I’m a subscriber to The Roys Report, so I naturally receive articles on the latest developments in Christendom through my email multiple times a week. Sometimes, the articles offer encouraging spotlights on how the church perseveres through persecution, criticism, and various hardships. However, the clickable content is primarily related to significant moral failings by church leaders.
Because of that, the majority of the matter is not easy to read. Especially when it’s about a Christian figure whom I’ve come to know and respect. No matter who it is, the heartbreaking words sprinkled throughout beg me to look away at something less painful, something more affirming that relates to the group I belong to.
Reading a mixture of words such as “alleged”, “abuse”, and “accused” tied to evil and disqualifying actions in the church is enough to make the heart sick.
Any abuse is uncomfortable to talk about, but serious harm done within the body of Christ becomes especially difficult for faith communities to discuss. We can talk about the ugly that happens outside the church all day long, but when it comes to abuse happening inside the church, now that’s a different story.
If we believe no church is perfect and no faith leader is perfect, nor does God expect us to be, then why are we hell-bent on projecting that lie to the world?
Instead of the gospel playing out in our faith communities where sinners are continually in a process of conviction, repentance, and reconciliation, we pretend that there is “nothing to see here” and hope the horrendous truths don’t get out into the public’s hands.
The problem with this approach is that concealing the condition of the church only perpetuates unhealthiness. As long as we deny the existence of power-hungry leaders and abusive behavior happening in our churches, we will stay stuck in a false reality, and our ability to be a people of healing or a reflection of Jesus will remain handicapped.
So let’s step outside our glass church house and acknowledge the benefits of speaking up about the church’s failures.
Why talking about harm in the church is an essential ministry.
To love the vulnerable and oppressed.
When allegations of abuse are made, the victim will often be dismissed, ignored, or even blamed. Instead of receiving protection, acceptance, and advocacy, they will be chastised and abandoned. Their testimony will likely get buried in a sea of more influential voices that can prevent justice from taking place for years, decades, or at all.
The reality of what happened becomes a story for others to manipulate to prevent any serious consequences or disruption to their lives. If the truth is acknowledged, someone might need to lose their job, a relationship might need to change, a church exit might need to happen, someone who is dearly loved might even need to go to jail! Unfortunately, instead of inviting honesty, no matter the cost, we do whatever it takes so that it doesn’t cost us. But the fallout of taking this route doesn’t make the repercussions disappear.
The victims pay for it. They pay for it dearly. The trauma of what they have experienced turns further inwards as they see everyone around them distance themselves, or justify the harm done. Being abandoned by the faith community they trusted most creates a dark aftermath for abuse victims that leaves them wounded, wandering, and disconnected from Christians and/or God for years.
This is the complete opposite approach to how God asks us to treat the vulnerable and oppressed.
Psalms 82:3-4 says, “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people.”
Speaking truth, informing the church of a leader’s failings, calling for accountability, is seeking justice and freedom from oppression for abuse victims. It’s a display of love for those who have been harmed the most.
To better safeguard the church.
Have you ever been sucked into a documentary that explains how a predator grooms their victims? One wonders how an evil person can parade themselves as a good, trusting individual and keep their abusive behavior a secret for years.
None of us wants anyone we know to be put in that position. After we finish watching, we are sure to tell our children and our friends what we learned so they don’t unknowingly become predators’ prey.
However, time and time again, we choose to silence the warning notifications when we criticize truth-tellers and persuade justice seekers to stop talking. Turning off the Christian news channel makes us much more susceptible to the tactics Satan is successfully using on the church for its destruction.
If we allow ourselves to be privy to the schemes being used against us, we can guard against them. We can put safety policies in place. Our churches can learn to value accountability and truth-telling. Opening our eyes to what’s happening protects the church. When the church is known for dealing with our junk instead of hiding it, the leaders are no longer untouchable, and the congregation is more protected.
But does it have to be so public? You might ask. We must consider that whatever scale the leader has used to influence others, their unqualified behavior must be exposed by the same metric. In 1 Timothy 5:19-20, it says, “Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.”
When a pastor steps onto a church platform, he influences those within his midst. If he utilizes the internet or social media, he steps onto the platform of the entire world. Therefore, it is not biblical to keep moral failures to a small group of people, or even just those within the church they are serving. If they have chosen to be a public figure accessible to the world, then their correction needs to reach their entire audience.
To keep our eyes fixed on Christ.
We’d like to think that Jesus is the only person who earns pedestal rights in our lives, but the truth is, we are prone to idolizing man. Jesus is great, but we all have tendencies to crave a physical leader that we can follow.
As much as we hate to admit it, we are just like the Corinthian church, who needed correction regarding their inappropriate allegiance to various leaders in the church. Paul addresses their wrongful loyalties by saying this in 1 Corinthians 3:4-6, “For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed , Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
This is a convicting text as we discuss the increase of churches unwilling to discipline their sinful leaders. No human being’s good deeds should exempt them from discipline when it’s needed most. Our love for God must precede our love for man.
My reputation, your reputation, the reputation of a pastor or elder, or even the reputation of the church down the street, is not more important than what Christ commands of us. Exposing sin within the church humbles us all, and that’s a good thing.
So instead of turning our noses up when disgraceful behavior is uncovered in the church, let’s keep our eyes open and ears ready to hear from the Holy Spirit. As the Body of Christ, we all play a part in the health of the church.
What has been your knee jerk reaction upon reading some of the articles from the The Roys Report? Where do you think those reactions stem from?
