When the church leader is broken, the church is broken

By Mona Austin 

Imagine going into a surgery at a hospital and the surgeon is visibly intoxicated, incoherent and unprepared to operate.  Would you consciously allow them to perform the surgery?  Likely no.  Why then, do Christians make an exception pertaining to their spiritual well-being and allow unstable leaders to operate in the church? Shouldn't pastors who are dealing with internal turmoil, their own personal demons that are displayed publicly, take  time off to recover -- to show up to the operating room prepared for surgery with the help of the Great Physician? God is the ultimate operator who wants to heal the Body of Christ. He would not leave his church with a gaping wound infected and cause the church to die. That is the work of the Enemy.

A church may be viewed as a hospital for the mind, body and spirit. Now imagine you are the physician, keeping in mind that a physician may at times experience the same mental or physical vulnerability as a patient. Wouldn't you appreciate someone giving you and occasional check-up? Pastors or church leaders also face ordinary issues: sickness, lack, depression, sorrow -- the stuff of life that everyone faces. Many of them have aired out their pain from the pulpit or addressed their flaws as excusable under the cloak of God's grace. We need them and they need us.

Just as a hospital is only as good as its doctors and administrative staff, the church is only as good as the pastor. When the church leader is broken, the church is broken.

Only human?

The role of clergy is paramount to a community inside and outside of the ministry organization. Clergy are perceived as possessing a greater grasp of the will of God and supernatural power that enables them to make all of life's problems disappear. Of course this perspective is dim and unrealistic! Like everyone else, church leaders are only human and prone to make mistakes at times. When this happens, because they are well aware that people expect them to be closer to the divine, a church leader often feels he/she has nowhere to turn for support and spiritual guidance. They address their personal demons or failures on their own in silence until they are exposed or caught sinking in sin. Sin "dwarfs the spiritual" image. At the same time, many spiritual leaders may feel obligated to project strength when weak and keep ministering while spiritually maimed.

Apart from the common doctrinal matters that divide congregations, moral failures of church leaders can destroy ministries and stunt the growth of the gospel itself

It must be a great deal of pressure to continue to pour into others when you need help yourself and even more pressure not to appear weak, or worse -- or the ultimate failure, displeasing God.  
In looking at how people respond when there is a fall from grace, I have noticed two extremes -- some Christians are silent and others are judgmental, merciless gossips. Where is the middle ground on resolving church failure? Members must cover their leaders in prayer to protect their overall well-being. Servants of God need love, support and encouragement just as much as congregants. This does not justify their wrong doing or excuse it. It is a matter of following the principle of imitating Christ and having a heart to forgive.

Leaders operating in a broken, weakened state, weakens the Body of Christ overall. The church needs spiritually strong, leaders and followers in order to thrive. It is the expectation that clergy provides Godly guidance to help followers understand the will of God and offer the proper foundation for them to make moral decisions and live righteously. Otherwise, a collapse in morals and values becomes a part of a perpetual cycle.

This issue is of grave concern in the American church as one church scandal after another crowds news headlines, revealing an expansion of the fallen faithful. From sex scandals in the Catholic church involving nuns aborting babies to priests molesting young boys to protestant pastors coming out as gay or Christian entertainers cheating on their spouses, there is a litany of moral failures associated with the church. In modern times clergy may fail due to the prevalence of secularism, which often replaces traditional Christian doctrine. Church leaders themselves are impacted by both the prevailing thoughts in society and erroneous interpretations of scripture, impacted by the pressure to stay current and reflect an understanding of changes in the culture. Many choose popularity over practicing sound Biblical principles and embracing methods that produce emotional responses rather than methods that lead to spiritual conviction. Just one look at the format of many televangelist programs and the settings and often the mannerisms are no different than in secular concerts or business conferences. Sometimes the the ministry focus can look harmless. For example, a church may be centered on social justice, missions or poverty and it's still a problem because anything that takes the church's attention off of soul-winning topples the purpose of church existence.

Collapsed morals and values

Many teachers and preachers in the contemporary church teach that we live under grace (New Testament doctrine) instead of the law (Old Testament doctrine), ergo all faults are washed away by the Blood of Jesus (viz., Christ sacrificed for the remission our sins). Such teachings are enshrined in the belief that archaic laws in the Bible no longer mattered after Christ came. This is a misunderstood, misapplied concept. Having access to Christ's redemption does not mean Believers are no longer beholden to the moral foundation (the Ten Commandments, for example) that was established before Christ came. It simply means that God gives you the grace to overcome sin and any opposition to spiritual harmony.

