Detecting a “Wolf in Sheep Clothing” or False Shepherd

Do you know how to detect a “Wolf in Sheep Clothing?”

Are you sure?  Be careful.  Don’t jump to conclusions.  Most Spirit-filled Christians do not understand how to detect a wolf in sheep clothing.  They are confused when the Holy Spirit does not just reveal it to them.

We are so used to the gifts of the Spirit used in ministry.  We assume that the Holy Spirit will reveal everything we need to know.  We stop being careful.  We neglect due diligence.  We become too heavenly minded to think clearly on this important issue.

Decisions are made about who gets in the position of power and privilege of pastor, minister or director of a ministry.  Because these positions are very strategic in terms of allowing or shutting down God’s work, Satan is interested.  His men are interested.  His men with good resumes, good looks and smooth talk are interested in that position of power.  They achieve them undetected with ease.

That is why, Body of Christ, I don’t want you deluded about your choice.  You need to get beyond the education, the position and the appearance and know the heart of the man you are putting in place.  There is no easy way to do this.  Due diligence means work is needed.  Failure to do your homework means that a Wolf in Sheep Clothing can get by you.

But we are lazy.  We want the Holy Spirit to reveal things to us that the dark side wants kept secret.  What if the Holy Spirit is not going to tell secrets and expects you to do the discernment required?  If you do not do your part and you hire an enemy agent, then you will have a battle on your hands!  Undoing your mistake will not be easy.

The final section of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount tells us to beware of false prophets.  Take this to mean false pastors, false directors, false men of God.  They are false because they are up to no good.  They are false because the false shepherd “does not care about the sheep.” John 10:13.

If the Holy Spirit gifts do not help and the surface appearance does not help.  We are used to the Holy Spirit doing the discerning for us.  It does not always work that way.

Surface appearance - education, appearance, resume - does not reveal the Wolf in Sheep Clothing.  How do you get under the surface?

Think about this.  What does it mean “by their fruits you will know them?”

Jesus says that good fruit is born on good trees.  Good fruit is found in the quality of a man’s intimate relationships, in the slip of his tongue, in his sense of humor, in his sense of fair play in sports, in good fruit in his interactions requiring love, wisdom and healing.  One can discern good fruit by marriages staying together, people being healthy and less contention and dissatisfaction in the congregation.

Knowing the fruit takes patience and wisdom.  Judgmental criteria may not work.  What is needed is real knowing of the person’s heart for God and for worship; a real taste of their capacity for loving service, for building up others, for living within healthy boundaries.  Such character is only discerned over time.  It is only discerned by those who are involved in the issues of power, love and money with this person.  In a church this means the person’s board and his staff.  At home it means his family and loved ones.

In Demons in the Sanctuary it is the board who worked with Rutherford (Rutledge) and the staff of the Good Shepherd Church (Good Samaritan Church) that got to know him.  Their eyes opened over a period of months of trying unsuccessfully to deal with boundary issues around finances and other decisions around the church.

Those who only know a pastor in his "public" role do not know what is going on behind the scenes.  Sometimes only a man's wife and children know who the real person is.  Everyone else may see the pastor  as the perfect angel.  In fact, a congregation will have a strong inbuilt tendency to see the best and ignore or discount any problems with their pastor.

One always needs good confirmation when discerning the wolf in sheep's clothing.  When the board of the Good Samaritan Church dealt with Ralph Rutledge, the church archives provided that strong confirmation and introduced new concerns.  Previous boards had issues with Rutledge over financial issues.  Only then did this board discover there were also boundary issues around sexual boundaries and that these were allegations of homosexual encounters.

A male associate pastor was on record in the church archives as requesting better sexual boundaries from Rutledge.  The board interactions around these allegations is documented.

This documentation strengthened the boards resolve to deal with Ralph Rutledge.  Now, they were less likely to bow under his guilt, shame and browbeating tactics.

Jesus told us that "a bad tree that bears bad fruit," (Matthew 7:18).   If other boards found the same issues; if the same  bad fruit appeared throughout Rutledge's history at the Good Samaritan Church, then it was now  clearer that this was an example of a bad tree.  And Jesus said that "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 7:19

The church board is exposed to the dirty laundry. The congregation is spared the stress and disappointment of being on the inside.  Congregation members need to trust their boards because board members have inside information.  They have the inside experience of dealing with the pastor.  They will be the first ones to discern the health of the tree.


In summary remember that detecting a wolf in sheep clothing takes time (maybe years).  Only those close to the man know the real character issues he is dealing with.  Those on the church boards are the one who deal with the church's 'dirty laundry.'  They get a chance to know the man.  (Though often his family knows best.)

