The pastor-church relationship is a sensitive and vitally important
issue. The proper dissolution of that relationship in difficult circumstances
needs to be carefully considered in the light of biblical teachings
by Thomas Ascol
"Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two
or three
witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the
rest also may fear. I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ
and
the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing
nothing with partiality" (1 Timothy 5:19-21, NKJV).
Several years ago I preached a message with the same title as this article
to the church I serve in Cape Coral. When I mentioned my intentions to
a
pastor friend, he said, "Tom, haven't you heard that you never put
a loaded
gun into the hand of your enemy?" My response then remains my conviction
now. First, I do not consider the church I serve to be my enemy. Far from
it. Though some individuals from time-to-time have positioned themselves
as
my enemies, the church as a whole has been and remains the body of Christ
and therefore a wonderful means of grace in my life. When a pastor starts
viewing the church as his enemy it is a sure sign that he has outlived
his
usefulness to that congregation.
Secondly, in the sense in which my friend meant it, church members already
have a gun. As one who is charged with the responsibility to lead and
nurture the flock of God, I want to do everything I can to make sure that
it is loaded with the proper ammunition and fired in a right direction.
Even the pastor who rejects any form of congregational government must
face
the fact that the members have a huge say in his tenure. Regardless of
formal suffrage policies, all church members vote in two ways: with their
feet and their pocketbooks. Many ministers who have never been officially
dismissed have nevertheless been forced out of office by the withdrawal
of
support by the members.
The pastor-church relationship is a sensitive and vitally important
issue.
The proper dissolution of that relationship in difficult circumstances
needs to be carefully considered in the light of biblical teachings. Untold
harm has been done to the reputation of Christ's kingdom by the improper
firing of pastors. By this I do not mean to suggest that it is never proper
for a church to remove a pastor from leadership. There are, sadly,
occasions when such a step should be taken for the glory of God and the
welfare of the church. When faced with this course of action, however,
a
church is not free simply to ignore biblical teachings while taking the
path of expediency.
Evangelical pastors of all denominational stripes today are being dismissed
in epidemic proportions. A few years ago studies showed that 2000 Southern
Baptist ministers were being formally dismissed each year from their
pastoral responsibilities. This figure does not include others who were
forced out in less formal ways. Bill Bright's Global Pastors Network (GPN)
estimates that 1500 pastors are removed from their ministries each month.
Many denominations and state conventions have established departments
to
deal with "church-minister relations." Personnel are now in
place whose
primary responsibility is to mediate between pastors and congregations
who
are in conflict.
A new type of insurance has recently become available called pastoral
dismissal or termination insurance. It is being promoted with the ominous
warning that no pastor really has job security. "It could happen
to you.
Then what will you do?" Obviously, there is a market for this product.
Too
often that market has been expanded by the unjustified actions of a
misguided congregation.
However, as I have already suggested, there are churches that suffer
under
the leadership of pastors who, quite honestly, ought to be dismissed.
It is
a two-way street. Churches can be hard on pastors. But it is equally true
that pastors can be very hard on churches.
Most men who make a start in pastoral ministry do not last long. Research
from GPN indicates that eighty percent of seminary and Bible school
graduates who enter the ministry will abandon it within the first five
years. Others continue on who have no business doing so. They abuse God's
flock by teaching heresy, exercising authoritarian leadership or engaging
in personal immorality. Scandalous illustrations of these types of pastoral
malpractice abound.
Any man guilty of such abuse should be removed from his office and helped
to turn away from his sin. Sadly, many churches languish under lethal
ministers because of inertia. They know that something ought to be done,
but are not sure what it is or how to proceed. Out of fear of doing the
wrong thing, they often do nothing and merely hang on, hoping for the
best.
Two realities lie behind much of the confusion and misunderstanding
about
how to deal with difficulties in the pastor-church relationship. These
realities should never be played against one another but should always
be
remembered together. When controversy erupts, the tendency is to focus
on
only one of them to the neglect of the other. What are these two realities?
First, the pastor, by virtue of God's ordination, is in a position of
spiritual authority in the church and therefore, is due respect and esteem
by virtue of his office. Regardless of his person (though that is not
unimportant) the office which he holds is worthy of esteem and respect
by
the whole congregation. Church members should demonstrate by their conduct
that they desire their pastors to serve with joy and not with grief, "for
they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account" (Hebrews
13:17). It is wonderful when there are personal reasons also to esteem,
love and admire the pastor; but even if such are hard to find in the man,
the office itself requires respect.
Second, the pastor is a mere man - a real man - who is, like everyone
else,
a frail creature of dust. He is subject to the same passions as other
men
and is liable to the same temptations and the same sins, just like others.
