deeply loved by his people. When he accepted invitations to preach youth rallies and missions Sundays, he noticed something odd: the invitations slowed, then stopped entirely.

Months later, a friend finally told him the truth privately:

“Brother, someone influential told pastors in the state fellowship that you were ‘unstable’ and ‘not aligned.’ Nobody wants to cross him. They’re not sure what he means, but they’re scared to platform you.”

Jonathan had never been morally implicated.

Never doctrinally compromised.

Never rebellious.

His only crime was not belonging to one particular man’s ‘orbit.’

His preaching calendar evaporated in six months.

His opportunities dried up.

His phone stopped ringing.

He told me later:

“I didn’t fall. I didn’t even stumble.

I was simply… erased.”

Why This Is So Destructive

Because ministry is relational, one man’s rejection can become network-wide rejection.

Because the circles are small, one man’s whisper may become systemic exclusion.

Because pastors are fearful, one man’s opinion becomes everyone’s silence.

This is not a problem of a few personalities; it is a structural, cultural defect—a deformity of fellowship.

How to Know If You’re Being Blacklisted (Without Becoming Paranoid)

Blacklisting is rarely official or public.

Blacklisting rarely comes with an announcement.

It comes through patterns. Sometimes hard to see until it is too obvious not to notice.

Instead, the blacklisting and targeting work like smoke—everywhere yet invisible.

And in Independent Baptist life, those patterns are painfully consistent.

Here are the clearest biblical and practical signs: Now, although there may be reasons other than blacklisting for some of these, the multiplication of these in a single life strongly points to blacklisting.

People who have been blacklisted can be highly suspicious and prone to paranoia. It can be difficult to make friends with blacklisted individuals because they can become suspicious of others. Don't let this happen to you.

Although some may not be able to grasp the full impact of what I am saying, people who have been blacklisted know that what I give next is true.

1. Sudden and unexplained relational withdrawal

People who previously called, texted, or invited you now go silent — not gradually, but immediately.

This is not discernment.

It is politics.

“They have privily laid a snare for me.”

—Psalm 140:5

2. Invitations, fellowships, and opportunities quietly disappear

A conference removes your name.

A pulpit supply vanishes.

A ministry partner untags/unfriends you or distances themselves online.

No explanation.

No exploration.

Just absence.

3. Others treat you with suspicion—but without specifics

The look on their face says more than their words: confusion, discomfort, sympathy, or fear—yet they can’t (or won’t) say why.

When pressed, you may hear phrases like:

• “There are concerns…”

• “He’s not where he used to be…”

• “Something’s off…”

• “We’ve heard some things…”

But no one can tell you precisely what the concern is. They just want to avoid the matter.

This is the Diotrephes model:

“Prating against us with malicious words.”

—3 John 10

4. A single influential man suddenly becomes cold

And once he cools, everyone who is loyal to him quietly follows.

This is network-based tribal shunning, not biblical conflict resolution.

Words like “be careful,” “brother, just watch it,” or “I’ve heard some things” float around with no actual substance behind them.

5. People avoid conversation because they’re afraid of “being seen with you.”

You notice that brothers who once seemed to love you (even if privately) will:

• avoid standing with you publicly

• refuse pictures

• decline public collaboration

• switch tables

• change seats if you approach their group

• quietly move their position if you come to stand in a group where they are.

This is the fear of man unmasked.

“The fear of man bringeth a snare.”

—Proverbs 29:25

6. You are corrected for tone, posture, or perception rather than doctrine or sin

Blacklisting thrives on vagueness, because vagueness requires no evidence.

When accusations become nonspecific, you are being marginalized — not mentored.

7. Your reputation changes in rooms you’ve never walked into

You learn that pastors you’ve never spoken to:

• have “concerns” about you

• were “warned” about you

• believe you’re changing

• distrust you

Yet no one can say specifically why. This person heard something from this person, who heard it from someone else, unitl the real beginning of the blacklisting is somehow lost in the shadows.

This is spiritual slander masquerading as “protection.”

8. Others are told not to invite you — quietly, privately, and politically

No one will confront you directly.

No Matthew 18.

No Galatians 6.

Just back-channel messaging.

The reason why no one will do these things is becuase in blackisting there is usually just vague feelings of interpersonal uneasiness, jealousy, fear, etc., and it is easier to blacklist than be honest and deal with your own heart and assumptions.

This is the opposite of biblical integrity.

“Providing for honest things… not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.”

—2 Corinthians 8:21

9. When you ask direct questions, people panic

You say:

• “Have I done something wrong?”