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not always helpful.  Jesus wants us to look and see and taste the fruit of ministry.

Do not trust an interview and a resume.  Dig for real first hand data that reveal the character of the man (or woman).   The business term is "due diligence."  Failure to do due diligence has created much distress for Christian organizations and some have been destroyed.

George Hartwell M.Sc. Christian counsellor provides Christian counselling ( counseling / therapy ) through 90 minute in person sessions at his office in Mississauga.  As a professional Christian Marriage counsellor George provides Christian marriage counselling counseling for couples in Oakville, Mississauga, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Power Consolidation and Cover Up

There is a lot of potential for control in the position of head pastor or minister of a church.  The clergy can   consolidate power in many ways.

In the early church it was not one man rules.  There was much more equality and collegiality.  The mutual submission in a team provided accountability.  Accountability is missing when “one man rules” the church.

The church was birthed at Pentecost when 120 were in one accord.  The Holy Spirit was sent to a united group.  God likes real community.  Even 2 or 3 gathered together in Jesus name can be graced with His presence, with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Community which invites the Holy Spirit is missing in the "one man rules" church.

This consolidation of power in one man makes it very difficult for that person to be held accountable.  A person with a lot of power is dangerous to confront.  They can do damage by blocking your participation in the community.  They can do damage to you and you will not be able to damage them.  They may damage you and you may not even want to damage them (love).

Also a minister with consolidated power is very difficult to dislodge when their conduct is immoral and unethical.  There is little contrition when sin has become a life style.  Humility is missing.  Even the board with responsibility to do so may find it difficult to confront or dislodge such a man.

The board of Good Samaritan Church found Rutledge as impossible to dislodge as it was to get him to take responsibility for his actions.   They tried to confront issues.  He always avoided.  He tried to get rid of members of the Board and played games with power to block accountability.

Pastor Rutledge was liked; even idolized.  He was persuasive and smooth of speech.  He gained great influence over many people.  He was effective in using the consolidated power of his position to maintain control of his church.  Having that power seemed to be very important to him.  A detailed account of how one pastor - said to be a good representation of Rutledge - is found in the book: Demons in the Sanctuary.

From the start of the story (Demons in the Sanctuary) is was said that Pastor Rutherford was a liar.  Dan had even been "enraged on several occasions, accusing Pastor Rafe of being untruthful and dishonest in his dealings."  Remember in this fictional account there is based on accurate accounts and records of the board of Good Samaritan Church as they tried to deal with Rutledge.

Anyone who lies without flinching is very difficult to confront.  With their lies they will turn any accusation back against the accuser.  (This is similar to what people observe of the Jezebel Spirit.)

Right up to the end of the book, Rutherford in Demons in the Sanctuary does not stop his use of lies.  By the end Mira and the men on the board cannot deny it any longer.   The man is a liar.

Some plots involve character change.  In the book, Rutherford does not change.  He has a character issue.  Sin has become habitual - life style.  Habitual sin takes over one's identity.  It can no longer be said "Such were some of you."  The old nature, the old nature is not dead.  The new nature is no longer alive.  'Christian' no longer applies if sin becomes your identity.  As such you cannot enter the presence of God.

His consolidation of power is heightened by his total willingness to distort the truth on any occasion when it is to his advantage.  He is in constant “Cover Up” mode.  He is in constant power and control mode.


The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth so anyone who lies easily and consistently is not closely associated with the Biblical Holy Spirit.  The Christ within us does not lie.  "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5.

George Hartwell M.Sc. Christian counsellor provides Christian counselling ( counseling / therapy ) through 90 minute in person sessions at his office in Mississauga.  As a professional Christian Marriage counsellor George provides Christian marriage counselling counseling for couples in Oakville, Mississauga, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

One Abuser: Countless Wounded.

How much damage can one man do?

One serial abuser can do a lot of damage.  By the time a local church is aware of the abuse and moved the person out many persons have been wounded.

Most organizations cannot expose the abuser (Ephesians 5:11) and must settle for deactivating their influence in the setting they can control.  A local church sometimes can remove a minister from their position of authority but often cannot, or choose not to, expose the abuse and the abuser.

Not exposing the abuser has several benefits to a congregation.  You avoid damaging publicity.  You avoid alienating many church members and possibly losing membership.  You protect the victims who may not want any exposure.  You keep the peace.

Ralph Rutledge was blocked from the Pentecostal Assemblies (PAOC) of Canada.  At the time of his discipline his involvement appeared to be in one homosexual relationship.