To remember only the respect and esteem that is due to the office will
inhibit one's ability to recognize and deal with real sin on the part
of
the pastor. Many loyal church members have been blinded to the failures
of
their pastors out of sincere respect for the office.
On the other hand, if one wants to find fault with a pastor, it is easy
to
do. Pastors are sinful and regularly deal with problems and temptations
like everyone else. It is easy to pick a pastor apart. If the fact of
his
humanness is not balanced with the reality that, despite his sin God has
placed him in this office that must be esteemed and respected, then it
will
be too easy to declare open season on all his faults.
So what does a church do when members become convinced that a pastor
needs
to be removed? While there is no formula or step-by-step outline in the
Scripture telling us how to dismiss a pastor, there are some very clear
principles. These principles should govern any procedure adopted by a
congregation to deal with this unfortunate event.
First, consider Paul's instruction in 1 Timothy. Paul sent this letter
to
Timothy to encourage him in his work of leading and serving the church
in
Ephesus. After outlining the qualifications for elders and deacons in
chapter 3, Paul explains why he addresses the subjects he does in the
letter: "These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you
shortly;
but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct
yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the
pillar and ground of the truth" (3:14-15). He wants Timothy to know
and to
be able to teach others how to behave and conduct themselves in the church.
In Timothy 5 Paul turns his attention again to the issue of elders and
pastors and notes that elders who rule well, especially those who labor
in
word and doctrine, are to be financially remunerated for their labors
in a
manner that corresponds to the expertise with which they dispense their
responsibilities. "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy
of double
honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the
Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,'
and, 'The laborer is worthy of his wages"' (5:17-18).
Our interest is in verses 19-21 as we consider the question of how a
church
should go about dismissing its pastor. Paul indicates that there is a
wrong
way and a right way to dismiss an elder. It is important to identify both.
It may be right to remove a pastor but it is never right to do so in the
wrong way.
How should a pastor not be fired? He should not be dismissed based on
rumor
or innuendo. The pastor should be known as a man of Christian character
and
conduct, or else he never should have been placed in the office. There
should be demonstrable evidence of his mature, Christian character. Paul
addresses the whole issue of qualifications for pastors, bishops or elders
(which, for the purpose of this article are used interchangeably) in 1
Timothy 3. Little is said of their duties. One would be hard-pressed to
come up with a full job description for a pastor based on the first seven
verses. But it is not hard to come up with a character sketch of what
pastors ought to look like. God is obviously concerned with the character
of the men put in the office of pastor.
If the church has done its homework and taken seriously its
responsibilities then the pastor should be a man who has from the beginning
demonstrated the kinds of qualities Paul lists in these verses. Whenever
a
rumor about the pastor comes wafting across the wind - either in the
congregation or in the community - and that rumor is unsubstantiated,
it
should not be allowed to overshadow what is already known to be true about
the pastor's character and his Christian conduct. Love hopes all things
and
those who love their pastor should be very slow to believe a bad report
about him.
A second instructive passage related to this is 1 Thessalonians 5:12.
Here
Paul says, "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor
among
you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them
very
highly in love for their work's sake." In other words, because of
the job
that pastors are called to do, and the office they are fulfilling, the
congregation is to esteem them "very highly in love." To entertain
(much
less start!) a rumor about a pastor that would cast aspersion upon his
character or conduct is a violation of the kind of respect that is owed.
It
also has the potential to undermine his credibility and hinder his
ministry. In fact, the church member who is determined to obey 1
Thessalonians 5:12 will be unwilling to listen to such accusations.
Anyone at any time can start a rumor that has absolutely no basis in
reality. Anyone can make an unfounded, unsubstantiated charge against
an
individual, particularly if that individual is in a leadership position.
Spiritual leaders should not become suspect because of rumor or innuendo.
Neither should a process of dismissal be instigated based on a single,
unsubstantiated accusation. Paul wrote very unambiguously, "Do not
receive
an accusation against an elder, except from two or three witnesses"
(1
Timothy 5:19). In other words, just one witness is not enough.
In the Old Testament, it was part of the Mosaic code that an Israelite
could not be indicted and convicted based upon the testimony of one person.
Deuteronomy 17:6 says, "Whoever is worthy of death shall be put to
death on
the testimony of two or three witness, but he shall not be put to death
on
the testimony of one witness." This was a safeguard built into the
covenanted community, in the political realm in which the Israelites lived.
One person could not simply make an accusation against his Israelite
brother and on that basis see his brother executed.
