Thankful that a pastor publicly owned his sin and repented. The law has had it's God ordained effect and brought another sinner to repentance and appropriate contrition. This is also the action of saving faith, the Holy Spirit in full active mode. While the former pastor's life may be more difficult until the Lord calls him home, a few years is nothing against eternity.
Since his public confession, we have learned that his admission was upon discovery. But entirely significantly, this sin was committed against (not with) a congregant, someone under his spiritual leadership. This is not an affair, this is Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse, a different category altogether. It is well-researched that when pastors misuse the inherent trust and power in their position to gain access to cross ethical boundaries with someone under their leadership, great and lasting harm is done to the victim. This is an egregious and devastating breach of trust in a pastor with a fiduciary duty to maintain ethical and moral boundaries with those in his spiritual care. Right-naming matters. Until he grasps what he has actually done, his soul is in jeopardy.
There is no report of rape charges filed against him that I can find, which would be the correct approach if your information is accurate (against vs with). We need to be extremely judicious about creating a psychoanalytic category of "beguiled consent" (was Judah beguiled into consensual sex with Tamar, or was he just too happy to find a prostitute with her charms?).
For now, we know that he has admitted to adultery. All adultery is abusive by definition. If it was against her will, she should file rape charges. Nevertheless, even if there was a pending rape trial and guilty conviction, it does not negate his confession and repentance. After all, not one of us is spotless without the bleaching blood of Christ to wash away our crimson stains.
Sexual abuse is a broader category than rape. Adult clergy sexual abuse (sexual relationship with a congregant) is a crime in many states. Ministry is a caring role (similar to doctor, therapist, teacher) and pastors have trust, access and influence over their congregants. It is literally his job to care for that woman’s soul. Not only did he fail to care for her soul, he has harmed it. Prima facie, he has violated his role to provide pastoral care without doing harm. He has exploited a congregant (whom he has a duty before God to shepherd-notice the difference in scripture’s categories between shepherds and sheep) for his own desires. Scripturally, he is in the category of a wolf. Ezekiel 34 for starters. For his own sake, it is not good to sin-level.
Judah and Tamar does not apply. Judah literally sought out a prostitute. Judah was not under her spiritual leadership. Rather, he was a man in a society where women had zero agency, which is why Tamar had to trick him into fulfilling his obligation to her. No comparison at all. Start with Ezk 34, and what God has to say about shepherds who feed themselves on His flock.
Sorry, this is psycho-social circumlocution. Tamar had no agency! Tamar becomes a prostitute and succeeds in her mission. Judah, you pig!
Even Tamar was forgiven and saved because she repented and believed. Even Judah was saved because he repented and believed. Christ counts both in his lineage.
Unfortunately, it seems that you reject the man's confession because you want a pound of flesh that is not yours to have. Stop prosecuting a case in public based on hearsay. If you are the representative of the other adulterer, then get her to permit you to spill all the evidence. Right now, you are gossiping.
Attending church and trusting a pastor, who has access to any congregant’s inner life is not “putting herself in a situation where there is risk for an illicit relationship”. Women have pastoral needs and should be able to receive care or spiritual guidance without being at risk. It is literally his job to care for souls. It is also his job to do that without harming and he has the fiduciary duty like any other caring profession (doctors, therapists, teachers) to maintain boundaries. When a pastor crosses those lines, he is not just an adulterer, in biblical categories, he is a wolf. Ezek 34.
I am a medical professional. If a patient were to strip naked and try to seduce me, I am legally, ethically, morally and professionally responsible to care well for that person by maintaining boundaries. If I fail to do that, I have abused my position and the power in it to exploit the vulnerability of that person in my care and abuse them for my own needs. Same with pastors. Even more so. It was his responsibility to care for her soul. Instead, he harmed her.
There is no reason to ever put oneself in a position where things can happen. A pastor should not counsel a woman alone, it is a danger to his and her reputation, at best and could lead to all sorts of trouble at worst.
I’ve seen women flirting with men and doing their very worst to seduce them - especially when money and power are involved. And oh, the power of bringing down a man of the cloth.
Matt 18:7-9
Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
I’m not saying he cannot counsel her, he just needs to make sure there is someone else around and that his door is not closed. It’s not the church that’s failed, it’s modern society which did away with chaperones.
How can anyone feel safe enough with a pastor then to actually get the care they need if there needs to be a witness. Are there witnesses for men being alone too? Lots of male victims out there too. Maybe pastors just shouldn’t counsel or be alone with either sex if they can’t be trusted to not live above reproach. God forbid someone trust a pastor with care of their souls to not introduce sex into the conversation.
Pastors hold an immense amount of power and have the backing of institutions that will cover for them no matter what they do. Far more concerned for the victims.
The Matt 18 verse applies to any pastor who developes attraction to someone under his care. He should mortify his sin and step away. Again, he has the fiduciary duty to care for her soul, even if that means bringing in another. The responsibility is his as an ordained shepherd of the flock. He is forgiven, but let’s keep an eye on the nature of his ordained role.
I will leave you with anothe invitation to learn about the devastation that happens when clergy betray their role and feed on the flock. Clergy sexual misconduct.com. Plenty of good research there if you’re willing. There is still forgiveness of course, but the church can’t protect the flock if they don’t know how this happens.
Thankful that a pastor publicly owned his sin and repented. The law has had it's God ordained effect and brought another sinner to repentance and appropriate contrition. This is also the action of saving faith, the Holy Spirit in full active mode. While the former pastor's life may be more difficult until the Lord calls him home, a few years is nothing against eternity.
