This is a plea that I’m sending out to pastors. It has implications for everyone, but I especially want pastors to take what I am about to say to heart.
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who also pastors a church about creating an environment where people can confess their sin and get help. We both agreed:
The Church has historically done a really bad job at providing exit ramps for people struggling with sin. Especially when it comes to the staff who work in a church.
Pretty much, the choice we give people is A) confess your sin and cataclysmically destroy your entire life, or B) hide your sin and slowly destroy your soul.
What great options those are.
Since option B keeps food on the table and your reputation intact, most go with option B. As a result, people end up either struggling with a hidden sin for the rest of their lives. Or they eventually blow it and when they do, it’s catastrophic – to their family, their church, and themselves.
I’m sorry, but I think we can do better than that. We’ve got to do better than that.
Pastors, we need to provide exit ramps for our people who are really struggling with their sin. A way to gracefully exit their sin without destroying their entire lives. And before it destroys their entire lives. For everyone in general, but our staffs in particular.
Maybe through counseling.
Or a leave of absence.
Or releasing them with every bit of support we can give them and following up with them regularly.
Whatever it is, we don’t always need to provide people with an instant pink slip when they finally work up the courage to come clean. Or when they’re in the initial stages of temptation and are afraid they’re going to give in. That’s how you perpetuate an environment where sin isn’t dealt with until after it’s already had devastating effects.
I’m not saying we need to take away the consequences of someone’s actions. Sometimes the pink slip is necessary and warranted. Obviously every situation is different. I’m not saying you should keep someone on staff who has committed an affair. Or something else like that.
What I am saying is that we’re in the business of rescuing people from their sin.
Not destroying their lives because of it.
That includes the people outside of our church.
And the people in it.
And the people working for it.
