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 Over
34 years as a pastor, I have known several gifted pastors
who have hurt their families and churches and lost their
careers by their sexual misconduct. In recent years,
the Roman Catholic Church has paid out hundreds of millions
of dollars to victims of clergy abuse. NBC and publications
like Christianity Today have reported sexual misconduct
by leaders within the Jehovah’s Witnesses. That
church has a rule that it will not follow up an accusation
unless there are not two or three eyewitnesses to verify
the claim. Bill Bowen, a J.W. elder, resigned and started
an organization for victims of sexual abuse called “Silent
Lambs.” Several Hare Krishna temples have declared
bankruptcy in order to protect themselves financially
against the large number of claims of sexual abuse by
Hare Krishna leaders. In a random survey of hundreds
of Protestant pastors, The American Psychological Association
found that 37 per cent reported inappropriate sexual
contact with a church attender and twelve and a half
percent reported actual sexual intercourse with a church
attender. This is a higher rate of sexual misconduct
than among physicians, therapists, or attorneys with
clients. Congregations are devastated, families are
hurt, careers are destroyed, and the Gospel is betrayed.
Why does this happen?
Presbyterian pastor John Ortberg has written that clergy
sexual misconduct is that result of four factors: lack
of awareness of vulnerability, lack of accountability,
spiritual warfare, and spiritual dryness. Church leaders
who have direct responsibility for overseeing the work
of pastors should make sure that they and their pastors
are aware of these factors and are working to protect
themselves.
Every pastor should be reminded often of his or her
vulnerability by the words of St. Paul, “So if
you think you are standing firm, be careful that you
don’t fall” (Gal. 6:3), and of the Psalmist,
“Search me, oh God, and know my heart; try me
and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way
in me” (Psalm 139:23-24).
Every pastor needs to be accountable. Ortberg says,
“There are some things you don’t let people
do by themselves. Any minister who has not submitted
himself or herself to some form of personal oversight,
which can provide correction and encouragement is in
danger of self- deception.”
Every pastor needs to be aware of his or her involvement
in spiritual warfare “Our struggle is not against
flesh and blood but against rulers, against authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”
(Ephesians 6: 12). Jim Cymbala, pastor of The Brooklyn
Tabernacle says, “If you devote yourself to being
used deeply by God, you can expect to have a struggle
against spiritual powers that want to destroy you.”
If we pastors are going to be people who don’t
embarrass God, we are going to have to do more than
avoid scandal. We are going to have avoid spiritual
dryness. This means taking responsibility for our own
spiritual health. Dallas Willard, in his book, The Spirit
of the Disciplines says, “The failure to attain
a deeply satisfying life always has the effect of making
sinful actions seem good.” As spiritual leaders,
our first responsibility is to attain a deeply satisfying
life. That means living in healthy communication with
God and with people who love us and knowing something
of the joy of the Lord in daily life.
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