In Chapter 20 of Demons in the Sanctuary an insider gives the fuller story.  “He was fired by his last church for his involvement with a young man in his congregation.  Our organization offered to pay all expenses if he would enter serious counseling but instead he chose to try and split the church with a telephone campaign.”

The insider was the speaker at a woman’s ministry meeting at Good Shepherd Church.  She prayed with Mira (Marion Bellamy) and then it turns out this woman know a lot about Rutherford: “I know that he was asked if that was the only incident that had occurred and he assured them it was, but later, it was learned that many such incidents had occurred.  He has left countless broken, wounded people in his wake from one end of the country to the other.”  (Demons in the Sanctuary, page 253).

Unless an abuser is exposed other congregations and other Christians are vulnerable.  There are many reasons why full disclosure and full exposure of an abuser is not practiced.  However, until that exposure happens the abuser is free to continue to abuse and to add to the many wounded people whose future in ministry, in intimate relationships, in relationship with God and the church will be deeply hindered.

It is on behalf of the wounded and their families, on behalf of the Bride of Christ and to protect other ‘victims’ that this blog is written.  My wish is that healing of the wounded may begin.  But first the lion must be caged.

I intend no ill toward Ralph Rutledge.  Both he and I will answer to God and give an account one day.  As a shepherd of God’s flock I have sounded a warning to protect the sheep.  My hope, is that in God’s eyes that will be good.  I care enough about Ralph Rutledge refuse to treat him as a 'Golden Boy' who can do no wrong and I respect him enough as a man to hold him accountable and to invite him to make peace with God. 

I believe he is big enough to hear what I am saying, take a look at himself and then turn to God.  I believe God loves Rutledge enough to provide the grace of godly repentance needed  if and when Ralph is ready.  

It is all part of being a man of God.  It is all about acting under the anointing of the Spirit and with courage, wisdom and love - 2 Timothy 1:7.

(By the way, Demons in the Sanctuary, is based very precisely on a particular time that Ralph Rutledge was facing down the church board at the Good Shepherd Church.  The story is told by the secretary of the board.  It is a story of their gradual learning about his character, attitude and behaviour and then dealing with him.  To fulfill my duty to verify the story, I met with many of the board that are in the story.  In these meetings each one confirmed the accuracy of the accounts in the book.  They affirmed that the book accurately captures the interactions of the board with Ralph Rutledge.)

Soul Ties through Laying on of Hands

Mira Avoids a Soul Tie through Laying on of Hands from Chapter 20 of Demons in the Sanctuary.

The board of Good Samaritan Church is learning more and more about Pastor Ralph Rutledge until they are in shock at his immoral and unethical conduct.  They become fully convinced that they must fire him and face the irate congregation who idolize the man.

Our author is close to choking with fear and sliding back in to the depression that she had been lifted out of some years previous.  Miriam Bellamy - Mira in the book – is author of Demons in the Sanctuary.  The book is written in fictional form.  From this date on I will treat it as factual based on the testimony of many witnesses who verify that Demons in the Sanctuary is a very accurate report of the events that unfolded at Good Samaritan Church.

I took a break of almost 4 months from the reading of Demons in the Sanctuary.  I pick up the account in Chapter 20.  Miriam is processing a request from Pastor Rutledge who hoped to “kneel before Mira and invite her to pray for him.”

In the book the two women Grace and Mira are both repelled and nauseated by the idea.  For some reason the very thought of it was disquieting to both women but they did not fully understand why.  But revelation was to come from a guest speaker at the woman’s ministry meeting.

She, too, reacted with a horrified expression and said: “Don’t do it!  Don’t even think of it.”  The woman explained two dangers of such a prayer.  One is that it creates a soul-tie, a connection with him that allows a transference of an evil spirit.  The second is that by submitting to another for prayer he makes them responsible for his soul.  This may reduce their confidence in providing accountability and opposing anything unethical he does.

“Lay hands suddenly on no man” nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure, says 1Timothy 5:22.  I have been taught that a wrong spirit can transfer (transference of spirits) as we pray for another with laying on of hands.  I have been told to take care, pray and follow good discernment.

There is a danger that anyone who prays for Pastor Rutledge  with laying of of hands will fall under the power of the demons that have a stronghold in him.  Similarly if he lays hands on and prays for you.  The demons may have used this technique for seduction and transference of spirits from Ralph Rutledge to others.

The lesson here is to take care in prayer involving the laying on of hands.  Always pray for discernment (listening prayer) when invited to do this.  If there is joy or peace in your heart that is a go ahead.  If there is a big void – a big nothing – then let the opportunity pass.

Another lesson from this is “Transference of spirits.”  That needs a separate entry.