It breaks my heart when I read about a pastor falling into sin and disgrace. And it has happened a lot over the last several years.
At the time of this writing, the evangelical world has just been rocked by two prominent mega-church pastors falling to scandal. Both are based in Texas. Tony Evans, the Senior Pastor of Dallas-based Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship and one of my favorite expositors of the Bible, recently announced he was stepping aside from his duties due to an undisclosed sin in his past. And then Robert Morris, the lead pastor of Gateway Church in North Texas — a 9-campus church with approximately 100,000 attendees — resigned after it came to light that the “moral failure” he had previously confessed to (one that took place 35 years ago) actually involved a (at the time) 12-year-old girl!
We don’t know what Evans did. In his official statement, Evans provides few details. He says what he did wasn’t illegal and that his family knows all about it – and has forgiven him. While it’s not necessary that everyone know all the details, it is disconcerting – and arguably unbiblical (see I Timothy 5, more on this shortly) – that members of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship as well as all those who follow his teaching ministry, Urban Alternative, have more questions than answers.
In the case of Morris, we know more — and what we are learning is shocking and awful. Apparently, the elders of Morris’s Gateway Church knew about Morris having a “moral failure” 35 years ago with a “young lady.” And apparently he went through a period of church discipline, counseling, and restoration that (reportedly) involved church leaders and the victim’s family. But…
Now, the elders of Gateway (and others who have been involved with Morris over the years) are saying that they had no idea the “young lady” was (in reality, at the time) a 12-year-old child. This wasn’t just a “moral failure.” It was sexual assault on a minor. It was a crime. And it was abominable!
I wish that these situations were isolated. I do. But they are not. The evangelical world in general has had more than its share of egregious sin and scandals come to light over the last few years. I’m still mourning the scandals that came to light in the wake of Ravi Zacharias succumbing to cancer. He was one of my heroes in the ministry.
In almost all cases, there was a combination of problems that included insufficient accountability, inadequate protection measures, cover-ups, lies, deceit, insensitivity toward victims, or more.
One of the recurring themes in a lot of these scandal stories is how little the congregants are (initially) told about the situation(s). Quite often, they hear the revelations via the media, rather than church leaders. At least in Evans’s case, the announcement came from him and the elders — albeit years after this sin. And albeit still an undisclosed sin. In the case of Morris, I’m still trying to wrap my head around this.
One passage that might be helpful in this is found in Paul’s first letter to Timothy:
“Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” (I Timothy 5:19-20, KJV).
I see guardrails here that can keep a car from veering off the highway in either direction. On the one hand, you don’t want to subject your pastors or elders to baseless accusations. The allegations need to be substantiated and worthy of attention.
In the first century, that meant witnesses — witnesses if not to the actual crime or offense in question, at least witnesses to a pattern of misconduct that make those allegations credible. In the twenty-first century, I would argue that a “witness” could be evidence like text messages on a pastor’s phone. There was a story I read about years ago where a deacon picked up the pastor’s phone off the pulpit to give it to him (the pastor had left it there after preaching) and a compromising text came up that implicated the pastor in an adulterous affair. That’s a witness!
The point is that Paul’s main guidance in that first ‘guardrail’ is that accusations against elders/pastors should be substantiated before being given serious consideration. To use a modern legal phrase, Paul’s teaching in I Timothy 5:19 is consistent with the principle of considering someone innocent until they are proven guilty.
(Side note: If there is a lot of “smoke,” there probably is at least some fire. And Jesus says you will know false teachers by their fruit. So, if there is toxic fruit surrounding a pastor, there might not be enough evidence to convict a pastor of a crime or prove he is guilty of a specific allegation, but it doesn’t mean he’s worthy of your trust or qualified to continue as a pastor. That has to be weighed prayerfully and with wisdom.)
The second ‘guardrail’ is that, when it comes to light that a pastor/elder has sinned, that pastor/elder is to be rebuked “before all.” The church isn’t to cover it up. This doesn’t mean that every single member of the church needs to know all the sordid details of the sin(s) in question, but they should know the basics, including what the sin(s) is (or was) – at least categorically speaking — and whether someone was hurt and whether that victim is getting the help needed.
They should also know if the sin(s) is (are) criminal in nature or serious enough to be permanently disqualifying. Everyone can be forgiven, but not everyone can be restored to pastoral ministry.