Paul takes this teaching and actually elevates it in his application
to the
elders in the congregation. Pastors are protected against a charge that
is
brought by a single individual. Paul is not simply saying that a pastor
cannot be indicted and convicted based upon the testimony of one. He is
saying that if there is only the testimony of one person, that testimony
is
to be thrown out of court. It is not be entertained or heard. It is not
to
be brought to the docket. Without substantiation, the charge is not even
to
be entertained.
Is Paul building walls to protect pastors from ever being accused of
serious sin? Not at all! Rather, he is establishing for us, under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, proper guidelines and parameters in which
we must walk if we are going to bring charges of serious sin against an
elder or pastor.
Pastors are extremely susceptible to false accusations by virtue of
the
nature of their work. Think of counselling. Who can prevent a disgruntled
person from charging a pastor with improper speech or conduct in a
one-on-one situation? Even with people whom I trust implicitly, I try
to be
very careful and not give any occasion, as best I know the possibilities,
where an accusation could be charged against me by someone who may want
to
do in the reputation of the church I serve or its ministry. It is simply
prudent for pastors to avoid situations that make them easy prey for
rumormongers.
The Apostle Paul was very much aware of how vulnerable pastors are to
such
charges. In 2 Timothy 4:1-4 he says this to Timothy: "I charge you
therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living
and the dead at His appearing in His kingdom Preach the word! Be ready
in
season and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine, but according to their own desires because they have itching
ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their
ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."
What do you think was the tendency of those who had listened to Timothy
when he tried to convince them, rebuke them and exhort them? Paul warned
Timothy that some would turn away from sound teaching and be swayed by
fables. It would be very easy for these disgruntled hearers to turn the
tables against Timothy and speak falsely of him. Paul was very much aware
of how easy an accusation or charge can be made without any substantiation
and do great damage to the efforts of ministry in the congregation.
The Apostle Paul himself had experienced similar opposition to the truth
of
the gospel. In 2 Timothy 2:11-13 he said this is how he had lived:
"persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium,
at
Lystra - what persecutions I endured. And out of them all, the Lord
delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will
suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse,
deceiving and being deceived." Paul knew that every Christian who
determines to live godly in Christ Jesus is setting himself on a course
facing opposition and persecution. This is certainly true of ministers
of
the gospel.
John Calvin, in his Commentary on 1 Timothy 5:18, made a wonderful
statement on this whole subject:
"For none are more liable to slanders and calumnies than godly
teachers.
Not only does it arise from the difficulty of their office, that sometimes
they either sink under it, or stagger, or halt, or blunder, in consequence
of which wicked men seize many occasions for finding fault with them [in
other words, the pressures of the ministry sometimes get weighed down
so
much that the temptations become more formidable and the defenses are
weakened and sometimes these slip-ups and sins do come in light of that];
but there is this additional vexation, that, although they perform their
duty correctly, so as not to commit any error whatever, they never escape
a
thousand censures. And this is the craftiness of Satan, to draw away the
hearts of men from ministers, that instruction may gradually fall into
contempt."
This is very insightful and to the point. In the Old Testament, when
Absalom was allowed to return to Jerusalem while David was king, remember
what Absalom did? As the people came to David to have their cases solved,
and as David was busy and unable to hear all the cases, Abasalom, the
Scripture says, "began to steal the hearts of the people away from
David."
Through innuendoes, doubts and question marks placed in the minds of the
Israelites, he stole their hearts from David. This is exactly what can
happen with ministers, and when it happens, it causes the instruction
of
the Word of God, which they are commissioned to give to the people,
gradually to fall into contempt. Calvin continues:
"Thus not only is wrong done to innocent persons, in having their
reputation unjustly wounded, (which is exceedingly base in regard to those
who hold so honourable a rank,) but the authority of the sacred doctrine
of
God is diminished.
And this is what Satan, as I have said, chiefly labours to accomplish;...
Not only so, but as soon as any charge against the ministers of the word
has gone abroad, it is believed as fully as if they were already
convicted....
We need not wonder, therefore, if they whose duty it is to reprove the
faults of all, to oppose the wicked desires of all, and to restrain by
their severity every person whom they see going astray, have many enemies.
What, then, will be the consequence, if we shall listen indiscriminately
to
all the slanders that are spread abroad concerning them?
It is easy to make an accusation, spread a rumor, or begin speaking
with
innuendoes that undermine the credibility of the voice-the mouthpiece-that
God has placed in the church to instruct from the Word of God, and we
must
guard against it. Paul had been falsely accused when he wrote this letter
to Timothy. In Jerusalem he had been accused of desecrating the temple
by
taking a Gentile into the court beyond where the Gentiles were allowed
to
enter. Though he was not guilty, nevertheless the charge was made and
he
wound up being imprisoned and ultimately sent to Rome. The difficulties
he
faced there, along with the opportunities to preach the gospel, can all
be
traced back to false accusations.
