Some time ago, a good friend of mine disqualified himself from ministry due to an inappropriate relationship with a woman in his church. I...
Some time ago, a good friend of mine disqualified himself from ministry due to an inappropriate relationship with a woman in his church.
I want to try to redeem this tragedy by offering the following seven thoughts in an effort to spare us, our families and our churches from a similar fate.
1. Don’t say it can’t happen to you.
While most of us readily nod our heads in agreement, in our hearts we can still live in functional unbelief of this fact. We need to constantly remind ourselves of Paul’s warning to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 10:12:
Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
That means it can and could happen to us, and we must be vigilant in this area and all others. The world is broken, our enemy is against us and our flesh is weak.
2. Repent of your pride and self-righteousness in this area.
The Bible clearly teaches:
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov. 16:18).
Every pastor I’ve ever known who has fallen into sexual sin was one who at one point believed he never would.
So often, it is our pride that allows us to “push the envelope” and think we are the exception to the rule. It is also pride that can keep us from getting the help we need so we could have avoided this particular fall in the first place.
Most affairs don’t begin on a whim. The seeds are sown in the soil of an unhappy or tumultuous marriage.
Brothers, if there are currently problems in your marriage, please reach out to someone and deal with them now so you don’t become a statistic later.
3. Put all the needed safeguards in place—and keep them there.
The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives (Prov. 16:17).
All of us know this is true, but are we living as if it is true?
We know we shouldn’t be alone with a member of the opposite sex, but do we keep our rule faithfully?
We know we should have working porn filters on our computers, but do we?
We can all agree that any of our practices can be cumbersome at times, but situations like this remind us that they are more than worth it.
Please, brothers, for the sake of the Gospel and our churches, heed the warning today and employ whatever specific practices you need to keep yourself pure and your ministry intact.
4. Don’t just have a plurality in place—have one in practice.
Far too many churches have a plurality of elders on paper, but, in reality, have a senior pastor surrounded by “yes-men.” This kind of unhealthy leadership system only aids in the conducting and concealing of sexual misconduct.
If you are concerned about a member on your team, even if it is the most senior leader, please have the courage to sound the alarm. Of course, this should be done personally, honorably and hoping the best for all parties involved, but silence is often exactly what allows deeds done in secret to remain in secret for so long.
Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions. Too much is on the line.
On a similar note, this means we also have to practically “have the backs” of our teammates in ministry.
I saw this in action a few years ago when our church was still meeting at a local high school. After our gathering, I got “cornered” by a single girl who had questions about our church. Seeing what was unfolding, one of my elders came and stood (conspicuously) next to me until our conversation was finished. He protected us all that day, and I am thankful for his friendship.
How well are you protecting your team in this area?
5. Make your wife your partner in purity.
This is a tricky issue, and there is some legitimate debate over how “in the loop” she needs to be. My perspective is:
Your wife needs to know enough to be prayerful, but not so much that she is paranoid.
Practically, this means your wife needs to know that emotionally needy women are often attracted to pastors, and those pastors don’t notice what is happening right before their eyes. It also means she needs to know that regular intimacy with her is a helpful practice that can keep you from looking for it elsewhere.
It may also mean she may periodically check out your phone or Facebook page for anything inappropriate. At a minimum, protecting each other’s integrity should be a topic of regular conversation.
How are you and your wife partnering together for the sake of each other’s purity?
I want to try to redeem this tragedy by offering the following seven thoughts in an effort to spare us, our families and our churches from a similar fate.
1. Don’t say it can’t happen to you.
While most of us readily nod our heads in agreement, in our hearts we can still live in functional unbelief of this fact. We need to constantly remind ourselves of Paul’s warning to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 10:12:
Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
That means it can and could happen to us, and we must be vigilant in this area and all others. The world is broken, our enemy is against us and our flesh is weak.
2. Repent of your pride and self-righteousness in this area.
The Bible clearly teaches:
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov. 16:18).
Every pastor I’ve ever known who has fallen into sexual sin was one who at one point believed he never would.
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| Steps Your Pastor Needs To Follow To Avoid Sexual Sin and Stay in Ministry... |
Most affairs don’t begin on a whim. The seeds are sown in the soil of an unhappy or tumultuous marriage.
Brothers, if there are currently problems in your marriage, please reach out to someone and deal with them now so you don’t become a statistic later.
3. Put all the needed safeguards in place—and keep them there.
The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives (Prov. 16:17).
All of us know this is true, but are we living as if it is true?
We know we shouldn’t be alone with a member of the opposite sex, but do we keep our rule faithfully?
We know we should have working porn filters on our computers, but do we?
We can all agree that any of our practices can be cumbersome at times, but situations like this remind us that they are more than worth it.
Please, brothers, for the sake of the Gospel and our churches, heed the warning today and employ whatever specific practices you need to keep yourself pure and your ministry intact.
4. Don’t just have a plurality in place—have one in practice.
Far too many churches have a plurality of elders on paper, but, in reality, have a senior pastor surrounded by “yes-men.” This kind of unhealthy leadership system only aids in the conducting and concealing of sexual misconduct.
If you are concerned about a member on your team, even if it is the most senior leader, please have the courage to sound the alarm. Of course, this should be done personally, honorably and hoping the best for all parties involved, but silence is often exactly what allows deeds done in secret to remain in secret for so long.
Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions. Too much is on the line.
On a similar note, this means we also have to practically “have the backs” of our teammates in ministry.
I saw this in action a few years ago when our church was still meeting at a local high school. After our gathering, I got “cornered” by a single girl who had questions about our church. Seeing what was unfolding, one of my elders came and stood (conspicuously) next to me until our conversation was finished. He protected us all that day, and I am thankful for his friendship.
How well are you protecting your team in this area?
5. Make your wife your partner in purity.
This is a tricky issue, and there is some legitimate debate over how “in the loop” she needs to be. My perspective is:
Your wife needs to know enough to be prayerful, but not so much that she is paranoid.
Practically, this means your wife needs to know that emotionally needy women are often attracted to pastors, and those pastors don’t notice what is happening right before their eyes. It also means she needs to know that regular intimacy with her is a helpful practice that can keep you from looking for it elsewhere.
It may also mean she may periodically check out your phone or Facebook page for anything inappropriate. At a minimum, protecting each other’s integrity should be a topic of regular conversation.
How are you and your wife partnering together for the sake of each other’s purity?
6. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.
Most practically, this may mean you simply don’t hire a female assistant.
Some guys do it and things are fine, but plenty of guys do it and that is exactly where everything begins to unravel. For most lead pastors, their assistant works more closely with them than nearly anyone else in their lives and, in my view, that role being held by a member of the opposite sex is a risky endeavor. I do not recommend it.
Also, unless there is some kind of extreme circumstance, I avoid traveling alone. In addition to the obvious accountability, it also affords extra mentoring time on the road for my younger pastoral or church-planting residents. Source: Steps Your Pastor Needs To Follow To Avoid Sexual Sin and Stay in Ministry...
Most practically, this may mean you simply don’t hire a female assistant.
Some guys do it and things are fine, but plenty of guys do it and that is exactly where everything begins to unravel. For most lead pastors, their assistant works more closely with them than nearly anyone else in their lives and, in my view, that role being held by a member of the opposite sex is a risky endeavor. I do not recommend it.
Also, unless there is some kind of extreme circumstance, I avoid traveling alone. In addition to the obvious accountability, it also affords extra mentoring time on the road for my younger pastoral or church-planting residents. Source: Steps Your Pastor Needs To Follow To Avoid Sexual Sin and Stay in Ministry...
