It was St. Paul who wrote: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...” (1 Tim. 1:15) If Jesus came to save sinners, we who model our ministry on His must do the same. We are to “save” sinners.
Here is where the Church has been found wanting, especially with regards to leaders who fall. In the last editorial, we looked at accountability and the avoidance of pitfalls. Here, we examine the appropriate response when a leader falls despite every precaution taken.
FORGIVENESS
A leader who has fallen should not be left alone to deal with his sin(s). The church should come alongside to help restore
him to wholeness. |
The basic issue is forgiveness. What is forgiveness and what does it entail? The theological underpinning comes from 1 Jn. 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” While confession and repentance does not negate the consequences of sin, a person who confesses is nevertheless purified in a spiritual sense from all impurities and unrighteousness.
The sinner who has confessed and repented must ideally come to such a place where he knows for sure he has been forgiven by God, accepts himself and is accepted by the same community where the sin was committed and found out.
The sinner does not have to hide away. The stigma should not stick to the person forever. Often, when a leader falls, the church’s first reaction is damage control. While the well-being of the sheep and the reputation of the church must be protected, the welfare of the fallen leader is worthy of equal concern.
The ultimate aim is not to punish but to restore the fallen person. The following are a number of practical steps towards restoration.
We assume an autonomous local church setting but the basic principles apply to more complex or denominational settings.
Accusation & Thorough Investigation
This is properly the first step because so often, there is no repentance until the sin is discovered.
When an accusation is brought against a leader, an inquiry should be set up to investigate the matter thoroughly. The leader should be convicted only if there is sufficient proof of wrongdoing.
However, not every accusation ought to be entertained. 1 Tim. 5:19 says: “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.” That’s the starting point.
Confession & Repentance
If found guilty of the alleged sin, the leader should resign from the position held. He is also expected to confess and repent. He confesses in word and repents/turns from the sin in deed.
The sin has hurt the entire Body and the confession must be public, for example in a special service for church members only. The fallen leader asks for forgiveness from the church and his family. The church in return pledges to extend forgiveness.
Restoration to Fellowship
The fallen leader is then restored to the fellowship of believers. He may be required to stay away for a period of time for reflection and intensive counselling, but he remains very much a part of the church.
Restoration to Ministry
In principle, no sin should forever preclude restoration to ministry, whether in the same church or elsewhere. If the fallen leader intends to be restored to ministry, a way should be made for him.
The following is a typical process of restoration to the ministry. A special restoration committee is formed consisting of leadership inside and outside the church. This committee counsels the fallen leader over a specified period of time, depending on the severity of the sin committed, and makes periodic reports to the church’s main leadership.
When the requirements of counselling and repentance have been fulfilled, another special congregational meeting should be held to formally accept the full recovery of the fallen leader. This meeting ought to be conducted at the church where the sin was committed and discovered, and not at another church whose members did not bear the pain of the leader’s fall. Of course, once this is done, the leader may serve in another church at a later time.
It is essential that the counselling process balances sternness and grace. Too many hurdles or red tape discourages the sincere person who wants to go through the process. In the end, rules cannot help anyone. The wisdom and discretion of the restoration committee are what count.
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“While the well-being of the sheep and the reputation of the church must be protected, the welfare of the fallen leader is worthy of equal concern. The ultimate aim is not to punish but to restore the fallen person.” |
FURTHER THOUGHTS
In some real cases, a leader who had fallen from grace was not allowed to return to the ministry. This could be due to the extraordinary nature of the sin, or the attitude shown by the leader when the sin was being uncovered.
In a recent much-publicised case, the overseers decided on permanent dismissal based on the second reason. The lesson for all leaders is that trust, once broken, is very difficult restore.
While from a divine point of view the fallen leader may later meet the criteria of total repentance, from a human point bar the door to future ministry, it may also cause our own hearts to harden.
There is a larger issue. How do we select our leaders? Is it based on the characteristics mentioned in 1 Tim. 3:1–13 and Titus 1:5–9, or based on personal charisma? Sometimes churches are so eager to rush their wounded leaders back to the frontline when there are so many faithful believers in the pews who are qualified to take on the leadership. We don’t want to “shoot the wounded” but we really ought to require high moral standards in the leadership.
Having said the above, however, it must be reiterated that no sin should in principle bar a leader from ever returning to ministry. In fact, after a genuine and painful process of repentance, the once-fallen leader may become even more effective.
LOVING ONE ANOTHER
On the night of His betrayal, Jesus told His disciples: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn. 13:35) This is what community is all about. The ultimate test of all our talk is our walk in love.
In conclusion, let us keep ourselves from sin, encourage others (especially our leaders) towards holiness and be kind to those who fall. Who knows, someday we may need that grace too.
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