When a Church Leader Fails | Church Leadership Podcast

Todd Wagner joins Adam and John to discuss how the church should respond to the moral failure of staff or key leaders.

Episode Summary

We often mistakingly think that followers of Jesus are immune to temptation or somehow less likely to fall into sin. In reality, this is not the case. God promises that the Christian Life will be filled with trouble. We will always face temptation. Living the Christian Life means that we remember that Jesus is with us throughout all of it.
You are naive if you think you can survive in leadership on your own strength. Information is not going to make you immune to great temptation. Thankfully, God blesses us with His Word and His people. We need the accountability and community of other believers in order to maintain a righteous life. We need to cultivate an intimacy with Jesus and his Word. Surround yourself with others who love you and love Jesus.
Four Characteristics of Leaders Who Fail
- They ceased abiding with Jesus and practicing the spiritual disciplines
- They believed if couldn't happen to them (1 Corinthians 10:12)
- They spent time one-on-one with the opposite sex
- They lacked a genuine accountability
Remember that sin is irrational. We should, however, not be surprised by it. Ask the Lord every day for protection. Pray often that He would protect you.
When an indiscretion or moral failure comes to the light, ask a lot of questions and be sure to listen well. It will benefit all those involved in everything is known and there are no surprises. Do not simply ask the surface level questions. You must not be afraid to dig to find the root of the matter. Never assume you have all the information. In fact, assume just the opposite.
Your goal at all times should be to serve and help people. Be committed to those that are hurting.
Remember that while Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), your leaders are not going to be.
Don't manage information or force people to search around to find out what the truth is. When failure occurs, encourage the failing individual themselves to own up to the facts and inform people of what exactly occurred.
That being said, when you are contemplating what exactly "tell it to the church" (Matthew 18:17) means in your church context, understand that it may not mean you literally tell every attendee or member about the offense. We consider "Telling it to the church" to mean informing everyone that leader had influence or interaction with in ministry. This will of course be influenced by the size of your church and the influence the failing individual has.
After communicating the moral failure of the staff to the body, stay until every question is answered. Don't let people's concerns and questions go unheard.
Avoid using non-disclosure agreements. They will only result in hurt and hinder a healthy Matthew 18 process.
Godly sorrow does not simply aim to get "back to where they were." Godly sorrow makes one convinced that they will do anything to regain trust, even if that means staying on the sidelines indefinitely.
There is no "case law" for dealing with a leader falling. There will always be nuance, detail, and context that makes every scenarios unique. Do not rush into determining what to do next. Do not rush to reinstall a fallen individual, and do not extend judgment too quickly without gathering information.
Don't be so wooed by someone's talents or authority that you intentionally neglect what is best for them. A leader's influence and charisma should never give them an allowance to dwell in sin.
Anyone can fall. No one is immune to this.
Anyone can be restored. However, they will not get to determine when. That is up to wise counsel and the church.
If you've got a clergy-lay distinction, you have a clergy-lay dysfunction. Church staff do not have special privileges that make them immune to a church discipline process.