In this short video, Tim Keller, John Piper, and Don Carson discuss how to handle or respond to moral failure on the part of your pastor or church leader. They discuss several points that help Christians deal with the disappointment, disillusionment, and anxiety that a church faces when its pastor fails to be the upright and godly man he is called to be.
- Recognize the fact that your pastor is a sinful human being, just like everyone else. Tim Keller comments that we should not embrace the illusion that our pastor is morally perfect. Only Christ was perfect. All others, including every member of the congregation and the pastor and elders, are sinful human beings in need of the mercy and grace of Christ. Therefore, we should never be surprised by sin. All sinful humans fail. Leaders are put in the limelight, so their failures are more public and receive more attention.
- Try to avoid making idols of your leaders. Idolizing leaders holds them to an idealistic standard they can never meet and generates cynicism when they fail. We should be neither cynical nor idealistic, but wise and discerning in learning from them without putting them on a pedestal.
- Church discipline is for the instruction of the church. Learn from and humbly bear the discipline of God. He disciplines those he loves. The exposure of sin is God’s discipline of the sin so that his church would be purified.
- This is a great time to help the church. We must bear with one another with patience. A pastor’s moral failure is not a hopeless situation. God has promised to never leave his church. Therefore, put your hope in God’s promise that he will not leave or forsake his people.
To view the full discussion, click on the video below.
