Media today is full of stories of ministers, worship leaders, pastors, Christian authors and evangelists who have fallen into moral failure which has left their ability to lead ministries in question.
Not too long ago, my heart sank to the bottom of the ocean after learning that one of the most influential worship leaders and my favourite Christian artists had announced the end of his marriage caused by immorality. I was dismayed not only because an influential leader had failed God and the church, but also because it's an all too familiar story.
Like any industry, field or profession, ministry has its own graveyard of leaders who have failed to uphold the standard. I'm sure that you know someone personally who has had to step down from ministry due to sexual immorality, bad financial stewardship, doctrine problems or other dysfunctions.
It's so familiar to all of us that you probably will have to handle a fallen leader at some point. When that time comes, how do we deal with these leaders who have maligned God, the people around them and themselves?
Ask them to step down. It cannot be stressed enough how important this is. So many churches fail to remove a leadership mantle because it seems too legalistic a move and may do more harm than good in the situation.
But to keep a fallen leader in ministry is like keeping a wounded soldier out on the battlefield. We take hurt leaders down not because we're mad at them, but so that we can give them time to heal and refocus their lives.
Help them focus on Jesus. As we take ministry load off our leaders, the most important thing to do is to direct them to the cross. Instead of pointing out their mistakes (which they already know enough because of the guilt and the condemnation the enemy might be throwing at them at this point), point them to Jesus and the finished work.
Leaders fall because of one main reason -- they take Jesus out of the center stage in their lives. Without Jesus, even the most charismatic and gifted leaders will fall into pieces.
Protect and preserve. The last thing that leaders who fall into moral failure need is the whole church knowing the whole story. And knowing human nature, people will probe and stick their ears to the wall.
As people who work to restore leaders, our job is to protect and preserve not just people who fall into moral failure but also the people around them who are prone to fall into gossip and wrong assumptions.
Extend love and grace. The law cannot save fallen leaders. Only the love and grace of God can. As we guide and serve fallen leaders, we must remember that our advice and counsel are not what they need most.
Fallen leaders need God's healing, enabling and restoring grace, and we are to be channels and a medium of that grace and nothing else. No condemnation, no remorse, no advice. Just God's grace.
