I am an organization man.
A team player. I have a tendency to trust institutions like schools, churches, and the government. Many people are wired the same way. When I was ordained a deacon, I was encouraged to support the church and its staff when others raised difficult questions. Having worked in church staff positions, I understood the way a few unhappy people could quickly sow seeds of discord. I was concerned about protecting the reputation of the church. After all, if the church looks bad, people will not come to church. More importantly, if the church looks bad, some might never come to Christ.
I no longer believe Jesus sees it that way.
God called out His faithless priests in Malachi 2—and clearly was not afraid to see them covered in the shame of scandal:
“This decree is for you priests. If you don’t listen, I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings…. I am going to rebuke your descendants and I will spread animal dung over your faces, the waste from your sacrifices, and you will be taken away with it…. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. You, on the other hand, have turned from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have violated the covenant of Levi. So I have made you despised and humiliated before all the people” Malachi 2:1-9.
Have we not seen enough ministers caught up in scandals? Clearly God is not helping them hide the truth. Churches may run from scandals. Institutions always attempt to circle the wagons when they feel attacked. Like the Watergate break-in, too often the cover-up is worse than the original crime. Godly people must address the facts; let God protect the reputation of a ministry.
Jesus can handle whatever damage a scandal may bring to His name. I believe He is more interested in truth and in justice for victims. God is holy. He will purge the evil from within His church.
Consider Malachi 2:3 “I will spread on your faces the manure of these animals you offer me, then throw you out like dung” (TLB). God is not afraid to see faithless leaders disgraced.
Preachers who steal from the church or who commit sexual sins should not be protected. Allowing them to use their ministry (God’s ministry) as a shield only puts the ministry in the line of fire. I have always been an organization man. But the organization should not “circle the wagons” to protect a guilty man.
God, give us wisdom. These are difficult issues requiring much wisdom and prayer. Remind us that You are on Your throne, You are not surprised, and You can handle the scandal, no matter how ugly it becomes. May You be glorified in everything.
ΑΩ
*Pictured is one of my all-time favorite Christian speakers, Ravi Zacharias. He wrote brilliant books, he traveled the world speaking to the brightest students at the most elite colleges. He was a gifted apologist, and a remarkable storyteller. Frankly, there is no one else quite like him. He died in 2020 and six months later the tide of mounting sexual abuse allegations against him became too great for those now running his ministry to hide. In short, having suffered chronic back pain for decades, Ravi turned hundreds of massage=relationships into something more, sometimes giving women money directly from his ministry funds. Some complain he forced himself on them.
Household Words: 