Another one BITES the dust?

[prophet]

According to studies I've seen online, 30-40% of pastors have reported to have had a one time or longer term extra-marital affair.

http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/?articleid=36562

I would believe 1/3 or more. Power corrupts. And the corrupt are drawn to power.

 

[Revmitchell]

Oooorrrrrr.....maybe it is not about power but simply about fallen human beings. We need to be praying for our pastors and church leaders.

 

[plain_n_simple]

Oooorrrrrr.....maybe it is not about power but simply about fallen human beings. We need to be praying for our pastors and church leaders.

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[annsni]

Oooorrrrrr.....maybe it is not about power but simply about fallen human beings. We need to be praying for our pastors and church leaders.

Exactly. I wonder what percentage of the general population also strays? What percentage in the church?

As women, we need to pray for our men, not just our husband - but for ALL of our men, to stand firm in light of temptation.

I don't have any words of wisdom for men other than to RUN from temptation. But I'm not a guy so I can't say more than that.

 

[righteousdude2]

Point taken...

That's an extremely pessimistic outlook, RD2. I don't think there will be any more or any less of this than we've seen in the past. Who was the last with high visibility? Haggard? That was six years ago. Jack Schaap of First Baptist in Hammond, Indiana went to prison after a conviction for having sexual relations with a minor three years ago. Two years ago, a handful of so-called mega-church pastors in Florida individually resigned over a period of months for sexual immorality.

Mega church pastors are more visible, more "rock star" than pastor in many cases. They, rather than Christ, tend to be the focus of their ministry, and that's a recipe for disaster in any church. It just happens to affect the big ones more often than the little ones.

There is also the reality that sexual immorality is much more common in the pews than in the pulpit. Sure, some of these big-name, big-bucks pastors are going to fail. So are some of the lesser-known pastors around the country. But if we want to address the problem, we need to start in the pews. It's a bigger problem there, and I wonder, is it confronted as often as it should be?

....but I have witnessed a great many pastors secretly involved in porn and sexual indiscretions and ministered to them. There are also groups around America that are designed to leaders of the church who need help with this sin! See this link - http://www.clergyrecovery.com/?p=40

And another - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/25/clergy-battle-porn-addiction_n_1110981.html

It is real, and denying it doesn't make it so! Here's a page of inks for you to start looking through - http://search.aol.com/aol/search?query=pastors+hooked+on+porn&s_it=client97_searchbox

If it is happening in other pulpits, it is happening under the Baptist cloth too!

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

....but I have witnessed a great many pastors secretly involved in porn and sexual indiscretions and ministered to them. There are also groups around America that are designed to leaders of the church who need help with this sin! See this link - http://www.clergyrecovery.com/?p=40

And another - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/25/clergy-battle-porn-addiction_n_1110981.html

It is real, and denying it doesn't make it so! Here's a page of inks for you to start looking through - http://search.aol.com/aol/search?query=pastors+hooked+on+porn&s_it=client97_searchbox

If it is happening in other pulpits, it is happening under the Baptist cloth too!

I'm well aware of the problem, RD2. I've been working the last few months with the Missouri Baptist Convention and the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists to teach pastors about the dangers, establish programming that will help identify problem areas, and counsel pastors who submit. Both conventions advise their subscribing churches to allow sabbaticals for pastors who self-identify and seek help.

What I've found is that the statistics I've heard over the years, that 40% to as high as 70% of pastors have either a pornography, other sexual addiction, or adultery problem, are wrong. It isn't that high. Those statistics appear to come from secular questionnaires that are being misinterpreted by analysts who don't understand 1) the honesty, and 2) the guilt that pastors associate with certain thoughts, which is essentially as far as most of it goes.

That's not to say there aren't a lot of pastors in need of help, nor do in any way I intend to negate your great work in counseling and guiding your peers. I pray that continues to be a focal point for you, that you help as many as are willing. In fact, given my ministry has been heretofore to laymen, I wonder if, in PM, you might suggest any differences you've noted in approach to counseling the pastors. Thanks.