Another One

Another one, and another one; one more personal, and one more public. Pastors resigning because of inconsistencies in their faith walks. I'm not here to excuse their behavior, nor am I here to judge them. I'm here to say that pastors are people, too. We should pray for them.

Scripture says that pastors are held to a higher standard (James 3:1). Elders are to be "above reproach" (1 Timothy 3:1). There's good precedent for having a plurality of elders at a church. As the saying goes, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," so it is best that no man has full say over a church. Plurality of elders assures accountability. It also means that if one falls, the church remains strong. Many churches practice these things and still, it would seem that pastors are more and more falling from grace. Or are they?

With the increasing connectivity of social media, pastors have more and more opportunities for outreach, more and more scrutiny, and more and more opportunities for sin. Pastors could abstain from social media, but I am not sure that would fix the problem. Pastors are sinners just like the rest of it. Maybe we're just seeing it more with the increased visibility that social media brings.

That brings me to my point again: pastors are people, too. Yes, we should hold them to high account. Yes, we should encourage them to live faithful lives. When they sin, though, we should confront them with love, grace, and support, not ostracize them. As my wise uncle once told me, the church is supposed to be a hospital, not a showcase. It's a hospital for the greatest among us (whether in influence, wealth, power, or something else), and the least among us. Can we give pastors the same grace that we give regular parishioners? Can we give pastors the grace that Jesus gave us when he forgave ALL our sin?

Another one, and another one. And I am another one too: a sinner in need of grace, and a sinner saved by grace. The only difference between my pastor and me is my earthly position. In God's eyes, we're all the same.