Fallen Preachers

Bill the bible never really spells this out in the way you asked it, but yes there are those things that can be done that make them disqualified. Paul mentions it when he says;
1Cr 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.(disqualified)

We also have the qualification of a pastor in Tim and Titus. My understanding is that should a man fail in His calling into immoral conditions he is to be removed. He perhaps could be restored IF there is clear evidence of repentance and overcoming of the sin after time, but my guess is that his ministry would never be the same, but that would be the Lord's choice, not mens.

 

A man that was "after God's own heart" once committed adultery and betrayed the woman's husband unto death. He wasn't in the office of Pastor though.

My own thoughts are that it would be hard to follow someone that was living in a deliberately sinful and unrepentant/unreconciled lifestyle. If a Pastor was to be restored, he should display plain evidence of his repentance and return to a life that pleases God.

 

This brings to my mind the question of having his family under submission to him, as is called out in 1 Timothy. If his family is rebellious and does not follow his lead, perhaps he should be removed from the office of pastoral work. Could he ever be restored? When they leave home would he then be able to preach again?

 

Bill the bible does not clearly deal with this. It would be up to each congreation to decide. If the man did this and repented and gave strong evidence that he had overcome this then a congreation might take him, but I know of absolutely no passage that forbids it. Keep in mind that Peter denied the Lord and was restored to one of the highest position in the early church.
I am not suggesting that it is idealor that i would serve under him or that i would not, but that it is open to each congreation to decide.

 

NateT
a man is not forbidden to preach if he fails at home.He is forbidden to hold an office of pastor(elder). If that meant he could not preach then Billy Graham was in deep sin all his life since he was not incontrol of his children. Simply put at least a couple were a mess and in deep sin while growing up.

 

A pastor who fails by adultery can never again be labeled blameless. Therefore, he cannot ever pastor again.

 

danile,
can you tell me why you have chosen adultery as being the litmus test for being blameless? What if he has a thought of lust for a woman, should he then be removed? Remember it is the same as adultery. The text gives other things in that same passage for being blameless. So if they fail in any point they would be disqualified. It even mentions being hospitable. So if they fail there they are not blameless.

Again the scripture does not say that they are never to hold the office if they ever fail. It is in the present tense and the idea is what are they like right now, not what were they 10 years ago. So I do not think based on scripture you or anyone can make such a dogmatic statement. It would be different if you said "I believe", but to say it in the absolute is not what the text refers to.

 

freeatlast, I just picked adultery as one of many things.

blameless is the requirement. A man who fails in his own home and commits adultery actually breaks two requirements.

Btw, Jesus did not say that lusting is the same thing as sleeping with another woman. He did say that it is enough to condemn you for that sin though.

 

No actually the Lord said that who so ever looks on a woman to lust for her comits adultery in his heart. That is where all sin comes from. I do agree that a man who is failing the Lord has no business in the pastors place, but todays's chruces are full of them. Most to be honest based on the biblical calling and conditions. However the idea is present tense, not past action. The text is saying that the man has to be showing those characteristics at the time he is put into the pastors place.

 

Well if you want to get hung up on the tense issue, then a man could have sex with a woman, get up and say that he isn't presently sleeping with another woman.

 

No that won't work. The tense is such that it is the on going character of the person. He has to be tried. That is why scripture warns not to lay hands on any man quickly.They need to be watched and examined.

 

that is talking about a novice, not a person in another woman's bed.

 

Is it a sin? Maybe.

If it controls him, it is sin. I would personally not want my pastor to smoke, as that makes a person smell awful.

 

I agree, have not studied the word recently so am open to correction, but I think the word "blameless" has the idea of "not being able to point the finger at." Once adultery has been committed I don't think that man is ever "blameless" again. Does that mean he cannot be used by God? No. IMHO though I don't think he is qualified to pastor.

 

There is no scripture forbidding somneone smoking or chewing.

 

What about a pastor who is over 300 pounds because he has a problem with gluttony? He doesn't chew, drink, smoke, or lust after women, but he loves food and lots of it. In addition, his weight affects his mobility and energy.

Is he qualified to pastor? Is he blameless? Sounds like silly questions and little unfair, but are they?

 

A man guilty of gluttony is not qualified to pastor and it isn't silly. Gluttony is a sin as is slothfulness. If someone's obesity is not caused by one of these things then they might qualify.