Simple Church Minute 18--leadership scandals

18—leadership scandals

My name is Tom; this is Simple Church Minute.

Any of us who have been believers in Jesus for any period of time have felt embarrassment of Christian leaders who have been caught, usually by the world’s media, doing things—sometimes illegal, sometimes legal but unethical—but not close to God’s standard of what living righteously is.

This is totally interconnected to the idea that the church is to be a place where every believer is allowed to and does build each other up in the faith.  A corollary to that is that a church needs to be small enough that every person can know one another.  There were, and still are, persons like Paul, who work to see people come to faith in Jesus, help them and experienced believers to form into a church, and support them as a mentor.  Scripture directs believers to support these persons financially, as these persons need to move from location to location in a way that precludes normal work.

Personality driven scandals have had one or more of the following problems:  1. The person was directing their work at individuals, then asking for money, and the money cannot be accounted for.  2. The person’s life cannot be accounted for, except for those moments in public, when he or she controls the agenda.  3. Many leaders, famous or not, use manipulative techniques.  4. Such persons set themselves in a position where they cannot accept correction.  5. Almost all are directed at the parts of the church where the most money is obtainable.  I fully understand that the areas of the world where the least time and money is directed are also the most dangerous.

One reason for doing this program is to say some things I believe are scriptural but are not being said in our part of the Christian subculture.  I ask you to consider, compare to scripture, in cultural context and in comparison to what God has blessed and not over the history of the church.

You can email me at simplechurchminute@gmail.com.  For more info on simple forms of worship, visit, on the web, http://www.simplechurch.com/, and locally (local website).