What is Moral Failure?
There are other reasons to sideline someone from ministry that have nothing to do with moral failure. For example, they may need to be removed due to a particular need resulting from the season of life they are in, or for balance issues when life becomes out of balance, or because of physical health issues or even emotional health issues. Sometimes people just need a break to realize the privilege of serving in ministry.
When a leader makes a decision to remove someone from a ministry team, it must be done lovingly, carefully and prayerfully. Church discipline should always be done for the benefit of the person being disciplined.
You can always expect criticism. It’s unfortunate but true. Many people will have opinions and various interpretations of the situation. However, they don’t have the responsibility to God and the church that we have as the leader of the team. As a leader, we are accountable to God for our leadership.
It’s not just about the individual. We also need to take care of our team because the team belongs to God. I would suppose there are some leaders who view their team as an extension of themselves; that the team exists to serve them rather than to serve God and the church body, or who confuse serving them personally with serving the church body. There are also some leaders who make decisions based on politics. Honestly, those are tough issues within the reality of serving in ministry. Unfortunately, there are egos and politics at work even in churches. I’ve made it a practice not to make decisions based on peer pressure, politics or personal conflict with any individual. I hold myself accountable to God to take care of my team. I’m a shepherd caring for this part of God’s flock.
My experience is that the Holy Spirit is able to do the healing work that is needed, even with the hardest hearts, if given time and if the person has even a little faith in God. My role is to love and encourage the individual and to hope for the best, leaving the results to God. God disciplines those that He loves and the goal is always redemption, reconciliation and character-building resulting in hope.
For some leaders, myself included, dealing with the judgment of others is an issue. Let’s face it, part of being a leader is facing judgment. Fortunately, God’s Word is full of encouragement for leaders like us. I love the words of the entire chapter of 2 Cor. 4 encouraging us to not lose heart. Verses 8-9 are helpful to me whenever I face disapproval from others for making unpopular, however necessary decisions (in my discernment): “We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” It helps me when I apply these words specifically to personal judgment from others.
We are judged but not crushed, judged but not in despair, judged but not abandoned, judged but not destroyed.
In addition, when dealing with judgment from others, remember that there are benefits for being judged. In Romans 5:2-5 we read: “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Be encouraged! Lead prayerfully and carefully, in love, always hoping for the best, and refuse to give up!
