The elephant in the room that is so difficult to discuss is when a clergyperson (or anyone) falls, as has been reported recently in the Interlink and the WPAUMC website. I guess it's easy to discuss someone like Eliot Spitzer, who is plastered all over the papers and the news, but what about one of our own? And I don't mean 'talk about' as in gossip. I mean talk about as in how do we deal with the realities of this situation? Could this have been prevented, if the root problems had been brought to light before it got to this level? I heard Charles Swindoll preach once on the 4 causes of clergy failure: Success, Sloth, Sex, and Silver. In a nutshell, his sermon addressed these 4 issues as problems in this way: SUCCESS: when a pastor got so successful in his/her ministry that they forgot God and pride took over; SLOTH: when a pastor starts going through the motions, and slides along through ministry instead of working and learning and being challenged by new ideas; SEX: when a pastor faces moral failure, either public or private, this has a profound effect on ministry; and SILVER: when a pastor gets so concerned over the Almighty Dollar, either personally, or for the church, that ministry becomes secondary to money. I found his sermon to be very enlightening, and although I heard it several years ago, it sticks in my mind today as I consider the current situation. What are the 'outs' for someone who is caught up in one of these 4 traps? I think accountability plays a MAJOR role, but along with that comes vulnerability, and this can be a frightening thing. Awhile back, Ben Witherington's blog pointed out a website that attempts to deal with the sex issue, and I pass it along as an excellent resource that actually addresses this growing problem. http://www.xxxchurch.com/ is the website, and they really try to be open and honest about the realities of this problem, not just for clergy but for everyone. If anyone is having a struggle with this area, I highly recommend that you check out this site, and take steps toward dealing with it before it gets worse. If you're not having troubles in this area, it's still a good resource to be familiar with and to direct people to that may struggle. Finding someone to be accountable with (not "to", but "with") is very important in ALL of these areas where clergy are prone to struggle, and where Satan is ready to pounce. Success, Sloth, Sex, or Silver? What is your Achilles Heel, and how are you allowing God to work in your life to protect yourself from it? My prayers are with all of us, and especially for Steve and his family and congregations (I grew up in the Conneautville church, my dad having served there from 1978-1989).
6 comments:
Jeff,
I agree with you 100%. I think pride, "turf issues" and lack of time are three reasons why clergy do not enter into deep, accountability relationships with other individuals, and that in turn leads to the kind of ministry failures that you discussed.
I think there's something to be said for the fact that Paul always had a traveling companion like Barnabas, Luke, or Silas, and that Jesus always sent His disciples out "two by two."
Apparently, they sensed long ago that the "lone ranger" mentality in ministry would have devastating effects.
Absolutely. I remember reading once about the accountability structure that Billy Graham has in place - it is something to be admired, and he is one of the few well-known evangelists who still is highly respected by many. One of his criteria for himself is that he will never be alone with a woman, even in a public place (other than his wife/family). He made one exception to that, and had lunch with a woman once (in the middle of a crowded restaurant, NOT alone). Anyone know who the woman is?
I'll say Hillary Clinton.
Mother Theresa?
Good point on openness and accountability. The recovery community (even the secular branch of it) often has a much stronger understanding of this than the Christian community. Too often people are afraid to let their real stuff show. One important thing for leaders to remember is that in small groups and other gatherings like that, the leader sets the depth for how open people are willing to be. If we don't share some of the real struggles that are going on in our lives, how can we expect/encourage others to share theirs?
Eric,
Hillary Clinton it is! 50 points to Gryffindor!
Onefehlswoop (Jonathan?), you're right about leaders needing to show vulnerability and openness. Small groups CAN create a safe place to do this, but there has to be a lot of trust and assurance of confidentiality. It's a blessing when you find a group that has this.
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