(OPINION) CP – Notable Bible teacher and DesiringGod.org founder John Piper believes that pastors who committed adultery should be allowed to return to ministry, provided they have engaged in a lengthy period away from church leadership. In an episode of the “Ask Pastor John” podcast, a listener said her church was considering hiring a pastor who had left his previous congregation because he committed adultery.
“He was caught, repented, and asked for forgiveness. I certainly believe Christ forgives adultery. But from reading the passages on church leaders in the Pastoral Epistles, I don’t see how it could be God’s will for him to continue pastoring. What are your thoughts? Is repentance enough to make this man a leader in another church? And, more generally, what sins — if any — disqualify a pastor for life?” the listener asked.
Piper responded by noting that standards can vary for what can disqualify a pastor for life “because I don’t think the Bible gives clear instruction about how a disqualified pastor can become qualified again.” “I don’t think this is the kind of issue where the church as a whole will ever have an agreement,” Piper said in the podcast that aired on April 24. “I think every local church should pray and think and study their way through the Scriptures into a position from which the elders can work in unity with regard to these kinds of things.” READ MORE
Pastor Ricky, what is your answer in this? I have been watching you now almost a month, I do not have a church here. I have been saved a long time and i have been being fed by your ministry.
It is an unfortunate situation. If we take the Bible account of how serious this sin is, we should take some lessons from that. Back then, God said stoning was appropriate. In this situation, the “repentant” pastor can be readmitted into church membership after some time, but to return him to ministerial duties would be sending the wrong signal to young people. This generation already have a lax concept of sexual encounters before and outside of marriage. What will they think if a church readmits this pastor to serve and preach to them?
If he wants to relay to the youth the dangers of this sin against God, he should do that outside of official ministry at pastor level.
Even more problematic, is the issue of true sorrow for sin, and the other kind that is a close mimic – that of sorrow of being caught. The two are illustrated in the experience of Peter in his betrayal of Jesus. Peter’s sorrow was real, genuine, and led to a changed life. Judas was sorry also, but his sorrow did not lead to a true repentance, but more the kind of sorrow that he had failed in his endeavors to reap reward. While these examples are well able to be viewed for what they are, the repentance that comes from true sorrow, and the sorrow from being caught are not so easily revealed.
A modern day example of the situation mentioned in this article is the adultery of a popular television evangelist some decades ago. He was repentant with very visual tears and sobbing on screen. It took some years, and the same thing happened again, yet the church he heads up “forgave” him again. Not good.