God-bothering at work

[WhereToSheNow]

New MD hired his buddy/neighbour 6 months ago for a few hours a week to act as a Management Consultant.

The Management Consultant, who we call "Pokey" (because he keeps jabbing us in the arm) has some sort of official capacity within the Baptist Church, and his website is all about the application of his faith within business.

I didn't have a problem with that, as he hadn't mentioned religion.... until last week.

He attended a "World Leadership Course" and emailed us his notes, with several quotes about God and Jesus, telling us to read them and "feel free to ask any questions". In a meeting the following day, he asked us what we thought of his email.

I told him that I don't want to be included in emails that reference any religion/god, at which point he became very defensive.

Later that day I received another email where he said that he was sorry if the contents of his previous email had offended me, but that he hoped I would gain some insight that would assist me in my professional or personal life.

AIBU to think that my work should a) be a secular space and b) my personal life is none of his business!

Well, at least the OP is on topic, which is more than you can say for anyone else.

OP, does it bother you that this man may in your view be fraudulently claiming to be something he isn't? Is there anything you can realistically do about it, given that he's a friend of the MD's?

glad to see you still have the will to live

Is he back at work at all?

It sounds somewhat strange and I wonder if he got the job through the church connections.

Anyway... I'd see what he does next, if he shows up, and follow the advice from very early on the thread.

WhereToSheNow have you said at any point what kind of workplace it is? Did someone say you are all doctors? I think you should be very concerned about non-qualified people if so. Can you ask the MD in writing what his role is and what he's supposed to be doing there?

TBH if he hasn't said anything further after the original reply I think you're done here - just ignore him. I think I'd probably be thinking about moving on if it transpires that the unwanted preaching and inappropriate workplace religion in MD-driven, as you''ll clearly never win that battle. I think this thread has clearly demonstrated how religious zealots will just keep going, regardless, in the face of utter disinterest, because they feel some weird compulsion to convert everyone to their way of thinking - even people who think their views are ludicrous. Leave them to it I say.

Does the MD have an uber-boss, or is he in sole charge of his loony empire? If it's the latter, then I'd start looking for a job elsewhere if it's at all feasible.

Quite a few evangelical churches have counsellors who are not qualified in any traditional sense. Apparently their closeness to God and their position in the church gives them amazing insights into human behaviour, alongside a belief that if you pray hard enough and really truly believe you canbe cured of anything.

I had to support a mentally ill fellow student and help her get out of the clutches of a counsellor like this, and back to traditional counsellors and back onto much needed medication.

That's very interesting Another cider, i have suspected as much. My Dad went to an evangelical church for the last 20 years and was absolutely opposed to my brother, who suffers from mental illness, from going and getting help from GP and psychiatrists. It did untold harm and it's only after Dad got dementia and I thought for bro to get proper attention that he has improved a little. So much wasted time. He is now on meidcation