Recently, I heard that another pastor of a large church left their congregation due to sexual misconduct. Several days later, a friend who is a member of a smaller church informed me that their pastor had resigned due to allegations of sexual misconduct. What made my friend’s call even sadder was that I was his former pastor, when I had my own such failure. The details of these cases are not unique. Sexual misconduct always has consequences, but when leaders are involved, the impact is greater. The moral failure of a pastor effects not only his family and friends, but it impacts a congregation who looked to him for guidance and leadership, and it fuels a growing skepticism among those who are not followers of Jesus. Those most affected by his failure face wounds that may take years to heal, if ever. When a pastor leaves due to a moral failure, questions arise: Why did this happen? Are all pastors faking it? Why didn’t God prevent this? Was it avoidable? These questions are natural, and simplistic explanations will not suffice. Even the wisest among us struggle with these issues. The following are observations based on my experience.

There is no link between the size of a church and pastoral failure. Larger churches get more attention when these incidents happen because they are more visible and impact more people. Pastoral failures also occur in smaller churches but receive less publicity. No matter what size the church is, such failures leave the same painful consequences. I suggest that smaller churches may feel the hurts even deeper. Often, smaller congregations simply do not have the means to seek wise counsel to help the congregation process the emotional wreckage of hurt, grief, anger, and mistrust. The church’s leadership might not have the resources or availability to minister to any direct victim(s), care for the pastor and his family, and simultaneously prepare the congregation for the new pastor. All churches, no matter the size, must deal with the effects of a pastor’s failure and it is never easy.

No matter what happens, grace is the character trait that we all must exhibit. Don’t let a pastor’s failure create an open door for your own sin. Gossip, bitterness, an unforgiving spirit are just a few of the sins that Satan will seek to tempt us with when we have been hurt by a pastor’s sin. We all have the potential to sin morally. We must each be continually on our guard. Examining ourselves (Galatians 6). And removing the plank from our own eyes before we can help others (Matthew 18). Each time we hear of a person’s sin it should be a warning for all of us. We would like to think we are above it, but we are not. Genesis 4:7b (KJV) says to Cain, and to us all, “. . . sin lieth at the door.” Yes, pastors must meet higher standards. The witness of the church demands it. Pastors should exemplify kindness, dedication, and integrity through their words and actions (1 Timothy 4:12). Pastors are people through whom we hear the words of the apostle Paul, “Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1-KJV). My aim is not to minimize the high standards set for pastors, but to maximize the grace and truth given to us all, pastors, and congregants a like.

Pastors do not have a secret power that protects them from failure. Like all followers of Jesus, they must surrender themselves to Jesus by faith, walk in Jesus’ transforming grace and be humbly accountable to the community of Jesus’ Church. A pastor may find it challenging to submit to the congregation, but it is essential for his growth and protection. Pastors oversee many of the church’s activities. This puts them in a position where they can easily find it difficult to be submissive to others. The familiar quote of John Dalberg-Action, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” serves as a warning to all pastors. The danger of unchecked authority and influence may come from a personality type or a lack of wisdom or just pride. Whatever the reason, it is reality. Since churches of any size can experience pastoral failure and because pastors do not have any secret safeguard from sin, I believe it wise for churches to create structural ways to evaluate the moral and spiritual health of those who pastor the church. Pastors need people who care enough about them to display grace, truth, and correction especially when it comes to out-of-balance work habits, self-centered behaviors, or weak relational boundaries. These can be hard and uncomfortable issues to tackle. But they must be dealt with! The only thing more uncomfortable than lovingly holding your pastor accountable is hearing about his failure on the news after it is too late.

For now, what can you do? First, you should pray for your pastor and his family (1 Timothy 2:1-3). That they may know the Lord’s presence, protection, and power. No matter how together your pastor may appear, he and his family need your prayers. Second, the church’s leadership should have a leadership accountability plan in place. Sin remains unoriginal. It has happened before and will happen again. As church leaders you should work with your pastor to develop an accountability plan that helps all church leaders fight temptations, experience grace in times of failure, and know hope and healing through a Biblical recovery process.  Third, the congregation should practice grace and truth in all relationships.  These steps will not solve all pastoral failures, but they can help us fulfill our mission of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).

Robert Posner pastored two churches for 26 years before a moral failure brought his world crashing down around him. After years of recovery and reconciliation, today, he and his wife Judy are Certified Professional Mentors^TM and founders of 2416 Ministries, helping men build and maintain a life that is pursuing Biblical sexual integrity and helping wives find healing from the trauma of betrayal. Members of First Free Will Baptist Church, Duncanville TX. Parents of three and grandparents of five.