How to Handle a Moral Failure (Part 3)

In case of emergency, don’t panic

My goal in writing this series of posts is to help churches with a situation I hope they never face, the moral failure of a key leader. Unfortunately few churches are adequately prepared for this type of emergency and in a state of near panic make devastating decisions. I think the eight principles I am sharing can keep your church from going down that same path.

In Part 1 and Part 2 we explored the first five guidelines:

1. Make a plan in advance
2. Discover the truth
3. Tell the truth
4. Accept responsibility
5. Communicate often and clearly

In Part 3 we’ll finish with the final three guidelines.

Eight guiding principles when a leader has a moral failure

6. Balance grace and truth

There are two camps that tend to form when dealing with a moral failure. The truth camp says, “The consequences of the sin mean the end of employment and severing of relationship. Its time to move one. How can we stay true to the Bible if do not deal with sin in the camp?” The grace camp says, “Restoration is the goal. Grace means we forgive, we offer help and we restore the leader to their position in time. Where would any of us be without grace?” 

The reality is that both camps are right. Truth without grace is harsh and hypocritical, while grace without truth diminishes the seriousness of sin and the obligations of leadership. Finding the balance between extremes is the biggest challenge when dealing with moral failure. Factors to consider include:

• Did the leader come forward or did they get caught? An environment where leaders know that if they confess sin in their lives they will immediately lose their jobs leads to more secrecy and less accountability. The pendulum should swing more toward grace in a case where the leader confessed before he was caught.
• Is this a first time offense or part of a pattern of transgressions? 
• Is there a humble spirit focused on repentance, restitution and reconciliation?

Another factor at play is that grace doesn’t always mean restoration to a position of leadership in the church. There are times when, because of the seriousness of the offense, the leader loses the moral authority to lead. There is a difference between having people in the congregation who have had affairs and asking an entire congregation to follow a leader who has a pattern of sexual sin.

Forgiveness and grace don’t necessarily equate with restoration of authority. Share on X

An additional priority to consider is the pain caused to third parties. When a pastor fails morally it is like dropping a rock into a pond; the ripples go out in all directions long after the rock has settled to the bottom. Moving too quickly without proper regard or care for innocent people who have been wounded in the process is incredibly harmful. Grace isn’t just for the pastor, it also extends to the people his actions have impacted.

7. Lean into outside help

Regardless your theology around the autonomy of the local church, every congregation needs help in a time of crisis. There are leaders who’ve walked through similar challenges and they can bring insight and wisdom. Outside eyes can help discover systems and structures that need to change in light of the crisis. And it is helpful for the congregation to know that you are seeking and receiving wisdom from more seasoned leaders. 

As we discussed in the first guideline, long before a moral crisis arises church leaders should put together a list of who they’ll call on in a crisis. Ideally, however, they won’t wait for a crisis to ask for help. I can’t imagine why any church wouldn’t want input and perspective from leaders outside of the congregation. These leaders don’t have to have authority over the local elder board, but they certainly should be invited in as outside consultants. (Paid or unpaid)

We lean on others for relationship advice, parenting advice and financial advice; why wouldn’t a church regularly ask for outside input on the health of the church? Share on X

If we’ve established a relationship with a group of outside leaders before we face crisis we won’t have to call on strangers when a crisis arises. 

8. Learn before hiring next leader

If there is a change in leadership because of a moral failure it is important to learn vital lessons before hiring someone new. 

• What led to the moral failure? 
• What signs did we miss? 
• What about the leadership role as it is currently constituted contributed to the crisis? 
• What systems and structure changes do we need to make before looking for a new leader?

I see churches make two mistakes at this point. The first is to overcorrect. The elders decide they need to take a much more active role in leading the church, new codes of conduct are enacted, and staff structure and reporting is completely revamped. The other mistake is to decide that all of the problems were unique to the former leader, so few changes are needed in the role of pastor or organizational structure.

The reality is any moral failure is partly because of individual sin and partly because of organizational weakness; it is crucial to carefully discover each. Share on X

Finally

Hopefully as church leaders you are investing in the physical, relational and spiritual health of your pastors. You are asking the right questions and coming alongside leaders who are struggling. You have guardrails in place and you are making sure no one is on a leadership island alone. Unfortunately, even if you are doing all the right things, some leaders will still make very poor decisions and you’ll find yourselves in a moral crisis. My prayer is these guidelines will help your navigate the storm, and the church and leader will find health on the other side. And, as always, let me know if I can help.