On restoring pastors who lose their position because of a moral failing

Thread below on restoring pastors who lose their position because of a moral failing.

The apostle Paul urges people to follow his example.
A theme in the classic books on pastoral ministry is that pastors must be a moral example (Gregory the Great, Richard Baxter).
Moral lapses diminish the trust people have in the church leader.

For pastors who are fired because of a moral failing, it is not often just one mistake, but a series of questionable decisions. Sometimes all these are present: inappropriate relationships, financial corruption, deception, and angry threats.

However, like any organization or business, sometimes a pastor loses their position because of personality differences or disagreements about performance issues or conflict with the board or a “bad fit.”
Many good pastors do get fired. They can thrive in a new church.

Pastors often feel that there is nothing else they can do if they do not pastor but this is not true. There are many other fulfilling and challenging jobs. At first they may pay less because they are new and starting at the bottom but pastors often have management potential.

Virtually all of the former pastors I know have thrived in other professions. They have good writing and speaking and reading and computer skills, can motivate and supervise, know finances, and are good with people. They are often less stressed out.

It is easier to lead a lot of other groups than a church. Church people are peers. They are volunteers. They need to be motivated. You can’t force them to do anything. You have no carrots or sticks. If you have led in the church, you likely have some leadership ability.

There are New Testament examples of restoration.

 

Peter denied Jesus three times. He regretted it greatly.

John Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas wanted to give him another chance. Paul didn’t. It was painful (Acts 15:37-41). Mark appears later in the NT positively.

Many famous pastors start a church again after a year or two, or a friend hires them.
1. Some emphasize grace to themselves and others.
2. Others deny everything.
3. Others stress how they been radically transformed and enlightened.
Most market themselves extensively.

But it is very difficult for people in power to change. Therefore, patterns of thinking and behavior that led to the moral lapses often are still present as the “restored” pastor leads in the new setting.

In summary, I would urge pastors who have had a moral failure to assume they will never return to church leadership. Instead, do something else. Do good. Write. Get healthy. Apologize. Read. Go to school. Serve. Make amends. Explore.

If a pastor tries to make a comeback and be “restored” to ministry, they should know that they are likely still susceptible to the same problems they experienced the first time. It will take a huge amount of therapy, listening, and apologies to be able to function differently.

A restored pastor will likely need to have tried their best to make amends in writing, over the phone, and in person with those they have harmed. Without this, they cannot expect that their past actions will not follow them through online critics to future employers.

The press, public outcry online, and organizational structures provide accountability for pastors’ misbehavior. Being defensive and nitpicking slight errors when they have the story mostly accurate will not win trust or silence critics. Confession might. Or leave pastoring.