• “Is there a misunderstanding?”

• “Did someone say something?”

And the reaction is always:

• evasiveness

• fear

• awkwardness

• “I don’t want to get involved”

Then an attempt to extricate themselves from your presence ensues.

That is involvement — in relational cowardice.

 10. New opportunities may arise everywhere except inside the network that rejected you.

Churches outside the circle call… but churches within the circle do not. Your ministry may actually grow—just not among the gatekeepers.

THE SUMMARY PATTERN

Blacklisting reveals itself not through confrontation, but through silent coordinated/unoordinated behavior across multiple relationships, usually triggered by one influential voice.

If you see three or more of these signs simultaneously, you are not imagining things.

You are experiencing something the Bible condemns, something the early church rejected, and something Christ Himself will judge.

Not All Marginalization Is the Same

Distinguishing True Shepherding From Carnal Politics

Before we expose the rot, we must be honest:

There are real cases where men need correction, discipleship, or restoration.

There are real failures. Real struggles. Real sin. Real woundedness.

There are Legitimate Cases of Restoration

The Bible gives a clear process:

• Gentle restoration (Gal. 6:1)¹

• Clear conversation (Matt. 18:15–17)²

• Comfort and forgiveness (2 Cor. 2:7–8)³

• Patient instruction (2 Tim. 2:24–25)⁴

Some men fall.

Some struggle.

Some need correction.

But, even then, the biblical pattern is conversation, not erasure.

Even in sin, Christ restores.

But in Baptist politics, men are erased.

This article, however, is not mostly about those cases.

The real problem—the widespread, ignored, systemic problem—is the illegitimate blacklisting based on perception, preference, hearsay, or personal insecurity.

Illegitimate Blacklisting: The Cancer We Refuse to Admit

Below are the real categories no one confronts.

These are wrecking churches, crushing young preachers, and creating fearful, tribal leadership cultures.

1. Blacklisted Because of Perceived Difference

Some men are blacklisted not for sin, but simply because they don’t fit a mold.

They:

• think independently,

• have discernment, and use it,

• don’t mimic a certain preaching style,

• didn’t come from certain institutions,

• don’t play the political game,

• ask honest questions,

• are not impressed by celebrity pastors.

In some circles, any difference of personality, background, or thought is treated as a threat. Once a preacher is perceived as ‘unsafe,’ even without cause, he is quietly watched, distanced, and often pushed out. In a culture where difference equals danger, all it takes is a whisper for a man to be marked.

Scripture:

“For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

—1 Samuel 16:7⁵

This is the opposite of Christlike leadership.

2. Blacklisted on Hearsay

This is one of the most common and unbiblical practices in Independent Baptist culture.

A pastor says,

“I heard he’s unstable.”

Another says,

“He’s not one of us.”

Another whispers,

“Be careful with him.”

And instantly, a man’s entire reputation collapses.

Without evidence.

Without conversation.

Without Scripture.

Without truth.

Most of the time, there are no inquiries or questions asked. What is said is simply believed and then acted upon.

Scripture:

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”

—Proverbs 18:13⁶

“Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.”

—1 Timothy 5:19⁷

Yet in practice, one whisper equals a verdict.

Real-Life Vignettte

A faithful young preacher—sound doctrine, faithful marriage, clean testimony—found that churches suddenly stopped calling him for pulpit supply. He could not understand why.

Months later, a friend told him:

“Someone said you were drifting."

No one questioned the rumor.

No one asked him.

No one followed Matthew 18.

No evidence provided. No details given. But the right person said it.

And a ministry calling was suffocated by hearsay.

3. Blacklisted Because They Are Not From the “Right Tribe”

This is extremely prevalent. You are not from the right places or connected to the right people:

• the right Bible college

• the right camp meeting circuit

• the right sending pastor

• the right network of friendships

• the right ministry lineage

This is Baptist denominationalism without the denomination—tribes instead of truth.

Scripture:

“For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?”

—1 Corinthians 3:4⁸

Paul rebuked tribalism.

Some have institutionalized it.

4. Blacklisted Because Strong Leaders Threaten Insecure Men

Some pastors want:

• followers, not equals;

• proteges, not peers;

• men who reflect their image, not Christ’s;

• lackies, not brothers.

A confident, mature, capable, Spirit-filled leader is threatening to political pastors.

So he is sidelined...as much as he can be.

Scripture:

“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

—James 3:16⁹

Jealousy is often disguised as “discernment.”