If the sin(s) is (are) not permanently disqualifying, then the congregation should know at least the basics of the church discipline, counseling, and (hopefully) restoration process the pastor/elder in question is going through.
I realize that handling such situations requires great wisdom and care (and, in many cases, probably legal counsel and assistance), and thankfully, there are resources available to help churches. I believe in local church autonomy, but churches shouldn’t feel they have to handle challenges like these all alone.
In my last article, I wrote about how it’s sad that we judge past generations (who are dead and gone) for their sins without looking at our own. I stand by that, although I certainly want to say that we shouldn’t deny past sin — nor should we downplay or ignore the consequences of historical sins that can often stay with a nation or culture or family for generations. I want to make that clear — and I hope I did make that clear in my last article when I fully condemned those historical sins, including slavery, racism, sexism, imperialism, and so forth. Those sins are egregious. They hurt people (deeply) and they plant terrible seeds that lead to lasting consequences that are visited to multiple generations in the decades and even centuries ahead.
Likewise, the egregious sin visited by Robert Morris on this (at the time) 12-year-old girl — repeated sexual assault — still impacts her to this day, 35 years later! And the deceitful, misleading cover-up (certainly by Morris and perhaps by others who knew and let him continue to serve as pastor) has affected the lives of thousands of people who sat under Morris’s preaching, looked up to him as a role model, and fellowshipped within a church community that was under his spiritual leadership.
However, I also want to say this…
These scandals prove the main point I was making in that article. Tony Evans and Robert Morris — and the many other pastors who have fallen to scandal — preached a lot against sin. And they did so all the while not coming to full grips with and a full, honest confession of and accountability concerning their own. And that is what I was trying to get at in my last article!
It’s easy to condemn sin in other people. It’s much harder to clean up the sin in our own lives. Imagine how much better things would have been for that then 12-year-old girl (now a middle-aged adult) if Morris had cleaned up his own life first before stepping into the pulpit to talk about the sin in other people’s lives. Come to think of it — that’s why we have the moral qualifications of pastors and elders in I Timothy and Titus!
I’m far from perfect, but I strive continually to live my life in a manner that is consistent with the pastoral/elder qualifications given by Paul 2000 years ago in his letters to Timothy and Titus. I also put boundaries around myself that guard against temptation and even the appearance of impropriety.
Again, I’m not perfect but I can say that I’ve been faithful to my wife of 34 years. She is my soulmate, best friend, a true partner in ministry, and my leading support and accountability. By the grace of God, I can also say that, in my 18 years as a pastor, I have worked hard to conduct myself in a manner that is worthy of the trust that those in my church family have extended to me.
I don’t say any of that to brag, because I’m as capable of anyone as falling into sin. This is why I work closely with our church’s elders and deacons — and why I have dear brothers in Christ in my life to help hold me accountable. I’m simply trying to convey that I take my character, spiritual health, testimony, and reputation very seriously. At the end of the day, a pastor’s main currency is his reputation. It is the practical basis of his ministry. It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable, eloquent, or gifted a pastor is if that pastor has a weak moral character and is untrustworthy.
If you’re a pastor, elder, or church leader reading this…
I implore you to impose spiritual and moral safeguards and boundaries in your life. Don’t give the devil a foothold in your life. Don’t give your sinful flesh the victory over the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
First, keep your walk with the Lord strong. Stay in prayer. Stay in the Scriptures. As Paul says in Galatians, walk in the Spirit. Do so daily.
If you are struggling with sin or addiction, get help.
The pastor who presided over my ordination was David Stokes. At the time, he was the Senior Pastor of Fair Oaks Church in Fairfax, Virginia. He is now retired from pastoral ministry and that church is now Expectation Church and has moved locations. During the ordination process, Pastor Stokes told us (the men being ordained) that prevention is better than cure when it comes to sin. In the context of sexual sin, he said that a pastor needs to keep his marriage healthy and see all the women in the church he serves as his sister. That, along with Paul’s words in I Timothy 5, have helped me see the members of Olney Baptist Church as my family. They are my brothers and sisters in Christ – and that’s how I interact with them.
Pastor Stokes also had his wife work directly with him. She was his secretary. And his daughter was the office manager. I’m not saying you have to hire your family on the church staff, but look for other ways to include and involve your wife and family in your ministry.
