Purity in the Pulpit Produces Piety in the Pew

by Don Whitecar (1995 Graduate, Assistant Pastor, Fairhaven Baptist Church)

For the most part, people no longer value the special calling of God upon a man which separates him for the work of the ministry. This great calling places a burden of piety on the preacher as an example to the flock over which he is overseer. We, as pastors, cannot escape the watchful eye of the church membership on our everyday lives. Nor is it biblical to expect anything less than extra accountability. James 3:1 says, "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation." Many preachers treat their qualifications pragmatically instead of biblically. When Southern Baptist Pastor Charles Stanley's wife left him in the early 1990's, he left the decision to stay in the pastorate up to the people of his congregation. After all, what was he to do? How could he leave the ministry if all those people wanted him to stay? Today, independent Baptist people, who have denounced the compromise of the Southern Baptist Convention, are operating under the same rule of ministry qualifications. We are reaping from those disqualified pastors who have made carnal living acceptable to the average church member.

To many people it seems very unfair to the pastor that he should step down from leadership when he has disqualified himself through sin. This sentiment exists for many reasons. First, if he steps down from the leadership of the church, he is leaving his financial livelihood. When a layman fails God, he does not lose his job at the mill. Why should the preacher suffer such consequences? Be assured that when a man obeys God, his needs are supplied by God. When a man stubbornly disobeys God's commands, he is ineligible for God's blessings. Is a man who is void of God's blessings the kind of man who should lead a congregation? A man who pastored in Ohio had an adulterous affair with his secretary. He was in real need of godly counsel to repent of his sin and be reconciled to his wife; but instead, he simply moved to Pennsylvania and pastors a church there now. Can he lead the men of his new church to live pure lives abstaining from the sin of adultery? Remember that sentiment does not build strong Christians; obedience does.

The second reason for the sentiment has to do with the tremendous pressure obedience to biblical qualifications places on the pastor. I agree that the pressure is on when a man takes up the calling of God, but remember that God's calling is His enabling. If God called the believers to raise godly children and included this command in qualifications for the pastor, then the grace to have a godly family is available from God. When a pastor's children fall into immorality today, the pastor simply accuses God of being unable to do what He promised. We need that pressure! If we preachers cannot prove God's power and promises in our own lives, what can we expect from those in our churches? Remember that sentiment does not build strong Christians; obedience does.

The third reason for the unbiblical sentiment relates to the misunderstanding of the method of restoring a repentant Christian to fellowship. I Corinthians 5:1-2 explains that a man caught in adultery should be put out of the fellowship of the church until he repents of his sin. Wayward Christians are to be received back into fellowship after repentance is evident. From a layman's view, it is extremely unkind that a pastor, who seems to be repentant, cannot be restored to his former state of leadership. While it is true that a repentant disqualified pastor should be restored to fellowship in the church, he is still disqualified as a leader. He cannot biblically regain his leadership position. Just because he has a college degree in pastoral theology does not qualify him for a life of service; in fact, a degree was not even mentioned in the biblical list of qualifications. A man who is not biblically qualified to lead is unbiblical when he does so. Some churches are content to restore the man to a non-senior pastor position. For instance, one independent Baptist pastor, who was arrested for soliciting a male undercover police officer for immorality, was removed from the pastorate and placed in the position of "church counselor." It became his job to do the marriage counseling for the members of the church. It is hard to see the reasoning behind such a decision, but discernment is not really promised to those who do not obey God's Word. Remember that sentiment does not build strong Christians; obedience does.

Today, churches are falling to this sentiment all over America. Those who hold to the old-fashioned practice of following the qualifications for the ministry are attacked as unkind, unloving, rigid, etc. Compromising independent Baptists have stooped to name calling in order to cover up their unprecedented compromise. How is our movement any better than the Roman Catholic Church if a pedophile pastor can just change ministries or location in order to remain in the ministry? When certain pastors in America relocate to run from a soiled reputation, it must be extremely awkward for them to file as sex offenders in their new location. I wonder if pulpit committees do a police background check.

The bold compromise of biblical qualifications has produced some very horrible results. First, it produces a lack of accountability in areas of the ministry qualifications. For example, personal immorality (such as child molestation and adultery) is accepted and excused if the preacher is famous or has built a large ministry in the past. Men who are guilty of such sins, according to scripture, are disqualified from the leadership ministry; however, in our day men in this state are still guest speakers and lecturers in fundamental circles as long as the police or the media do not find out about their sin. It does not seem to matter that the inviting pastor is aware of the past deeds or not.

Another result of this disbelief of God's Word is that the standard has been removed. When God listed the qualifications for the ministry, He meant for them to be obeyed. Remember that God sets the standard, not a grieving church member who does not want their favorite pastor-personality to fall to public disapproval. If one area of the qualifications is not followed, it is just a matter of time before the other requirements are cast aside.

Above all the disastrous results, the worst is the effect these compromises have had on the pew. When there is no purity in the pulpit, their will be no piety in the pew! People follow leaders; they do not learn from them what not to do. With society descending into open immorality, the church members of independent Baptist churches are not far behind. With satellite TV, cable TV, Direct TV, etc., Christians are playing with sin without conviction. They compromise on the places they go, the friendships they keep, and the clothes that they wear. These worldly Christians enter the great independent Baptist churches of our day and feel comfortable there with their sin. The preachers may even preach some sermons on personal holiness, but their lifestyle and compromise has drowned out the voice from the pulpit. Pastors are called by God to preach in the power of the Holy Ghost, Who was sent to reprove the world of sin. Pastors are commissioned to reprove, rebuke and exhort sinning Christians. Today, pastors are running their churches on methodology and not the power of the Holy Spirit. There is sin in the pulpit, and there is no victory in the pew. We need to return to the old paths and have Paul's testimony from II Thessalonians 3:7, "For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;..." Pastors need not fear a man's great reputation when he calls out sin or separates fellowship. He might even please God if he obeys.