Among the Corinthians, Paul was also accused of being one thing when
he was
present and something altogether different when he was absent-specifically
of being a hypocrite. Paul had to defend not himself but the office of
apostle which God had commissioned him to fulfil. This he does in 2
Corinthians 10-11.
The same thing happened among the churches in Galatia. He was accused
of
teaching something that he never taught. He had to come and defend his
teaching as an apostle of Jesus Christ among those churches.
Pastors must exercise great care to avoid putting themselves at unnecessary
risk in this matter of opening up avenues for unfounded rumor and
accusation. Simple wisdom must be used regarding planning and procedures,
setting up schedules and agendas, particularly with counseling sessions.
All of these things must be brought into the light of the reality that
Satan will seize upon opportunities to cause false accusations to be made.
Even after you have done your best, as congregation and as pastor, there
is
no way to guarantee absolutely the stifling of all rumors. It cannot be
done. You cannot prevent accusations completely from coming.
What happens when an accusation is made against a minister? The public
ministry of the Word is undermined. There is a question mark that begins
to
arise in the listeners. "Could it be true?" "This man is
preaching the
Bible, but what about that rumor?" The question mark remains there.
Also,
the very character of the minister as well as the church is called into
question by the community. "Did you hear about that pastor?"
"What kind of
church is that if they have a pastor who does that?" The gospel itself
may
well be hindered in the lives of individuals as it was among the Galatians
when the rumors and accusations against Paul were believed by some.
When an unfounded accusation is made by an individual against the pastor,
not only is this accusation not to be acted upon, it is not even to be
received. Rather, 1 Timothy 5:19 ought to be cited and the accuser ought
to
be asked if he or she has another witness to substantiate the accusation.
If not, we are not to receive it. The Scripture tells us not to even listen
to or entertain an accusation that is unsubstantiated. If it cannot be
substantiated, you and I must not participate in the sin of the accuser
by
listening to it.
The Puritans had a saying that the person who gossips has the devil
on his
tongue, and the person who listens to gossip has the devil in his ear.
Paul
here says, don't even listen to an accusation that comes from only one
witness.
What about a situation where a single individual steps forward to accuse
a
pastor of a criminal offense such as embezzlement or sexual abuse? The
ongoing scandals in the Roman Catholic Church as well as in many prominent
Protestant congregations make this issue painfully relevant. Any attempt
to
silence victims or cover up the misconduct of leaders is shameful and
does
not serve the cause of God and truth. Where criminal charges are filed,
a
criminal investigation should be conducted by proper civil authorities.
Both the church and minister are placed in awkward situations in such
cases
and must carefully heed the Apostles Peter's instructions in 1 Peter
4:14-16, 19:
If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the
Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed,
but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer,
a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet
if
anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify
God in this matter Therefore let those who suffer according to the will
of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator"
(1 Peter 4:14-16, 19).
The result of the criminal investigation will provide further evidence
that
sheds light on individual's accusation. Often, other victims are discovered
or more information is uncovered that becomes corroborating evidence
against the pastor (such as missing funds discovered by an auditor). The
church must weigh this evidence carefully and proceed with biblical steps
of removing the pastor if his guilt is demonstrable. If the evidence
suggests he has been falsely accused, that should be declared by the church
and the practical issue of his future effectiveness in the church as well
as possible discipline against the accuser should be considered.
Have you ever fallen prey to the subtle snares of Satan in this issue
and
entertained an unwarranted accusation against an elder? If so, then you
have violated this passage. If the accusation was not brought by two or
three witnesses then you have become ensnared in that accuser's sin. Next
time, act upon the principle of 1 Timothy 5:19 and resist that temptation.
That's how not to dismiss a pastor. Don't do it on the basis of rumor
and
innuendo and don't do it on the basis of one accuser only. How then are
you
to go about dealing with the sin of a pastor that is serious enough to
require his dismissal?
First, verses 19-21 require two or three witnesses before the accusation
is
even entertained. This may be what has happened: You know that this pastor
has done this, but the next consideration is, do you have a witness? If
you
do, then the accusation may be entertained and brought to the proper church
leaders.
Then, in the investigation that ought to follow, a church is to research
the accusation and the specific charges to see if they can be sustained.
If
the charges can be substantiated and there is reason to believe, from
the
mouth of two or three witnesses, based on the evidence that is brought
forth, that something serious is going on, then the charges ought to be
taken to the church by the leaders.