Real-Life Vignette

A pastor refused to recommend a godly young preacher because, he said privately:

“I don’t want him outshining the men in my church.”

I even knew one pastor who refused to call a young preacher back to his church, because his people liked him too much, and the pastor felt threatened.

That is not shepherding.

That is insecurity.

5. Blacklisted Because “We Didn’t Train Him”

This is especially common in some large ministries or well-known institutions.

The mindset is:

“If he didn’t come from our school,

if he didn’t graduate under our leader,

if he didn’t intern under our staff,

then we have no interest in him.”

In other words,

“If we didn’t build him, we won’t bless him." Or sometimes it may be this. "He may get a degree, but he won't get a warm endorsement, encouragement, inclusion, and support."

That is not ministry.

That is branding.

Scripture:

“For there is no respect of persons with God.”

—Romans 2:11¹⁰

When Shepherding Is Replaced by Silence

Over the years, in my own experience, I have witnessed seasons where men in authority:

• Refused ministry building engagement

• refused brotherly conversation,

• refused unpressured clarification,

• refused careful shepherding,

• refused sanctified engagement,

• refused restorative interest.

One would assume that spiritual leaders would approach disagreements or concerns with instruction, patience, and love.

Instea, we witness:

Silence.

Distance.

Coldness.

Political caution.

isolation.

separation.

Institutional calculation.

Why?

Because sometimes it is easier to ignore a man than shepherd him.

Easier to freeze him out than father him.

Easier to protect your tribe than invest in a life.

What Should a Man Do When He Is Blacklisted?

1. Refuse Bitterness

“Let all bitterness… be put away from you.”

—Ephesians 4:31¹¹

Bitterness poisons the soul.

2. Stay Faithful to the Work in Front of You.

The antidote to marginalization is not noise—it is fruitfulness.

Paul and Barnabas were slandered by influential men (Acts 13:50; 14:2), yet they kept preaching, discipling, and building.

Faithfulness quietly outlives false accusations.

3. Walk in Integrity

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

—Psalm 37:5¹²

God opens doors men try to shut.

4. Continue Loving People Generously.

Do not let small-minded men shrink your heart.

Jesus kept loving even when rejected (John 13:1).

Paul kept loving after being abandoned (2 Tim. 4:16–17).

Your Christlikeness is revealed most clearly when mistreated.

5. Seek Truth from God, Not Validation from Men.

Spend more time in Psalm 37 than in your imagination.

Your identity is not given by any pastor, school, or network—it is given by God.

6. Build Where You Are Planted

If institutions shut their doors to you, Seek the Lord, and if he allows, build a ministry that is biblical, humble, and free from the politics that wounded you.

7. Let Your Integrity Speak Louder Than Their Insecurity.

If a man’s life is above reproach, the rumor eventually dies in the air.

“In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works…”

—Titus 2:7

8. Ask the Lord If There Is Any Truth in What’s Being Said.

Sometimes blacklisting is unjust.

Sometimes it’s partially provoked.

Sometimes it reveals a blind spot.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart…” (Ps. 139:23–24)

A humble man gives God permission to show him what human networks never will.

9. Find Brothers, Not Bosses

There are faithful, godly, balanced pastors who will love you, not use you. Build Friendships That Are Not Transactional.

Blacklisting only works in ecosystems built on fear and favor-currying.

Kingdom friendships are built on:

• trust

• love

• shared doctrine

• mutual respect

• no political strings

If your relationships do not require compliance to be maintained, you are freer than you know.

10. Speak Truth for the Sake of the Next Generation

This article is not for me.

It is for:

• the young preacher suffocating under tribal politics,

• the missionary forgotten because he didn’t attend the right college,

• the faithful pastor frozen out because he asks honest questions,

• the Christian layman who left a church under difficulty and lost all his “friends” overnight.

Like the woman who said after leaving a church and going to another:

“I didn’t have to lose my friends. We’re not rival gangs.”

What a tragic commentary on our culture.

What NOT to Do, When Blacklisted

1. Don’t Send Friends to Go “Nose Around.”

Getting an insider to ask questions or gather intel rarely brings clarity—it usually creates more problems:

• It puts your friend in a politically awkward position.

• It drags them into strife they do not own (Prov. 26:17).

• It signals insecurity, not integrity.

• It confirms to the blacklisters that their whisper campaign is “working,” or that they were right all along about you!

And biblically, this type of whisper-gathering aligns with busybodying, which Scripture condemns (1 Pet. 4:15; Prov. 20:19).

Your peace will never come from intelligence gathering. Your peace must come from Christ!