Bottom line: Keep God close and keep your family close!
We, as pastors, also need to exercise wisdom and put down some safeguards. Some things to prayerfully consider…
- Daily renew your mind in prayer and in the Scriptures.
- In this day and age, many pastors have wisely put limits on home visits. It’s often better to meet at the church campus or in public places.
- Do not – under any circumstances — be alone with a minor!
- Is there a window into your office or on your office door? If not, there should be!
- Steer clear of ongoing personal counseling. You can pray with people and encourage them, but if more is needed, direct them to other, more qualified professionals.
Let me also say, to my fellow pastors, that you shouldn’t make building a big ministry your top goal. When leaders of big ministries fall, a lot of people get hurt. Not only that, but I’ve noticed that Lord Acton’s famous warning “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” tends to be the case in ministries and churches as well as other organizations.
I’m not saying mega churches are bad, but I am saying that the bigger the church or ministry, the more trouble those entities seem to have with accountability.
If God wants to grow you, He can do that. But let Him give you that increase in His time and according to His will – not yours. There are so many variables and unknowns that we just need to trust Him.
To those of you reading this who are not pastors…
Don’t just react to what you see on the news — or, God forbid, in your own church. Strive to respond to challenges and crises in a spiritually healthy and mature way. Some things to think about…
- When you hear about scandals rocking churches, pray for those churches — and pray for the victims of the scandals. And, if such a scandal hasn’t come to your church, thank God for that.
- Don’t become cynical. And don’t become obsessive. Don’t look at your pastors or elders with an assumption of guilt — “I bet they’re hiding something.” Don’t expect a shoe to drop at any moment.
- Don’t go on a witch hunt or some kind of self-appointed journalistic crusade looking for trouble.
- Remember that your pastors are human. If you look for faults, you’ll find them. Instead, ask God how you can wisely, humbly, and constructively help contribute to a healthier church and healthier church leadership.
- Give your pastors and elders the space — dare I say “safe space” — to get the rest and help they need. Don’t make them feel guilty for taking vacation time and make sure they take 1-2 days a week off for their rest. Also, if they are struggling with temptations or issues in their lives, let them get help without judging them for asking for such help. Don’t you want them to get help before things get really serious or out of control? This is a problem in some churches. (Not at OBC or the previous church I served, but I’ve talked with some pastors who struggle with this). Pastors should not be afraid to say “Hey, I need help in (insert whatever area of life).”
The proper way to view your pastors and elders is that they are human and (like you) they have weaknesses, faults, and shortcomings. But…
There are degrees of sin.
Let me repeat that: There are degrees of sin.
If you drive 60 when the speed limit is 55, you’ve broken the law. And, depending on your awareness and intentions, that’s arguably a sin. But it’s not as serious as driving, say, 160 in a 55! That will land you in jail! And it’s not as serious if you drive drunk and tragically take someone’s life because of your recklessness.
There are degrees of sin.
So, all pastors and elders are imperfect and occasionally sin. Not all pastors and elders commit the kinds of sins that disqualify them from ministry.
Speaking as a pastor, one of the best things you can do to help protect your pastor and your church from that level of sin and scandal is…. pray for your pastor and for your church….and do so regularly.
What’s more, I close with this passage from Galatians…
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:1-10, KJV
This tells us how we should support one another in church — including our pastors. Of course, this is just part of a broader passage. If you want the full effect of this passage, go back and read what Paul says in the previous chapter (remember, chapters and verses were added centuries after Paul). What Paul writes about walking in the Spirit instead of in the flesh is powerful.
In fact, just read all of Galatians. đŸ™‚
Thank you for reading this long article. I know I’ve covered a lot, and yet at the same time, I feel like I’ve not covered enough.
Bottom line: Churches are made up of people. And, so when you look out over the church landscape (especially in a country like the US – which has 333 million people in it), you’re going to see a lot of sin and a lot of problems. It’s inevitable.
This doesn’t excuse the sin. And it doesn’t make the problems any less painful or consequential. But it should give us some perspective.
People are people. God is God.
Keep your trust in the Lord, because God will never let you down.
And the best thing you can do for your church — and your pastor — is to love them, pray for them, and encourage them in the Lord. As the writer of Hebrews says…
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, KJV)
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