Probably the worst thing that can happen to a church is for it to become a centre of toxic and destructive gossip.
A church is a place of healing and restoration and nothing drives the knife deeper into the soul than a trusted one’s backstabbing, using information they are privileged to have by reason of relationship. Worse still, some build credibility for their inaccurate statements through perceived closeness to the person. 
From my personal experience in leadership, i will advise you to be wary of the person who comes to you with “information”, most of the time its distorted truth, which he will quickly deny if called out on it. One great man who pastor’s one of the fastest growing churches in the world today once said, the churches that are growing have been found to be the least informed about the “low downs” in other ministries in their cities and nation.
Watch the ones who gossip, study the outcomes of their lives, you will find a pattern, they always function far beneath their true potential.
Always in that state of chasing things, and never reaching it. Leaders must also have the strength to cast out the scorners so that strife can seize in their ministries except its the leader himself propagating it.
~ Pastor Poju Oyemade
