Removal Reason of Anyone in Church Leadership

Created Date: 21-Sep-2022
Reason: DO NOT put God into Public Shame

Last updated: 11-Jan-2023
A A A  help

Sections:
1 Legitimate Reasons for Removal
2 Further Admonitions

Legitimate Reasons for Removal of Someone in a Church Leadership Role

Are there legitimate Biblical Reasons for requiring someone in a Church Position to resign that includes even work as a Pastor?

The answer is yes, which depends upon the action done.   God absolutely forgives all of us and there is no sin that a true Christian can commit that will remove his or herself from the Love of God and loss of Salvation.   It is impossible to lose Salvation.

This author has personally seen and heard of so many church leaders who have had affairs, misused church finances for their benefit, and are living lifestyles of the rich and famous using moneys donated to their church and ministries, therefore information and directions are required.

Deuteronomy 17:17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

This is an excerpt from the Pastors and Church Leadership Topic.

The Pastor and Leadership of a Church, and even a Bible Study Group, need to be prepared for temptations.  It is almost beyond belief how many Pastors have been caught publicly and exposed to the Media for the embarrassment of someone who is representing God,  The most common four areas are:
  1. In Adultery,
  2. Improper handling of Church Funds for obsessive salaries and bonuses,
  3. Outright embezzlement, and
  4. An ostentatious lifestyle of the rich and famous.  

Not much needs to be explained scripturally why these four areas are wrong, yet there are still other areas of wrong doing.  Pastors and Teachers have a greater level of accountability as explained in the scriptures such as 1 Timothy 3:1-17.  If an explanation is required, then this ignorance of the importance of ambassadorship (3rd Commandment) of a church leader is proof of unwarranted leadership roles.  

Axiom Statement

A Pastor, Evangelist or anyone in a position of Christian leadership that while in church leadership:

must immediately resign and NEVER return to a position of leadership in a Church or Ministry.  In place of returning, after a long period of restitution has been attempted, then the person can return to a position of service only in a Christian congregation which involves no possibility of leadership.  Returning to a role of leadership, puts God up for public shame.

(Note: These six bullet points are part of the Four Greatest Sins.  The only exception for leadership is someone in a prison scenario or a recovery group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, where the leader and all members may be involved in one area of the six bullet points.)

Forgiveness is absolutely there from God, but a Church Leader participating (or participated) in any of the six bullet points is similar to Esau not holding his birthright in high regards, which God required of all first-borns in the Old Testament Dispensation Period.  Esau traded the birthright for a bowl of stew to eat, as read in Genesis Chapter 25.  Esau forsook his birthright responsibility which his parents, his brother Jacob and others witnessed or learned later thus putting God up to public shame.  The consequences for Esau are explained more fully in Hebrews 12:15-17

Hebrews 12:15-17 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

If any of us are going to a place of worship that has leadership, by someone who has committed anyone of these six bullet points while being a church leader, then we:

  1. Must demand their resignation, through proper procedures as detailed in Matthew 18:15-20 and 1 Timothy 5:19-20, or
  2. Stop going to the place of worship which this person is in a leadership position. 

Attending a place of worship, with a leader who committed any one of these six bullet points while being a church leader, then this puts God up to public shame because the person was a spokesperson for God.  The ramifications are:

  • The Honor and Dignity of God has been publically disgraced.
  • New Christians will be discouraged or even stop going to Church.
  • Non-Christians will not necessarily believe in the power of God can make people better.
  • The magnitude of these six bullet points will most likely damage the victims for their entire lifetime.

Again the person is absolutely forgivable, but should not be in a leadership role of any kind in a Church, Ministry and even a Bible Study.

Further Admonitions Concerning Adultery by a Church Leader

This section is an excerpt from the topic on Adultery:

This section of the this topic is dealing only with Church Leaders who commit adultery.  It does not apply to someone:

  1. Who is not in Church Leadership and commits adultery.
  2. Someone who had been an adulterer before becoming a Christian.  When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior then any sin such as adultery, done before becoming a Christian, does NOT prohibit the person becoming a Church Leader.

