Moral Failure

Disgraced former Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura, shared a video on Instagram announcing they are starting a “new chapter” on June 4.

After the newspapers had a feast at the church’s expense, the pastor found himself looking for work. Pastor: what were you thinking? (He wasn’t.)

Over the years I’ve helped quite a number of churches, ministries and nonprofits navigate the confusing maze of communicating the news of the moral failure pastor or leader.

A question being asked more frequently than at any other time during my many years of leadership is when, or even if, a pastor can be restored after a moral failure.

It is true that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It's also true that we must be careful to guard well our integrity and reputation as we represent Christ and our church. When there's a moral failure in the ministry it's time to start thinking about removing that person from ministry.

In helping organizations navigate a moral failure, one of the big questions I hear is “What do we do with the decades of books the fallen pastor published, the sermons he preached, or video resources he created?"

Jimmy Dodd and Renaut van der Riet join the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast to share why accountability is not enough to prevent pastors from experiencing moral failure—and what will actually help.

Former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz is reportedly entering into an outpatient treatment program for depression, anxiety, and pastoral burnout according to an anonymous source.