2. Don’t Chase Every Rumor or Whisper.

A man who chases whispers becomes enslaved to them.

You can’t fix what you can’t trace.

And blacklisting is designed to be untraceable.

3. Don’t Alter Your Ministry to Appease the Gatekeepers.

If you soften your stance, shift your associations, or adapt your voice just to regain acceptance, you’ve already surrendered the part of you God wants to use most.

“For do I now persuade men, or God?” —Gal. 1:10 (KJV)

4. Don’t Assume Everyone Is Against You.

Blacklisting often involves a few loud voices—not everyone. There are many people who never hear the rumors, gossip, and inuendo. Walk into each situation with a hopeful optimism.

Charity “believeth all things” and “hopeth all things” (1 Cor. 13:7).

Not every closed door is an act of hostility.

5. Don’t Try to Control a Narrative You Didn’t Start.

Attempting to “correct” your reputation across an entire network will destroy your peace.

Let the Lord defend you (Ps. 37:5–6).

6. Don’t Withdraw Into Bitterness or Isolation.

Blacklisting can make you feel like you no longer belong anywhere—but withdrawing confirms the lie.

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21)

Your calling does not shrink because someone else’s insecurity grows.

A Pastoral and Redemptive Conclusion: A Better Way Forward

You are not responsible for the conversations people have about you behind closed doors.

You are responsible for:

• your walk

• your work

• your worship

• your decisions

• your integrity

• your testimony

• your love

• your steadiness

Blacklisting is a tactic of insecure men trying to control a world God never gave them authority to control.

You are under His authority, not theirs.

And the man who keeps his hands clean and his heart pure cannot be stopped by whispers, gatekeepers, or networks.

The Church is a family.

Not an institution.

Not a tribe.

Not a brand.

Not a hierarchy.

Not a political network.

Although the Kingdoms of men may run on fallacious and fickle foundations, the Kingdom of God does not run on:

• whisper campaigns,

• gatekeepers,

• approval lists,

• or private veto power.

It runs on grace, truth, restoration, and brotherly love.

Let this article be a call to:

• repent of tribalism,

• reject hearsay,

• restore the wounded,

• shepherd the confused,

• speak directly instead of silently punishing,

• and stop dividing the body of Christ into rival kingdoms.

Let us be shepherds, not gatekeepers.

Fathers, not politicians.

Brothers, not bosses.

Peacemakers, not power brokers.

And let every man who has been blacklisted know:

You are not forgotten.

You are not alone.

Your calling is not canceled.

And your place in the body of Christ is not determined by men, but by God.

The purpose of this article is truth-telling—and truth heals what silence protects.

There are pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and church members reading this who have carried this weight for years. You were not discarded because of sin. You were discarded because someone powerful felt threatened by your presence, your calling, your convictions, or your independence.

To you I say:

**You are not alone.

You are not forgotten.

You are not “unclean.”**

And you are needed.

Younger pastors watching this culture unfold must hear this clearly:

Do not repeat the sins that wounded you.

Do not inherit the politics of a previous generation.

Do not model Diotrephes.

Model Christ.

• Shepherd the wounded.

• Resist gossip.

• Crush whisper networks.

• Break the chain of tribal loyalty.

• Build a better culture than the one you inherited.

We cannot fix every circle.

We cannot change every pastor.

We cannot reform every institution.

But we can create pockets of faithful, redemptive, biblical shepherding—where a man is judged by truth, character, and Scripture, not by whispered opinions.

May God raise up courageous men who refuse to marginalize those whom Christ has received. See Appendix A for a statement of clarity to live by!

________________________________________

APPENDIX A

MANIFESTO OF PASTORAL INTEGRITY

(A Covenant for Shepherds Who Refuse Political Ministry)

1. I will not blacklist a brother based on hearsay.

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21)

2. I will pursue Matthew 18 before forming an opinion.

“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.” (Matt. 18:15)

3. I will refuse to participate in whisper networks.

“He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.” (Prov. 10:18)

4. I will restore the fallen when repentance is present.

“Restore such an one in the spirit of meekness.” (Gal. 6:1)

5. I will honor men called by God, not men approved by circles.

“For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.” (2 Cor. 10:18)

6. I will never punish a man because another man dislikes him.

“The fear of man bringeth a snare.” (Prov. 29:25)

7. I will remember that ministry is not empire-building.

“Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” (1 Pet. 5:3)

8. I will be a shepherd, not a gatekeeper.

Signed: _______________________________

Date: _________________________________