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Written by Eric Redmond, Special to the Vine
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Monday, 04 October 2010 17:45 |
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The allegations against Bishop Eddie Long move me to seek the Lord for more mercy and grace upon my own soul. They also provide an opportunity for all believers to consider what we should expect of the pastor’s morality.
First, pastors are to be men who walk in holiness before God. Pastors are called to live at a higher standard of Christian behavior than that of the general believer (I Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9). These qualifications should characterize the pastor throughout his tenure as a pastor.
Second, pastors are to be men who model Christ. At all times pastors must be able to say to our people, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (I Cor. 11:1, ESV). We are to “set an example to the believers… in purity” (I Tim. 4:12).
Third, pastors are to be men who keep their marriage vows faithfully. Pastors must be “[husbands] of one wife” (I Tim. 3:2; 1:6). He should not be a man of adultery, pornography, or bi-sexual relationships, for each of these stands in contrast to fidelity to one’s spouse.
If a pastor fails in his marriage, having not met the qualities of a pastor, he should be responsible to step down from his role as pastor immediately. If he does not step down, his congregation should ask him to step down. This may seem harsh, but the alternative message to his wife and children is that there is no one to hold the head of their household accountable to the Gospel. Moreover, to the world we appear to be people who say, “You do not really have to live like a Christian in order to be a member of the church. We’ll prove it to you: just look at our pastor!”
A fallen man might be gifted as a teacher and preacher. However, this does not mean he needs a pulpit. Instead, he needs repentance, marital counseling, brotherly accountability, a pattern of faithfulness in his marriage, and to make amends with the congregation that he has harmed. His gifts can be used to teach Sunday school. But he is not qualified to lead.
Eric C. Redmond is Senior Pastor of Reformation Alive Baptist Church in Temple Hills, MD, and author of Where Are All the Brothers? Straight Answers to Men’s Questions About
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