If you’re like me, you’re probably annoyed, saddened, and tired of hearing about some immoral misconduct on the part of church leaders. It’s 2024, and there’s no shortage of reports of corruption, embezzlement, drug abuse, alcoholism, bullying, marital affairs, sexual encounters with minors, and undercover homosexual acts being committed by seemingly God-fearing Christian leaders. I know you’re fatigued, but as a Christian, I encourage you to avoid sinking into a hopeless despair, and don’t abandon the truthfulness of Christ due to the regrettable actions of some.
Proper assessment means starting from a more neutral position. Previously, I emphasized some because media reporting can make issues seem more rampant than they are in reality. This is called the frequency illusion and represents a cognitive bias that occurs when someone notices something more frequently due to their increased awareness of it. For example, over the past 10-15 years, media and politicians have emphasized American gun violence ad nauseum. This leads some to conclude that gun violence is at an all-time high. However, it would probably surprise you to know that per capita gun-related deaths were at its highest in 1974, not the last 10-15 years (see Pew Research stats here). Look, I’m not here to argue for or against gun rights, and as someone who grew up in an inner city surrounded by gun violence, I’m sensitive to its devastating effects for families and friends of the victims. I use this stark example, however, to demonstrate how impactful frequency illusion can be to one’s perception of truth.
I believe this frequency illusion may be applicable to church scandals as well. We are bombarded with reports of scandal but not bombarded with reports of faithful upright living by Christian leaders. This is not to defend or undermine the wrong and sinful actions committed by some church leaders, and like gun-related deaths, one church scandal is too many. Yet Christians, to the maximum extent possible, have a responsibility to live in truth, proclaim truth, and believe truth. So, what does all of this mean for them? How should the Christian respond to the rampant church scandals and reports of misconduct?
1. Avoid gossiping about the situation (Rom. 1:28-31; Prov. 20:19). Gossip is wrong, sinful, and insidious. We’re prone to want information and to want to share the new information with others. There’s some part of us that receives a “boost” when we participate in gossip. I submit that the “boost” we receive is an unfortunate dopamine hit at the expense of a (likely) brother or sister in Christ. That is, sharing information about others’ downfall makes us feel better, perhaps superior, to those about whom we share such information. This is wrong, and believers should avoid this especially when it comes to church scandal.
The general attitude is to avoid talking about it unless there’s a good reason to do so. For example, is it a private discussion between you and a brother to reconcile the proper perspective in your mind or how you can improve your own behavior and kill sin in your life? Sure, discuss the scandal. Are you heartbroken and confused or have had to minister to someone that’s heartbroken and confused by the scandal? Sure, discuss the scandal. You weren’t a fan of the perpetrator, or you’re bored and want to talk about the situation to take shots at the fallen individual? Don’t discuss the scandal.
(NOTE: A close corollary to gossiping about an alleged scandal is having knowledge about it. Do we have a need or a reason to know about the scandal? No, I’m not suggesting you’re sinning for having awareness, but perhaps one should ask, “is this a good use of my time?” “Should I even be concerned or investigate these matters if they don’t directly affect me?”)
2. Scrutinize information and don’t jump to hasty conclusions despite frequency and veracity of recent claims (1 Tim 5.19). The Bible provides direction when it comes to accusations against leaders, citing the need to have two or three witnesses for accusations against an elder, which could be communicated simply as, “make sure you have credible information before accepting an accusation.” The implication is that those in church leadership are likely to have unfounded accusations thrown at them. The believer must respond responsibly and judiciously, being fully aware of the fact that the accusation may be false. This should be a neutral approach on the believer’s part, one where he or she neither jumps to hasty conclusions nor impugns the alleged victim’s character. It’s a “wait and see” approach and exudes wisdom (Prov. 10:19; 18:17; 21:23).
3. Pray for the victims and pray for the perpetrators (1 Thess. 5:17; Jms. 5:16). You might think this one goes without saying, but unfortunately, modern Christians tend to talk about situations more than praying about them (Regrettably, I’m guilty of this too at times.). If we prayed about things as much as we talked about them, I think we’d see more God-influenced change in our society. If you’re concerned, truly concerned, and some scandal is determined to be true, first pray for the victims. While the victims may not be public figures, they are no less important. If some church leader sinned with someone, he or she did so to their detriment, and while they could be an equal participant in the sin, a general view is the church leader had more culpability due to their knowledge and responsibility in the Lord. Note that one great aspect of prayer is that it’s done in private but rewarded openly. This lets your conscience remain clear and invokes the Lord to restore that which was damaged by sin.
4. Stand against such behavior by taking action to rid your own life of sin, especially those sins that are more damaging and pervasive (Gal. 6:1-3; Col. 3:5). As the Scripture reference alludes, believers need to guard themselves when restoring a brother who has sinned. There’s a certain temptation that seems to come when others have become entangled with some immoral act. In addition to the dopamine hit one can receive from gossip, a temptation toward pride can ensue when others have sinned, and I believe that temptation is related to a false sense of superiority, which Paul seems to have warned against in Galatians 6. Make no mistake: sin is wicked. Full stop. Yet, it can often serve as an example to others if it’s rightly perceived by Christians (1 Cor. 10:1-12). The point is not to gloat but to examine your life for sin you haven’t conquered. I must admit, I find myself leery of the possibility of personal sin encroaching in my life and delivering a crushing blow to the gospel, Christianity, my wife, my daughter, and those who might esteem Christ through me. This is not to say that I’m currently entangled in some particular secret sin that could be damaging, but to say that there’s enough scandal surrounding solid Christian leaders and public figures that I should not be naïve. Yes, I know Christians are imperfect, and that may explain some of the scandals (though it doesn’t excuse them), but Christians must do better. I also know that there is One greater in me, and He enables me and other believers to overcome sin and wickedness (1 Jn. 4:4). That is the truth I’m choosing to live by, and I encourage you to do the same. May we all use the awareness of our sin and the reality of Christ’s power-inducing, life-altering atonement to guard our hearts and allow us to wage war against personal sin, especially in response to church scandal..