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By: Dexter Laurence Jnr
Over the past two weeks, I have read the posts, comments and opinions of persons shared on Facebook regarding the recent events in the judicial system in Antigua regarding an alleged sexual offender who was also identified as a pastor.
Furthermore, I have seen the letter recently posted on Antigua News Room where a concerned believer expresses their heart with reference to the church “losing its way”, the lack of accountability that sometimes exists in the church and the overall hesitation to trust the institution given the accounts of misconduct that have emerged from it.
My aim in this post is not argue one side or the other, rather it is to provide a balanced response to these perspectives and events from a Pastor’s point of view.
Firstly, allow me to state that regardless of the station or occupation of an individual, any crime that has been truly committed is worthy of justice.
According to Romans 13, God has invested the rights of civil punishment to the state and the officers or members of the church are not above such accountability.
Statements about the grace of God, forgiveness of God and restoration of God are true and accurate as it relates to God’s nature, however, it does not by-pass the need for due process with reference to the law.
I do not know if a criminal offense took place, but if it did, regardless of who the individual is, there is need for the law to take its due course.
Secondly, with regards to the church, the truth of the matter is that as long as our Lord tarries, there will be issues of sin and misconduct in the body of Christ. It was so in the times of the Bible (c.f. The Corinthian church) and it is also so today.
According to Scripture, sin of any kind is to be dealt with according to proper church discipline which may include the removal of a leader from his position and/or the excommunication of an unrepentant believer.
The Bible does not condone the overlooking of sin in the church. Nonetheless, again, the Bible does clarify that the aim of such discipline is restoration which may or may not lead to occupying the same ecclesiastical office.
In some cases, it is most wise and honorable that persons would not take up ecclesiastical office again. In other cases, time, repentance, observation and testing will prove a man fit for office or not.
Thirdly, I want to suggest to us that for every story we hear of misconduct among leaders or members of the church, there are many others of leaders and members whose names you have never heard.
The reason for that is that they have been faithful, honest and full of integrity. It is common in a social media platform to highlight the atrocities of offenders, but uncommon to celebrate the faithfulness of the faithful.
For those who are feeling like they are losing hope in the church, I want to beseech you don’t lose hope in the church, find a church that you can have hope in! They exist.
Find leaders that are honest, biblical and Godly.
They exist.
And be mindful that you are not looking for a perfect church, you are looking for a healthy church. They exist. I might even venture to say that they are not hard to find!
Fourthly, if you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse of any kind in a church setting, my heart goes out to you and my prayer is that God would so work in your life that your heart is healed.
That often involves being apart of a good church, a good body of believers who will love you and reassure you that good ones exist.
In conclusion, all sin is bad, but not all churches are bad.
Some leaders have fallen short of the standard and ought to be held accountable, but many others have stood the test of time.
Regards,
A Young Shepherd.CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
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Well said, sadly a positive spin on events will never be popular.
Dear Pastor, I am honoured to provide a response to your opinion piece.
No leader can rise higher than his integrity. The credibility of ministry stands on the moral purity of its messengers. The church’s voice loses power when her representatives lose character.
Ethics in Ministry encompasses every area of life – from financial stewardship to family life, from Pastoral duties to community engagement. A true servant of God carries holiness not only on the pulpit but in private, in business and in relationships. Integrity is not perfection but consistency in righteousness. It is living the same life before men that you profess before God.
That Dominican beauty queen really did a number on you. Did you stand higher than your “integrity” then??
Allow me to offer an opinion on the matter of the Church. I believe the root cause of sin in the Church is a lack of sound doctrine from the pulpit. Sound Doctrine in the Church is important for a number of reasons:
1. Foundation of Faith: Sound doctrine serves as the foundation for a believer’s faith, guiding their understanding of God and His expectations. It helps discern right from wrong and encourages spiritual growth.
2. Protection Against False Teachings: Adhering to sound doctrine protects believers from false teachings and misleading interpretations of scripture. It encourages a community grounded in truth and unity.
3. Encouragement and Instruction: Sound doctrine not only instructs but also encourages believers to live according to God’s will, fostering a deeper relationship with Him.
False teachers rarely preach sound doctrine and instead have adopted a seeker friendly sermon template with the hopes of encouraging people to give them money and getting people to stay. This leaves the flock underfed and malnourished of God’s Word and leaves room for complacency and laziness. This then breeds hypocrisy and lackadaisical lifestyles leading to a life of sin. If the Church is serious about Jesus Christ, it must first uproot its false doctrines, call out false teachers by name and conform completely to what the Bible says. I personally don’t think this is possible because of what Jesus said concerning judgement day.
Matthew 7:21: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 7:22-23: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Now concerning the Church and dealing with sin, there are a couple of scriptures jump out:
1 Timothy 5:20 “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” Calling out sin and hypocrisy isn’t something to frown upon. It is actually encouraged in the Church so that others understand the gravity of sin. Jesus Christ himself was very strict when it came to tolerance of sin, but it seems as if the modern church hasn’t adopted the same mentality. We forget that judgement must start at the House of God, which is the Church.
“But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.” Ephesians 5:13 KJV. Keeping sin a secret is also frowned upon because it perpetuates the idea that one can ‘get away’ with it without serious consequences. I have read several articles about pastors in America who sinned and got caught only because the victim spoke out. I also believe that these things are happening in Antigua. This is the reason why people are calling out the Church because they see the hypocrisy, false doctrine and sin and they want the Church to make a change. There is plenty more i can say but I will leave with this scripture: Mat. 5:13-16
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
It is time for the Church to get serious with God.
what?
It was just a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
This was a well balanced view from the young shepherd. There are social matters that must be dealt with equally across the board whether a person is a believer or otherwise. Because of God’s character of perfection and holiness the church is held to a high standard but it’s a huge mistake to treat the church as though it is perfect because it is not. Rather it is striving to walk in consistent pursuit of righteousness(conforming to God’s will). The church has to avoid mishandling sin within and amongst members so that it does not suffer public scrutiny or shame unduly.
The world (unbelievers) need to be rather careful and continue to be made aware that the sins and fault they hold the church and Christians accountable for also apply to them. So while they’re busy criticising(duely so sometimes) those trying or rather standing by faith in Jesus they are dead in the very sin and more guilty than the church. Repent!
@kevin hinds I think that is a massive overstatement when you say that majority of Christians are trying to live faithfully. Many of them do not.
I can understand your point of view but the reality is that many professing Christians aren’t saved and are not trying to be holy otherwise we wouldn’t have such a systemic issue. And when you ask sinners to fellowship with you on Sundays or for a concert/gathering, they won’t take you seriously because of the life you live. I think it’s very important to understand that IS A PROBLEM. When you tell people to repent, you have to be leading a repentant life yourself as well as having sound doctrine.