When accusations arise, they ought to be handled this way as a matter
of
simple Christian prudence. The leaders of the church have been recognized
by the whole congregation as men of integrity and trustworthiness-men
who
have pledged themselves to serve the congregation by following as best
they
can the principles of God's Word and giving leadership and direction to
the
procedures of following that Word, no matter what the consequences or
where
it will lead. Those leaders are obligated to make a very careful and
detailed investigation of the whole issue, to research it and go through
the evidence, to hear testimony and bring in witnesses, to see what is
going on, how it has arisen, and get to the bottom of the issue. That
is
their duty and their responsibility before God for the welfare of the
congregation.
If, in their detailed investigation, the charge cannot be proved, the
matter should be resolved without formal accusation and charges being
brought against the minister. However, the question still remains: Why
was
the charge made? There must be some problem somewhere. Something may be
going on - maybe a simple misunderstanding or miscommunication - but
nevertheless, there is a problem even though it may not reside in the
actual content and essence of the accusation.
However, if the charge can be proved and the pastor does seem to be
guilty
of serious sin, then the matter is not to be whitewashed or dealt with
lightly. Paul says, "Th
ose who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also
may
also fear" (1 Timothy 5:20). If the investigation concludes that
yes, there
is more, there is doctrinal or moral sin of serious nature, then the pastor
should be addressed and rebuked publicly by the congregation. When a
problem escalates to such a serious level then the congregation must decide
whether the pastor had disqualified himself from public ministry in the
church, and remove him if he has.
The protection that God has given for good men in the office of elder
is
not to be misused to protect bad men by allowing them to get away with
scandalous sin.
These are the procedures to be followed. In verse 21, the Apostle Paul
brings a very sober note, a very weighty charge, right on the heels of
the
instruction: "I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and
the
elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing
with partiality." The procedure is to be followed with strict justice.
There is to be no prejudice, no pre-judging. No one is to say, "Well,
we
already know where this thing is going to go so we're just going to go
through the motions." No, we will, under God and recognizing that
we stand
before God, seek to evaluate the evidence and follow it wherever it leads.
We will draw the conclusions that are required and endure the consequences
as the Word of God instructs us, without prejudice and without partiality.
In other words, if we are called upon to engage in the investigation and
bring the matter before the congregation, we should, in our mind's eye,
take a blanket and put it over the faces of all of the principle parties
involved so that we are not improperly influenced by relationships. We
must
look at the evidence without partiality and seek, on the basis of that
evidence, to come to the truth of the matter as we cry out to God to be
spared from making a mistake. We are to proceed with strict justice.
This process is to be followed with grave solemnity: "Before God,
and the
Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels..." Paul is painting a picture
of
the heavenly tribunal: God Himself, the Lord and Sovereign of the universe;
Jesus Christ, whom He has appointed to be Judge of this universe; and
in
His service, the elect angels who always are there doing their bidding
without hesitancy. Paul says that you stand before God, His angels and
Christ himself, before whom you must give an account eternally, as you
discharge this responsibility and seek how to carry out this grave matter
that has been brought into the life of the church.
Pastors are not above sin. They are not above the temptations of grievous
sins, both doctrinally and morally. When a pastor is guilty of doctrinal
or
moral sin in a grievous way, he should be dealt with for the sake of the
Lord Jesus Christ and His glory, whom he represents, for the sake of the
church of Jesus Christ, which he serves and for the sake of his own soul.
The church belongs to Jesus Christ and we have been told in Scripture
that
one day the church will be free from spot and wrinkle. That be a glorious
day! But that day is not yet. We still have spots and we still have
wrinkles. We still have to deal with the reality of sin that remains in
the
church. Sometimes the church has to deal with scandalous sin and tragically
there have been times in local churches where congregations have had to
deal with scandalous sin in the lives of their pastors.
It should be our desire and prayer that the Lord would spare His churches
and pastors from ever having to come to the point of dealing with these
kinds of issues in a formal way. No elder wants to bring the kind of
reproach upon Christ's church and His gospel that would require these
strong steps to be taken by a congregation. But if the need arises, let
us
be faithful to follow biblical principles in whatever steps we must take.
And, let us refuse to be ensnared by those who would bring sinful
accusations against the leaders that God has appointed in His church.
[Thomas Ascol is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida
and the editor of the Founders' Journal, a quarterly publication which
takes as its theological framework the first recognised confession of
faith
which Southern Baptists produced, 'The Abstract of Principles.' This
article appeared in the current Founders Journal for the Winter of 2003.
PO
Box 150931, Cape Coral, FL 33915.