Perhaps there been an imbalance in teaching the gospel of grace and prosperity in favor of traditional teaching that convicts the heart that causes people to respond to their fleshly desires, including clergy. Long before Christ was born, the foundation for morally upright living was established and respected as law by Moses and it is still applicable today. The 10 Commandments were posted. When it comes to sin, we all need God. It matters not if you are rich or poor, Black or White, male of female, pastor or parishioner, we all sin and fall short of the grace of God. The difference is the role of the pastor is to show the individuals in the pews the way. This is a tremendous responsibility that comes with the pressure to be perfect. Even though a pastor is a sinner he is she is called to a higher standard of living. In the traditional sense a church leader has made a choice to be a distinguished by the example of Godly living. Still, so often leaders teach that as long as we are forgiven we have nothing to worry about. Forgiveness from God, one's self and others is only a part of spiritual and emotional healing. The afflicted must still operate in the natural world. Living in sin without actively seeking forgiveness blocks the ability to fully connect with the divine. It becomes difficult to take authority over attacks and engage in spiritual warfare triumphantly. The blind can not lead the blind

To fulfill the duties of a pastor, one must Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:2)
The role of a pastor is to bear fruit, i.e., raise up strong Believers.  Otherwise the people the Kingdom of God will not expand. The church is one of few  places where fallen clergy are allowed to lead and wield spiritual authority, selling damaged goods at full price with little to no reproach.  .  . On any given Sunday, a hurting pastor steps into a pulpit and admits to a moral failure, depression or some other area of struggle. Oftentimes they are allowed to maintain their position or they stay at the behest of a board of elders or church trustees with the assurance that their challenge will not be disclosed. Sometimes leaders find it hard to shake off their burden for serving and don't want to abandon their members. There are many personal reasons the fallen may continue to lead that are not purely selfish.

However, some popular clergy members   proceed in ministry as if God needs them more than they need Him. With confessed unresolved issues in their lives, they preach, sell sermons, books and other products while they are committing sinful acts.   (Then there are the ones who continue sinning secretly without openly admitting their offenses until exposure prompts by them.)

In various media people in ministry have been breaking down emotionally in front of large audiences and not being fully healed and delivered, which sends the wrong message about the power of God.  These negative reflections on the church do not have to happen. God is in the business of restoring the broken, the healing business.  What ever demons one encounters he can conquer them all. A time to heal Both the pastor and the parishioners are responsible for Holy living individually. In the public sphere however, particularly in church, it is imperative that a process of corrective action that involves a restoration is in place to address the failures of a leader.

It is the Christian's obligation to live righteously following the process of sanctification, justification and redemption.
God can certainly use the broken. Yet, the Holy Bible established a higher standard for church leaders. They are expected to be Christly examples to those who follow them. In the U.S. church leaders seem to fall short as a norm which is a deterrent to non-Believers.  The price for putting sin and moral failure on display publicly (or simply working while outwardly struggling with the flesh) can lead to eventual failure of the leader and his/her followers. Yes, the consequences of failed church leadership is causal. Christ warned of this in the teachings of Matthew:

“14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” 15Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16“Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked.Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.  (Matthew 14:16-18) Fortunately, ministries that help pastors overcome moral failures are available, but in my opinion true accountability and an efficient procedure for resolving spiritual brokenness will include the fallen leader pursuing the following steps based on scriptural precepts: STEPS TO REDEMPTION FOLLOWING A MORAL FAILURE It is the latter suggestion -- rest --with which most leaders wrestle. Feeling the need to be faithful to congregants, some may not want to depart from ministry even temporarily to take care of themselves. Others may stay because leaving is not convenient. Or there may be a sense that one is not being obedient to his/her calling if they "sit themselves down." These may all be valid reasons to remain in active leadership under harsh circumstances. Yet, they are not wise ones. Remaining in leadership after a moral failure ultimately is hypocritical. Such individuals are not being honest with themselves, their flock and most importantly, God. Failure to operate genuinely in one's calling can lead to self-ruin. Deliverance from a ministry-related attack or any struggle depends on having a mature, thoughtful approach to resolution.

Following are spiritually recommended steps based on scriptural precents to recovering from a moral failure:

1. Consecration 2. Repentance 3. Restoration 4. Rest/Time off

Psalm 24:3-5

3Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to falsehood, who does not swear deceitfully. 5He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation.…

Accountability through acknowledgement alone is often not the cure. The heart must express contrition to begin to heal. While one is on the pathway of healing, the grace and mercy of God is still there, accessible to those who will reach for it. Grace rescues us from our sin and mercy covers our sorrows and disappointments. Like everyone else, fallen clergy need understanding from those around them and grace as they venture along the path of healing.