Fallen Pastors

No.

 

No,is right. A man can become disqualified to lead a church,he can be forgiven but can not be put back into that ministry or any where he would be in leadership.

It sounds like he is not above reproach.not the husband of one wife,and not godly....

 

"If he totally repents and changes his ways and recieved Godly counsel" then I think there can be a case made for restoration, but I think he would have to work his way back and I think he would have be accountableto a group of Godly men for a long time afterwards.

As I understand the phrase, "above reproach", it means not having a history of habitual bad behavior, not a one time lapse in moral judgement.

Mike

http://www.billkirchen.com

 

IMO,it sounds like more than a one time deal....it sounds like a habit of life,probably until he got caught. Only men who meet the requirements should hold that position in the church. He has a one chance to be a pastor,if he messes it up,those are his consequences...I'm not saying God can not forgive him,he most definetely will,and he can go to church,but he is no longer qualified.....The qualifications speak to a man's character,this guy ain't got it.

 

A Pastor has one shot, and only one, and if he blows it morally, he is finished. If he is not a man above reproach, then he has not held "fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching" and he is not "able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict." Titus 1:9

One of the symptoms of the pervasiveness of the corruption in today's church is that leaders can trample on the blood of Christ with an immoral lifestyle, then be allowed back in the pulpit.

 

I agree there is a lax attitude in this area especially in the area of divorce and remmarriage today but I do not think one can make a blanket statement yes or no. It depends upon the circumstances. I agree with 1 Timothy 3 on beyound reproach but to make a blanket statement on this would mean that the Apostle Peter should not have been restored back.

The Apostle Peter publicly rejected Christ and cursed yet was restored back. The great Scottish Missionary Columba was responsible for a tribal war that resulted in many deaths but was restored back .

I think there are certain or many circumstances that will make it difficult for a fallen pastor to be restored but certaintly a blanket statement on this cannot be made on every circumstance.

 

No! Absolutely, unequivocally NO! The Bible could not be any more clear! Proverbs 6:32, 33

If an adulterer returns to the pastorate he brings his reproach with him and that reproach is then attached to the ministry of Jesus Christ. The church is called the bride of Christ. A bride is faithful, not an adulterer!

 

Are Pastors who are addicted to smoking above reproach? Smoking certaintly is a mental sin that is a addiction. Why focus only on the sexual sins of adultery? I know many pastors who are addicted to smoking (I am not condemning them by the way and yes many hide it) but trying to show that blanket statements on this subject cannot be made. The Apostle Peter certaintly at least for the moment had ruined his testimony but was restored.

 

Depends on the circumstances. No restoration should be quick. If it occurs, it should come only after a serioust time of testing. If we had more of that BEFORE a pastor/minister begins his ministry, we wouldn't need to discuss this issue that much. But the Bible is full of people God restored & used despite serious moral failures. So to rule it out completely is unScriptural. But to restore with no questions asked is equally unsound.

 

I must agree with Bro. Tom Vols and I think Baptists especially have been weak in this area. This is a broad subject not limited to cheating on one's wife. Other Conservative Protestant denominations such as the Lutheran Church Missiori Synod, Assembly of God, Christian Missionary Alliance, have a process of Restoration of fallen ministers. Most ministers I have known in Baptist work who have fallen have not been even attempted to be restored even back to the Church much less the ministry.

[ April 01, 2002, 09:41 PM: Message edited by: Kiffin ]

 

Yes.

Mike

[ April 01, 2002, 09:57 PM: Message edited by: Smoke_Eater ]

 

Can he be forgiven? Yes.

Can he turn from his ways? Yes.

Should he be back in the church, as a member? Yes.

Should he be allowed as a pastor? Not as my pastor.

Does this mean that I still care? Yes.

Does this mean he can help others? Yes.

But not as my pastor.

 

Crazycat,

After he goes through extensive love-discipline, yes, I think that the fellowship of believers should allow a fallen pastor back into the ministry because it will allow us to further understand a misconception about pastors and ministers: they are not perfect.

I often saw my pastor as "perfect" and too scripturally learned to commit sins like adultery, drug abuse, and alcoholim. Then I realized that I unfairly burdened him with expectations that no man can fulfill except Jesus.

I believe that he, other pastors, and ministers can make mistakes and repent just like us. I agree that God holds a higher accountability over them; however, remember that pastors lived by the ways of the world just like us before God made them alive in Christ.

I pray to God that I give ministers and pastors another chance to serve God even if they make mistakes.

Let us please forgive our fallen leaders, brothers and sisters, because we love them so much.

With Christ's Love,
J5000

 

Let us please understand the qualifications that are in 1st Timothy Ch 3,they are there for a reason. The standard is high,but we have to live out the Word of God,after all He does know what is best. It is just like if a doctor intentionally tried to give someone the wrong medicine or something,practiced medicine in a way that could actually harm someone,they would take his licsense away to not practice medicine anymore. Would you want him to be your doctor? And,I'm just giving this illustration because God knows what he is talking about-you don't seem to honor His Word on this subject,so I thought a story might help make it more relevant. OUCH!

 

I am with Tom on this one. I would clarify to state, it would have to be a very long time (20-30 or more years) and would have to have extensive biblical restoration and accountability. I cannot see it happening. I do understand the sentiments of others and as a practical matter would lean towards that position. But I cannot make a hard and fast rule.

However, the problem I see is this: We have taken one qualification (one woman man) and elevated it to a place above all the others such as self-control, leadership, integrity financially, hospitality, seriousness, etc. However, Scripture does not do this. To Paul, committing adultery in the ministry is the same disqualification that losing one's temper is ... or that mishandling money is ... or that not being serious is ... etc. In other words, there is no exegetical way to raise one qualification above another. But when was the last time you heard a good strong message that men who have temper problems should be in the ministry ... ever. I have never heard one. We talk about adultery because it is sensational and heartbreaking. HOwever, I fear we have lowered the bar in this respect. We have said if you ever commit adultery you are done for good (and with good reason). But we not consistently apply the other standards with equal vigor.

 

*All* of the qualifications are important and should be met. From what crazycat said,he actually has a character problem,in a lot of areas, and the qualifications speak to a man's character. He should be "all that". It may be hard to find,but there are truly Godly men out there.

 

There is not one christian above reproach and if a pastor has truely repented and turned from his ways and is under a good accountability basis then there should be absolutely no reason why he can't or shouldn't once again pastor a church. We tend to forget that even folks in ministry sin just as much as any christian sins and we need to love them and help them back to a place of healing and restoration instead of kicking them in the side with refusal to let them minister once again. I believe in fact that God can and will use a minister after he's been thru that healing process because there are others going thru that same situation that he could help. If it comes down to a question of worthiness of pulpit time....well frankly no one is truely worthy to be behind a pulpit but God calls and he qualifies not us.

Karen

 

No,Karen...for a man to pastor a church he can not have those areas of sin in his life,absolutely not.