Restoring Fallen Leaders

Posted by Jonathan Brink
February 11, 2008

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I have a friend who is a disgraced pastor.

He’s still trying to recover from the experience. He’s lost most of his friends and is struggling to understand how to put his life back together. There’s nothing simple to his story. It wasn’t a simple fall that is so easy to categorize. There were many parties involved over long periods of time. The fall even surprised him. He understands the weight of it and is living the cost in a very real way. Everything in his life has changed in a dramatic way because of it.

And what doesn’t surprise me is the response from the church.

His fall was well documented and very public because he was a pastor at a mega church. Everyone heard about it. I even heard about it before I knew my friend. News like this travels very fast. Unfortunately the church has done little to restore him in any way. He was removed from his role and essentially ignored by the pastors, who told him they would help him when they saw “true repentance.” Senior staff made very little effort to bring him to some form of restoration. I’m not privy to the inner workings of this church so I can not say what they said. I’m sure it was painful and hard for everyone.

But it made me ask a very serious question. Are we really about restoration? Sometimes I’m not so sure.

There seem to be two major examples in Scripture of dealing with a fallen leader. There’s the model Jesus provided and the model Paul provided. Paul has many exhortations for the various churches.

2 Corinthians 2:5-8 – 5If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.

He also has an exhortation in Galatians 6:1

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.”

Paul also talks about being disqualified in Corinthians, which has been used extensively about fallen leaders.

1 Corinthians 9:27 – No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

But actions sometimes take precedent over words. In Acts 15:36-41, Paul doesn’t want to take John Mark on his next journey because he had previously abandoned them. The dispute actually separates Paul and Barnabas. And I can’t help but wish Paul had followed his own advice on this one. But I also get his response to John Mark to a great extent. When someone we consider an example falls, it hurts. What my friend did has extensive consequences and affected a lot of people. Trust was broken. But isn’t one of the central message of the gospel that we are fallen? And when we do, why are we surprised?

But Jesus’ response is quite different and one I think the church has ignored. Peter, who was part of the inner circle, denies Jesus three times. His denial could be considered one of the most grievous acts of broken trust in Scripture. He turned his back on God. He denies knowing Jesus when it really mattered. But Jesus’ response is profound. He doesn’t shame him or berate him, which is what we typically think is needed to “teach someone a lesson.” We assume that shame will be enough of a motivator to change their actions. Instead, Jesus avoids the use of shame and actively restores him to ministry.

John 21:15-17 – When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

This is the man Jesus had told would be central to growing the church.

“Matthew 16:18 – And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

And I can’t help but believe that Jesus is giving us a deeper message that restoration is much more powerful than shame? And could Jesus be saying that he will be building His church on stories like Peter’s, ones of restoration? Jesus understands that it’s better to restore than tear down and leave behind. In restoration we find the essence of love. Jesus is telling Peter he’s worth it. He’s validating his dignity at that moment.

But the reality is that restoration requires great sacrifice on our part. It’s not the easier path. In fact forgiving someone is much harder. It means letting go of justice for the broken trust. It means actually living out the Gospel when we don’t feel like it. It means dealing with our own injustices that we want to sweep under the rug because they remind us of the lesser half.

I think Jesus understands that restoration is central to the mission and he provides us with a clear example of how to do it. And I love that it’s Peter, who is always the one out front. Peter is the guy who takes Jesus at his word and goes for it. He’s the guy who we would see as the natural leader. He’s the closest thing we have to the rock star fallen from grace. And Jesus restores him.

My hope is that as we begin to build new models of church that we begin to find ways to actively restore leaders the way Jesus did. Because when we do, when we choose to restore a fallen leader we send a message that restoration is meant for everyone. We send a message that grace extends deeper than our sin. We send a message that we really do believe in forgiveness. We send a message that love is more powerful than our brokenness. And people like my friend can begin to walk with community towards restoration, rather than in isolation.

That’s the kind of church I want to be involved with.

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Church, Church Leadership, Conflict, Emerging Church, Jesus, forgiveness, grace, pastors, redemption

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  • That’s the kind of church I want to be involved with.

    Me too!
  • I just loved this post, Jonathan. It's a heartbreaker, no doubt. This story has been repeated over and over and over again.

    In my wildest hopes and dreams, I picture every Christian leader that has fallen being fully restored. They will be more compassionate, more loving, and more humble than those leaders that have not publically fallen because they now know the power of restoration, they now know the true heart that lies within all of us enabling any one of us to fall at any time, and they now know how deep the mercy and forgiveness of Christ truly is.

    While I'm dreaming, I also imagine every broken and bruised reed that used to serve with joy but ended up too beaten up to continue to serve in any capacity at all. There are thousands of them now hiding out in their own private caves of Adullum, wondering if that is where they will spend the rest of their lives. I imagine a shout going forth from heaven when the time is right, saying to both the fallen as well as to the bruised and bloody, "Come forth!" much as Jesus called to Lazarus. I think then the world will see the glory of Christ as his formerly bloodied, beaten down servants now serve with a humble heart filled with gratitude that they never could have known apart from the path they've walked on.

    If I’m gonna' dream, I'm gonna dream big. I seriously long for all of the above and hope one day to see it with my own eyes.

    From a fellow-sister who is preparing to leave her own cave of Adullum one day soon,

    Elle
  • grace
    Jonathan,
    I agree very much with your hope for restoration. I am not sure what that should look like in these circumstances.

    It won't come as any surprise to you that I see the role of megachurch pastor as inherently damaging. I think it is sad that we continue to put men in these roles that so frequently lead to being disgraced.

    Yes, the church should be a place of restoration. But let's take a look at our own responsibility in perpetuating the role of the leader on a pedestal.
  • Elle, I think we've missed one of the most powerful testimonies to grace when we allow leaders to be left behind. I hope you leave Adullum soon.
  • Grace, in business and in Hollywood there is a subtle game both play. They like to create idols so they can knock them off. I don't think we in the church do this intentionally but it plays much the same.
  • Jonathan wrote:

    "Elle, I think we’ve missed one of the most powerful testimonies to grace when we allow leaders to be left behind. I hope you leave Adullum soon."

    I couldn't agree with you more. That's why it's so sad.

    As to me and my cave, I'm inching toward the opening more and more every day. Once my eyes are acclimated to the light, I expect to be out for good :-). Some day soon....

    Elle
  • Keith Parham
    you rock
  • Robert
    Wow, I saw the other post first before finding this one. I really ache for your friend. I was a youth pastor in a very small lil church, i can only imagine the backlash of being a highprofile megachurch pastor. As i said in my previous reply to your other post, I felt very alienated from people after my fall. I was told to go to counseling by a disciplinary committee at the seminary I attended. I never recieved any help or response from anyone as to how i was handling things and how I could recover. I'm sure it felt very awkward to them as my failure and sin was made public and so Im sure it made it tough for them to know how to react. I hope and pray restoration will be what is sought any time this happens. I am seeking to begin a small group in my church I am at now which focuses on this very thing!!!! Love to get your thrive materials btw, please feel free to email me love to find out more.
  • deniseweber
    Thank you for this wonderful post. My husband and I are restored to ministry after a fall. We call ourselves a voice from the ditch. We were left alone, trashed and bleeding. Our home and ministry was stolen, our reputation was destroyed and we thought we would lose our lives. But God who is rich in mercy, brought us out. Not by the help of man I might add! We were so alone! We now have a heart for the fallen and God sends people to us all the time to hide and love. Its rewarding. The pain of what the church did to us was unbelievable and the leadership we were submitted to .. crucified us. It was so unfair and ungodly. WE MUST DO BETTER!!!!
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