{"id":34161,"date":"2024-10-11T01:24:43","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T07:24:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.boundless.org\/?p=34161"},"modified":"2024-10-11T07:59:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T13:59:36","slug":"when-a-spiritual-leader-falls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boundless.org\/faith\/when-a-spiritual-leader-falls\/","title":{"rendered":"When a Spiritual Leader Falls"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Most of us know the shock, disbelief, sadness, and perhaps even fury of discovering that a beloved and respected leader has had a gross <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.org\/podcast\/christian-leaders-and-moral-failure-part-1-episode-694\/\">moral failure<\/a>. Sadly, Christians in recent months have witnessed the failures of several high-profile, successful and respected international ministry leaders.<\/p>\n<p>Over my four decades of pastoral ministry in two churches, both of those churches experienced the disqualifying failure of pastoral staff. It\u2019s deeply troubling, especially when, as in these current cases, the scandal becomes public and the wider culture seizes upon it to mock the church.<\/p>\n<p>In response, we don\u2019t want to just wring our hands, look the other way, or despair of Christ\u2019s church going forward. Yet we also know the Bible warns against gossip, vengeance and malicious reactions.<\/p>\n<p>What then should we do when a leader falls?<\/p>\n<h4>Calling sin <em>sin<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>A godly advisor in ancient Israel faced just such a situation. What did Nathan do when King David committed adultery and carried out his conspiracy to murder? The story begins in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=2%20Samuel%2011&amp;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2 Samuel 11<\/a>, and we pick it up in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=2%20Samuel%2012&amp;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">chapter 12<\/a>. Here\u2019s how it plays out:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Lord sends Nathan, who goes straight to David. He does not huddle up with others at the water cooler, tap out a Tweet, or blog about it. He confronts the fallen leader directly.<\/li>\n<li>Without getting embroiled in sordid details, Nathan creatively expresses to David the situation\u2019s characters and actions, highlighting the wicked sinfulness of David\u2019s behavior. David\u2019s sin isn\u2019t at its core about bathtubs and sex, though he did sin sexually. The central issue goes way deeper than sex, to David\u2019s disregard for God. Nathan puts it this way: \u201cWhy have you <em>despised the word of the LORD<\/em>, to do what is evil in his sight?\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=2%20Sam%2012%3A9&amp;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2 Sam 12:9<\/a>, emphasis mine)<\/li>\n<li>Nathan makes clear who the violator is. No excuses. No minimizing the wrongfulness. No boys-will-be-boys malarkey. David is guilty. And Nathan makes clear that David\u2019s sin is chiefly against God, not man.<\/li>\n<li>Nathan points out the inescapable consequences.<\/li>\n<li>Though there be temporal consequences, Nathan reminds David that because of his humble repentance, the Lord has put away his sin. Mercy will yet triumph.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even if you are not the person in the organization who is officially responsible to hold the leader\u2019s feet to the fire and call him to repentance, it is helpful \u2013 even crucial \u2013 to remind yourself of Nathan\u2019s wise and courageous actions. You never know when you may be called to speak up or lovingly call a brother or sister in Christ to repentance.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, when you\u2019re reeling amid the reality of a trusted leader\u2019s failure, here are some ways to remain hopeful and productive:<\/p>\n<h4>#1<\/h4>\n<p>An old saying goes like this: \u201cThe best of men are men at best.\u201d Remember, the Bible <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1%20corinthians%203&amp;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">warns us<\/a> <strong>not to put our stock in Apollos or Paul, but in Jesus<\/strong>, who is not just the best of men, but the perfect man. As a wise woman in my congregation said when a gross failure was discovered, \u201cWe keep our eyes on the cross.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>#2<\/h4>\n<p>Remember: <strong>God has not failed<\/strong>. Thank God that He is doing a zillion good things in and through the failure of your leader. For one thing, in every failure God is displaying the singular truth that He alone is God. He stands forth as supreme and supremely superior.<\/p>\n<h4>#3<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Examine your own heart and pursue holiness<\/strong>. As the well-worn saying goes, \u201cBut for the grace of God, there go I.\u201d Put to death any vestiges of hypocrisy in your own life.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!<\/em> (Psalm 139:23-24)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Accordingly, respond in broken-hearted humility. Let there be no tongue-clicking holier-than-thou haughtiness.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.<\/em> (Proverbs 16:18)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4>#4<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Respond to the guilty party with balance<\/strong>. On one hand, leave room for personal forgiveness and reconciliation when the fruit of repentance is evident. Meanwhile, be in absolutely no rush to restore to leadership the failed former leader. In fact, be very cautious.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.