We all know preachers who have left ministry broken. Worse still is to see their wives and children suffer also. I cringe to hear people speak of such things glibly. These are tragedies that call us to weep with those who weep.
Admittedly, there are some preachers who have woven webs of deceit and are rightly marked as the authors of their own demise. Because their sins are known to all, their sins go to judgement ahead of them (1Tim.5:24)—Most preachers are not like that.
Preachers accept that there is a difference between those in leadership and those who are not. Leaders who, as teachers, carry a stricter judgement (Jm.3:1); not only in word but also as living examples.
When things fall apart, the damage is beyond the ordinary. Whether things came apart because of his choices, or the choices of others, pain and heartache will always be there.
In a case where sin in the life of the preacher is involved, he must be cared for like any other Christian. Surely, he deserves the same amount of care that is rightly applied to all saints who have wandered deep into the enemy’s territory. Satan is the master of lies and deception, so it shouldn’t surprise us to discover that anyone, even preachers, can be entrapped.
Some sins are easier to come back from than others. It is where repentance fails to secure trust that the issues will persist. In such cases it is wise for a preacher to find another way to serve in the kingdom; preaching is all about trust.
This is heart-breaking territory. I have spent many years hurting those who have been hurt as preachers. If I have contributed to any of that hurt, I repent from the depth of my heart.
We are all broken. But praise God that Jesus makes us new!
John Staiger
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