All Christians, that are in any kind of Church leadership which includes this writer who is a role of an evangelist, are called to a higher level of accountability, James 3:1, where there are gifts by God given for the role.  If a Church Leader commits adultery, then that person is putting Jesus Christ in a position of "public disgrace" which is part of the offense listed in Hebrews 6:4-8 shown below where Christians and also non-Christians are looking, trusting, relying on and depending upon a Church leader for guidance and leading by example.

It unfortunately has to be stated that God and all of us absolutely require our spouse, sons, daughters, friends, visitors and even ourselves have protection and no fear from the predatory act of adultery by a Church leader in a Church venue and also in the life of a Church leader.

  1. The sin of adultery is a form of blaspheming the Holy Spirit for a Church leader, as such a person is called by God as a role of God's representative to the Christian community and non-believing world with special anointing of gifts from God, just like Prophets in the Old Testament. 
  2. The Church leader who commits adultery does NOT suffer the loss of Salvation, as it is impossible for anyone to lose Salvation, but the sin of adultery for a Church leader has a specific consequence along with others, which is to no longer serve in any role of leadership in a Church, with the exception in the areas to serve as a leader in:
    (a) Prison Ministries,
    (b) Alcoholics/Drug/Sex Anonymous Ministries, and
    (c) Adultery type-of Recovery Ministries
    where disclosure of a person's weaknesses and mistakes are part of recovery, rehabilitation and examples for others to know they can overcome their problems.
  3. Failure to cease serving in a role of Church leadership is a continued grievous sinful action of putting Jesus Christ in "public disgrace" as explained in great detail in the "regarding Hebrews 6:4-8" topic link.
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
Hebrews 6:4-8 4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

ONE OF THE GREATEST PROOFS that a person serving in Church Leadership should never return to the role of leadership after adultery is given in the scriptures concerning Moses, who did NOT commit adultery, but falsely represented God.  An adulterous Church Leader has misrepresent God.  A few Biblical Scholars, which this author agree, state that Moses is a perfect example of the seriousness of representing God correctly.  Moses for 40-years lead Israel during the Exodus, and there one incident that God forgave him but the significance of misrepresenting God had a very punitive consequence.  Some of us might initially think it is not fair for this to happen to Moses after 40-years of faithfulness, until we realize we cannot commit specific sins that will publicly dishonor God and God's Glory

Moses is one of the greatest teachers in the scriptures, that far surpass any modern-day Church Leader's abilities.  The mistake that Moses made occurred during the Exodus wandering when Israel needed water.  God had instructed, in an earlier occasion to strike a rock to bring forth water for Israel.  On the next occasion, God instructed Moses to ONLY speak to the rock and water would come forth for Israel.  On the second occasion, Moses was angry at the people so Moses strikes the rock disobeying God, Numbers 20:6-12.  Moses misrepresented God by striking the rock the second time, which gave the impression to the people that God was angry at the people, when God was not.  Also, the striking of the rock the second time, broke the model of the future Jesus Christ missions.  The rock is an idiom for Jesus Christ and the water the Holy Spirit, where Jesus Christ was to be smitten once in His first mission at the Cross, and not smitten the second time in His Glory.  Moses then had the consequence of not being able to enter the Promise Land.

Exodus 17:5-7

(first striking rock)		 5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Numbers 20:6-12

(second striking of the rock)		 6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

(Future Eternity of water coming from the Throne of God.  God is our Rock of Salvation.)

There is the question if God will be still present in an adulterous and repented church leader's work at a Church?  Yes is the answer, but that is because God's Word will never go out void, Isaiah 55:11, but every moment the adulterous repented church leader is working in church leadership is a sin against God.  Furthermore, if makes God appear to have no power to change lives if a church leader, who should be mature had adultery even in the past, and can sin in such a grievous sin.

Isaiah 55:11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

God absolutely still loves a Church leader who has committed adultery and the sin will be forgiven by God, but there are still consequences besides no longer being a role of Church leadership for the remainder of their life.  Grace and Mercy applies to all of us, as everyone of us are sinners, where there are always other areas to serve God and build Rewards in Heaven because of our love for Jesus Christ. 

What to read next?

What is Salvation?  Is it possible to lose Salvation?  We have eternal life.  Evolution is not real.  When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it.  Rewards in heaven.  Do we Tithe?  What does the 3rd Commandment tell us?  What is Grace and Mercy?  Is there an Age of Accountability?  Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?