<\/em> (James 3:1)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4>#5<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Do not pass along hearsay<\/strong>. Beware of receiving and handling an accusation of a leader.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.<\/em> (1 Timothy 5:19)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Even when the report is confirmed by multiple witnesses, pass along only what is a) true and b) necessary.<\/p>\n<h4>#6<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Pray<\/strong>. It\u2019s possible that the fallen leader will not see what he needs to see or do what he needs to do unless and until you intercede for him. You may be God\u2019s appointed pray-er. Ask God to enable the wanderer to be restored to godliness with a spirit of gentleness. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Galatians%206%3A1&amp;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Galatians 6:1<\/a>)<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.<\/em> (1 Timothy 2:1-2)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4>#7<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Consider the hurting family members of the fallen leader<\/strong>. They are not the ones who fell. While God has a tailor-made grace for that family in a time like this, some of that grace might be dispensed through your heart and hands. Your gestures of kindness could be profoundly important and life-giving to them right now.<\/p>\n<h4>#8<\/h4>\n<p>Use the crisis as an opportunity to <strong>commend the character of Christ<\/strong> \u2014 who never failed, isn\u2019t failing now, and never will. Highlight character. Commend it. Cultivate it. Do it without making Christianity into a morality religion of salvation by good works. We can learn from those who exemplify bad character as well as those who demonstrate consistent Christlikeness; from the former we can discover what not to imitate, and from the latter discover what to imitate. While good character does not save us, steadily growing character can serve as evidence that we have been rescued by Jesus and are being transformed.<\/p>\n<h4>#9<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Maintain perspective<\/strong>. There are worse things for the Christian community than one man\u2019s failure. Among the most significant failures of leaders in every age is the failure to faithfully instruct the people in the Scriptures, and by such failure lead <u>all<\/u> of the people astray. James warns us that the leader\u2019s very soul is in peril when he wanders from the truth.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.<\/em> (James 5:19-20)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Your leader may not be having illicit sex or be embezzling, but if he is teaching a false gospel, he is doing far more harm.<\/p>\n<p>King David swiftly repented and turned his heart toward God in humility, contrition, and a renewed pursuit of holiness. His failure, though massively consequential, was not the end of the world or his people. He did not completely pull away from God, but turned back, and subsequently God used him to write Scripture. Maintain perspective, for all is not lost.<\/p>\n<h4>#10<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Establish accountability practices<\/strong>. If you are one of the other leaders in a church or a parachurch organization where the leader has failed, ask yourself: When was the last time we inspected internal boundaries? Do leaders have sight lines to bathing beauties like King David did? Do men travel alone with women? Do offices have windows in the doors for the sake of accountability? Are the financial processes of the organization audited by an outside auditor? Who handles the money? How? What accountability policies are in place to protect children?<\/p>\n<p>Finally, what are we to do with the body of work of the fallen leader? Is it now void? Does his sin mean we discredit everything else he\u2019s done? Truth, after all, is not predicated on who said it. Idiots and villains can reflect truth. Two plus two is four, whether it\u2019s said by the Apostle Paul or the devil. But the effect of truth is muffled or even altogether muzzled if it comes from the wrong mouth. That\u2019s why attorneys in court try to impeach the character of the other side\u2019s witnesses in the eyes of the jury. Again, such decisions must be approached with wisdom, prayer and consideration of the work\u2019s intended impact and audience. There\u2019s no cookie-cutter answer.<\/p>\n<h4>Failing forward<\/h4>\n<p>Ultimately, God works all things \u2013 including tragedies of leadership \u2013 together for the good of those who love Him. When a disaster happens, God is not done, but is working it for good. Joseph\u2019s immoral brothers failed miserably, but God was working it together for Joseph\u2019s good, the brothers\u2019 good, the nation\u2019s good, and for the good of you and me. When Peter failed and denied Christ, God was not finished, but was using the failure to strengthen all Christians everywhere.<\/p>\n<p>God wastes nothing. It\u2019s one thing to mourn the failure of a leader. It\u2019s another thing to join God in turning that mourning into proactive steps to produce good.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Copyright 2021 Sam Crabtree. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When a pastor or ministry leader experiences moral failure, the effects are usually public and profound. How should Christians respond?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":41806,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church","category-faith"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.8 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>When a Spiritual Leader Falls - Boundless<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When a pastor or ministry leader experiences moral failure, the effects are usually public and profound. 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