Dr. Jill Ricke contributed this post:
Dr. Jill Ricke, a licensed Psychologist in private practice in Florida discussed the predatory nature of psychopathic individuals that find careers in the Ministry and the aftermath of the victims they encounter. The careers that psychopathic individuals choose are often a reflection of their need for power, money, and sex. This can be characterized by a person needing to be “the most powerful”, the “most admired or revered” or to be the “most important.” Some of these career choices include the field of law enforcement, the field of medicine, the legal field, and the pastoral or ministry field. I will be focusing on individuals that go into the ministry. These jobs can range from the pastor of a church, a priest, a minister, deacon, or just a member of the Board of Directors for that church.
Most people who are active or regularly attend an organized religious service tend to believe that the “Powers that be” meaning the heads of the church or ministry program, are genuine, have good intentions, and have a strong faith that has led them to this profession. Unfortunately, psychopaths and individuals with psychopathic traits are drawn to this profession for several reasons: power, notoriety, money, and access to vulnerable individuals. It is easy to study a little scripture, spout it out during a church service, and surround yourself with a network of religious leaders from the congregation that will do the work for you and therefore provide a very effective cover. The members of the congregation, the other pastoral clergy or deacons, the Board of Directors, will all rally around the head of that ministry providing a source of power for the psychopath and very little empathy for anyone that questions the sincerity or the actions of the “leader.”
The Q&A of this session addressed the vulnerable factor as a target for the psychopath and how to get away from these individuals.