Christian Leaders: Accountability and Another one Bites the Dust.

 

This weeks ramblings.

I heard this week of another Pastor, of a large church, being dismissed for moral transgressions – that is just ‘church speak’ for he committed adultery. When I heard this my mind immediately went to the song by the rock band Queen:

 “Another one’s gone,

Another one’s gone,

Another one bites the dust”.

I think the devil sings this song every time a Minister, Pastor or Christian Leader leaves the ministry, in disgrace, for this sort of thing. It leaves me sad and upset and even a little angry, that people could so easily throw away their calling and ministry.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our hearts. Proverbs 5 tells us what will happen when we lack discipline and Ephesians 6 tells us to take a stand, to stand firm and to keep praying in the spirit.

Being the Christian Leader of any church representing Jesus Christ, is an awesome responsibility. For those fortunate to lead such a church there is a high calling and an even higher standard by which they are held. With this great responsibility comes power and authority. People by their very nature are drawn to this.

These moral transgressions- the old fashioned word is sins, can happen to any human person, this is true. But for those of us who represent Jesus, we are held to the higher standard as I mention above. So how can we help each other? How can we help to be part of a solution rather than another dismal, shallow and unpalatable statistic?

These are complex issues and needs detailed discussion but as part of a conversation starter I would propose the following:

Every large church should appoint a father of the house and that on issues of morals and spirituality the leader of the church should be answerable. This father of the house should have access to the leader at all times and they should act as a “confessor” to that leader. Should they see anything in the course of their meetings, that raisers concern, they would have the right to step in and firstly point it out to the leader, if it persists then it is brought to the attention of the wider leadership.

Obviously there would have to be clear boundaries and a very detailed job description laid out of what the “father of the house/confessor can and cannot do. There would have to be complete trust between the two. Would this stop a misuse of power and authority would it prevent what may go on behind closed doors? Possibly not, but it may go a long way of ensuring that things are done in the light and maintaining a standard of spiritual and moral discipline.

Food for thought.