On Sunday, August 28, pastor Matt Chandler shared with The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, that he would be taking a leave of absence from preaching and teaching due to an inappropriate direct messaging relationship with a woman who wasn’t his wife.
The direct messaging relationship was described as non-romantic and non-sexual but included “coarse and foolish joking.” Chandler further described his behavior as “unguarded and unwise.” The popular Southern Baptist megachurch pastor called his leave of absence both “disciplinary and developmental,” sharing that he was fully submitting to the elders’ decisions and guidance in the matter.
On Monday (October 24), Chandler said in an Instagram post, “Jesus I don’t want to do this without you,” going on to share his thoughts regarding the last few months. He also described his eagerness to return to The Village Church.
“That sentence has been my mantra these past few months,” Chandler said, referring to his previous comment. “It has rolled through my mind and heart on repeat. Whether it has been going on a walk, heading out to our river cabin or even walking into Jiu Jitsu I have been more aware than ever of that earnest and angsty prayer of David’s in Psalm 27:4.”
Author of “The Mingling of Souls: God’s Design for Love, Marriage, Sex, and Redemption,” Chandler said, “[Jesus] has been my sustaining grace and the strength of this season. I am eager to return to @tvcfm soon and am grateful for a family of faith that have loved me and @laurenchandler so deeply in this season. What a picture of gospel formed community you are. Eager to see what the Lord has for us in the next 15-20 years! #grace#family“
Chandler’s wife, Lauren, commented, “Amen. Love you, babe 💜.”
A spokesperson for The Village Church told The Roys Report, “The elders are working with Matt to discuss a plan for his return to preaching, and they are encouraged by his posture. As of today, we have no further comment on those details.”
Following the news of Chandler’s leave of absence, an SBC abuse survivor shared how moral failures like Chandler’s can trigger a survivor’s memory of being groomed by an adult clergy sexual abuser. While the abuse survivor made it clear that she wasn’t accusing Chandler of grooming the woman he was messaging, she took the opportunity to explain to others not familiar with situations like hers that “his actions look identical to our abusers.”
Attorney advocate for abuse survivors Boz Tchividjian told ChurchLeaders that he agreed with the abuse survivors’ thoughts, sharing that he believes these types of incidents can be triggering for survivors of abuse.
