The High Stakes of How Christians Approach Power
[…] Since writing your books, we have witnessed numerous pastors and ministry leaders in the evangelical church fall prey to temptations of power. How should Christians and churches respond to this troubling trend? What are the key lessons for the church?
Goggin: For many of us it can be tempting to respond to these stories, both public and local, with a kind of distanced judgment. But it’s dangerous to always view the problem of power in the church as “out there”: in those megachurches, those celebrity pastors, those denominations lacking the right form of governance and polity. To be sure, we need to consider the dangerous propensities of particular ecclesial structures and systems of governance. We need to take seriously the destructive effects of celebrity culture. And yet if our contemplation of stories of pastoral failure cuts no deeper than pointing fingers, we have missed an invitation from the Lord. I believe God is inviting the church in North America to pray corporately and personally: “Search me, O God, and know our heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23–24).
Sauls: Our first response should be humility and lament. When ministers experience moral failure, especially regarding the abuse of power, everybody loses. The best way to lead people through such losses is through honest, appropriate, public acknowledgments of what went wrong. Following this, every effort must be made not only to repent, but also to repair any damage that has been done, especially to victims.
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