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In my current phase of writing a blog, which began in April, and which has only reached 13 contributions before this, I composed one entitled MONEY, SEX AND POWER. Rather to my surprise it remains one of my least read posts. I thought everyone loved to read anything that has the word sex in the title, but obviously the worthy followers of my contributions have preferred to look at subjects such as what we might be doing in heaven!
I lamented in the earlier blog the number of high profile ministries that have been ended due to sexual misconduct as well as commenting on how easy it is as leaders to abuse people through a wrong use of power. And now we appear to be in the midst of one of the biggest crashes of all at the famous Willow Creek Church in America. I've been there and marvelled at the escalator that was necessary to access the upstairs of the huge auditorium. I discovered that the car parks were immense. In Bournemouth we have an 'out of town' shopping centre whose car park is frankly pathetic compared to the facilities at Willow Creek. The buildings there are phenomenal and the queues into the church building would have made a pop star green with envy. But now leaders have left in droves because of allegations of sexual misconduct as well as charges of some kind of cover up which could be seen as an abuse of power.
It's easy to make suggestions as how to improve structures and organisations to help prevent this happening again, although I sadly suspect it will happen again. What is the weakness present in the organisation of a mega church that means this kind of disaster can too frequently occur? It's common in such cases, and I'm reading such things again now, to appeal for better accountability. It would be silly to suggest that this is inappropriate, but it has a weakness in that you can streamline accountability structures as much as you want but if the person being held accountable lies through their teeth then the strongest safeguards can still fail. I've personally known this to happen; apparently strong accountability, but the truth was not told and so it simply didn't work. To be held accountable is excellent in itself but if it is going to work you've actually got to be accountable, if you see what I mean.
For years I have lectured on this kind of thing to leadership groups and I've made a suggestion which has had some interesting feedback. My suggestion is this: that sexual sin in a leader may sometimes be an attempt to commit ministry suicide. If you have a huge ministry, if people demand your attention constantly, if preaching and teaching becomes a never ending cycle of work in your life with always another talk to give, another interview to take part in, does there come a point where the pressure is so great you just want to get out? But how do you get out? Everyone wants your ministry, everyone wants a part of you and you would so let people down if you failed to give out again. But an affair, a sexual adventure outside of your marriage, well that could be exciting and different and a break away from the normal punishing pressures. But what if you are caught? Then in a way it's simple. You are immediately out, people don't want you anymore, you're free and you're gone. Why would a huge ministry risk it all on an illicit sexual adventure? Well in a stroke, although in the midst of a great crisis you've made a quick exit; it's over. It's a ministry suicide. And if you think that's impossible I would suggest that every leader has those times of thinking - if only I could get out of this. Fortunately as most of us don't have mega church pressures we usually manage to come through it.
You may regret the smallness of your ministry, your lack of influence, the fact that you've never preached to assembled thousands, but if you are lifetime faithful to your wife (husband), love your kids and never cheat on the church, then people will appreciate your ministry for that and you can be content. Paul told Timothy; 'Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.' 1 Tim 4:16. In the end we can't avoid the need for self-accountability.
Meanwhile why not read my earlier blog.