Spot on.
Since his public confession, we have learned that his admission was upon discovery. But entirely significantly, this sin was committed against (not with) a congregant, someone under his spiritual leadership. This is not an affair, this is Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse, a different category altogether. It is well-researched that when pastors misuse the inherent trust and power in their position to gain access to cross ethical boundaries with someone under their leadership, great and lasting harm is done to the victim. This is an egregious and devastating breach of trust in a pastor with a fiduciary duty to maintain ethical and moral boundaries with those in his spiritual care. Right-naming matters. Until he grasps what he has actually done, his soul is in jeopardy.
There is no report of rape charges filed against him that I can find, which would be the correct approach if your information is accurate (against vs with). We need to be extremely judicious about creating a psychoanalytic category of "beguiled consent" (was Judah beguiled into consensual sex with Tamar, or was he just too happy to find a prostitute with her charms?).
For now, we know that he has admitted to adultery. All adultery is abusive by definition. If it was against her will, she should file rape charges. Nevertheless, even if there was a pending rape trial and guilty conviction, it does not negate his confession and repentance. After all, not one of us is spotless without the bleaching blood of Christ to wash away our crimson stains.
Sexual abuse is a broader category than rape. Adult clergy sexual abuse (sexual relationship with a congregant) is a crime in many states. Ministry is a caring role (similar to doctor, therapist, teacher) and pastors have trust, access and influence over their congregants. It is literally his job to care for that woman’s soul. Not only did he fail to care for her soul, he has harmed it. Prima facie, he has violated his role to provide pastoral care without doing harm. He has exploited a congregant (whom he has a duty before God to shepherd-notice the difference in scripture’s categories between shepherds and sheep) for his own desires. Scripturally, he is in the category of a wolf. Ezekiel 34 for starters. For his own sake, it is not good to sin-level.
Do you have the category Parishioner Clergy Abuse?
Sheep don’t abuse the shepherd.
Judah and Tamar does not apply. Judah literally sought out a prostitute. Judah was not under her spiritual leadership. Rather, he was a man in a society where women had zero agency, which is why Tamar had to trick him into fulfilling his obligation to her. No comparison at all. Start with Ezk 34, and what God has to say about shepherds who feed themselves on His flock.
Sorry, this is psycho-social circumlocution. Tamar had no agency! Tamar becomes a prostitute and succeeds in her mission. Judah, you pig!
Even Tamar was forgiven and saved because she repented and believed. Even Judah was saved because he repented and believed. Christ counts both in his lineage.
Unfortunately, it seems that you reject the man's confession because you want a pound of flesh that is not yours to have. Stop prosecuting a case in public based on hearsay. If you are the representative of the other adulterer, then get her to permit you to spill all the evidence. Right now, you are gossiping.
Clergysexualmisconduct.com
No woman should ever put herself in a situation where there is a risk of an illicit relationship developing. Marriage is sacred.
Attending church and trusting a pastor, who has access to any congregant’s inner life is not “putting herself in a situation where there is risk for an illicit relationship”. Women have pastoral needs and should be able to receive care or spiritual guidance without being at risk. It is literally his job to care for souls. It is also his job to do that without harming and he has the fiduciary duty like any other caring profession (doctors, therapists, teachers) to maintain boundaries. When a pastor crosses those lines, he is not just an adulterer, in biblical categories, he is a wolf. Ezek 34.
I am a medical professional. If a patient were to strip naked and try to seduce me, I am legally, ethically, morally and professionally responsible to care well for that person by maintaining boundaries. If I fail to do that, I have abused my position and the power in it to exploit the vulnerability of that person in my care and abuse them for my own needs. Same with pastors. Even more so. It was his responsibility to care for her soul. Instead, he harmed her.
There is no reason to ever put oneself in a position where things can happen. A pastor should not counsel a woman alone, it is a danger to his and her reputation, at best and could lead to all sorts of trouble at worst.
I’ve seen women flirting with men and doing their very worst to seduce them - especially when money and power are involved. And oh, the power of bringing down a man of the cloth.
Matt 18:7-9
Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
If a pastor can’t even spiritually counsel a woman alone due to fear, the church has failed. Lord help us all.
I’m not saying he cannot counsel her, he just needs to make sure there is someone else around and that his door is not closed. It’s not the church that’s failed, it’s modern society which did away with chaperones.
How can anyone feel safe enough with a pastor then to actually get the care they need if there needs to be a witness. Are there witnesses for men being alone too? Lots of male victims out there too. Maybe pastors just shouldn’t counsel or be alone with either sex if they can’t be trusted to not live above reproach. God forbid someone trust a pastor with care of their souls to not introduce sex into the conversation.
One also has to be concerned with the pastor’s safety and reputation.
Pastors hold an immense amount of power and have the backing of institutions that will cover for them no matter what they do. Far more concerned for the victims.
Well said.
The Matt 18 verse applies to any pastor who developes attraction to someone under his care. He should mortify his sin and step away. Again, he has the fiduciary duty to care for her soul, even if that means bringing in another. The responsibility is his as an ordained shepherd of the flock. He is forgiven, but let’s keep an eye on the nature of his ordained role.
I will leave you with anothe invitation to learn about the devastation that happens when clergy betray their role and feed on the flock. Clergy sexual misconduct.com. Plenty of good research there if you’re willing. There is still forgiveness of course, but the church can’t protect the flock if they don’t know how this happens.
Is this your website Susan?