Are you held accountable for supporting a corrupt pastor?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
JohnB

JohnB

Well-known member
#1
Jul 31, 2022
2,078
456
83
Calif
#1
"Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! " Matt 18:7.

If you know the Pastor or church leader has stolen from the church, cheated on their wife or done other things, are you held accountable for continuing to support them? Even if they have not repented? I am amazed when I read of corruption in a church and yet some members of the church still support the Pastor or church leader.
 
Cameron143

Cameron143

Well-known member
#2
Mar 1, 2022
20,074
6,880
113
62
#2
JohnB said:
"Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! " Matt 18:7.

If you know the Pastor or church leader has stolen from the church, cheated on their wife or done other things, are you held accountable for continuing to support them? Even if they have not repented? I am amazed when I read of corruption in a church and yet some members of the church still support the Pastor or church leader.
Click to expand...
Supporting sinful leaders is not wrong. They need restoration like anyone else. But they should step down from their positions of authority certainly.
If they are unrepentant, they probably won't. And if the church as a whole will not take away their position, it's time to leave that church. If God hasn't left already, He soon will be.
 
B

ButterflyJones

Active member
#3
Feb 5, 2023
698
230
43
#3
JohnB said:
"Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! " Matt 18:7.

If you know the Pastor or church leader has stolen from the church, cheated on their wife or done other things, are you held accountable for continuing to support them? Even if they have not repented? I am amazed when I read of corruption in a church and yet some members of the church still support the Pastor or church leader.
Click to expand...
I don't think it says parishioners will be held accountable.

God says that false pastors will be held to a strict account at the judgement compared to how others shall be judged.
1 Timothy 6:5
 
SomeDisciple

SomeDisciple

Well-known member
#4
Jul 4, 2021
2,375
1,081
113
#4
If you go along like nothing ever happened, and continue to support their ministry; yes, you will be held accountable.
 
L

Locoponydirtman

Guest
#6
#6
JohnB said:
"Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! " Matt 18:7.

If you know the Pastor or church leader has stolen from the church, cheated on their wife or done other things, are you held accountable for continuing to support them? Even if they have not repented? I am amazed when I read of corruption in a church and yet some members of the church still support the Pastor or church leader.
Click to expand...
Corrupt pastors are to be defrocked, and removed from office.
We are not to support them. They are disqualified from the ministry as per the qualifications given to Timothy.
We are not to associate with one who calls himself a brother who is caught up in open ergregious sin.
The goal is that they are brought to repentance.
 
ResidentAlien

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
#7
Apr 21, 2021
8,423
3,679
113
#7
I think people tolerate way too much. The reason they do this, I believe, is because they themselves haven't repented of their own sins and have lives full of it. They tell themselves: "Well, I'm not perfect. Who am I to judge?" We should be tolerant to a point; but more and more it's getting where people tolerate practically everything.

But to answer the question: If we know a shepherd in the body is corrupt and go on supporting him, then yes, we can be held accountable.
 
J

jb

Senior Member
#9
Feb 27, 2010
4,940
591
113
#9
JohnB said:
"Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! " Matt 18:7.

If you know the Pastor or church leader has stolen from the church, cheated on their wife or done other things, are you held accountable for continuing to support them? Even if they have not repented? I am amazed when I read of corruption in a church and yet some members of the church still support the Pastor or church leader.
Click to expand...
"Blind leaders of the blind"...dear boy! Matt 15v14
 
JohnDB

JohnDB

Well-known member
#10
Jan 16, 2021
6,279
2,557
113
#10
JohnB said:
"Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! " Matt 18:7.

If you know the Pastor or church leader has stolen from the church, cheated on their wife or done other things, are you held accountable for continuing to support them? Even if they have not repented? I am amazed when I read of corruption in a church and yet some members of the church still support the Pastor or church leader.
Click to expand...
When a congregation continues to hold up their primary LEADER as someone to listen to and emulate....they very much are held accountable.

It's called corporate sin.

Where no one snowflake feels responsible for the avalanche which destroys the town....you are held responsible by God.

And I've seen this a LOT.
One of the most egregious was where a pastor slept with an underage girl (cheating on his wife) who was a close friend's daughter....while pastoring a church.

The Pastor's own son encouraged the woman to come forward to tell the church what had happened.

The congregation acted like this woman was a jezebel. (She was 14!)

Their Pastor was a PREDATOR....but they all forgave him as if he was so innocent.

The pastor was supported because they like his pretty words that scratch their itching ears more than they desire righteousness. Proving that they value themselves above God.

Words and actions must match up if they are to have any value whatsoever. God knows that too...and you will be judged by fruits....AKA actions.
 
L

Locoponydirtman

Guest
#11
#11
People even pastors make mistakes and sin. Idealy it will not be ergregious and flagrant, but we alway hope and work toward repentance and reconciliation
 
Snacks

Snacks

Well-known member
#12
Feb 10, 2022
1,410
771
113
#12
A traditional Reformed church in my hometown had 125 members. The new pastor preached every weekend about gay rights, transgender nonsense and openly promoted that everything should be given to illegal aliens as well as everyone learning Spanish to accommodate those who enter the country illegally.

The membership grew to 400 members in less than one year, not because Christ was glorified but because the new pastor raised both middle fingers at an establishment that hold’s to the values of God’s Word.

Such teachings destroy the fabric of society that grounds us and give proper direction. I hold that pastor and his congregation accountable.
 
JohnB

JohnB

Well-known member
#13
Jul 31, 2022
2,078
456
83
Calif
#13
I think there were people in Sodom who did not part take in the sins, but were there just for business. They were judged too.
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#14
Apr 5, 2022
5,010
2,171
113
46
#14
I hope this topic doesn’t have anything to do with that church who ruined your relationships for a wife John.
 
JohnB

JohnB

Well-known member
#15
Jul 31, 2022
2,078
456
83
Calif
#15
Eli1 said:
I hope this topic doesn’t have anything to do with that church who ruined your relationships for a wife John.
Click to expand...
No it doesn't. I think the church ruined many relationships.
 
JohnB

JohnB

Well-known member
#16
Jul 31, 2022
2,078
456
83
Calif
#16
JohnB said:
No it doesn't. I think the church ruined many relationships.
Click to expand...
I have a Christian friend, his whole family is Christian, he was raised in the church. Him and his wife were going through issues. They went to 3 pastors to talk over issues. He swore he would never again go to a Christian pastor for marriage advice again. The ONLY thing the pastors could do was to open the bible and quote scriptures. This did not help them at all and they did get divorced. They had no answers for the issues they were going through.
 
JohnB

JohnB

Well-known member
#17
Jul 31, 2022
2,078
456
83
Calif
#17
Another thing on this issue of bad Pastors, I have never heard a Pastor come out against a corrupt Pastor. Have you?
 
2ndTimeIsTheCharm

2ndTimeIsTheCharm

Well-known member
#18
Feb 17, 2023
1,936
1,133
113
#18
There was a YouTube pastor that I was subscribed to. His son outed him in a video saying that his Dad and Mom were divorcing and that his Dad was sleeping with some other woman and are now moving in together. The YouTube pastor was unrepentant about it so....I unsubbed him.

JohnB said:
Another thing on this issue of bad Pastors, I have never heard a Pastor come out against a corrupt Pastor. Have you?
Click to expand...
In regard to that YouTube pastor, the other Christian YouTube channels who knew him weighed in on what he did and a few did point out his unrepentance and warned their listeners to be wary of him.

I've seen the YouTube pastor post a repentance video a while later after that because the woman he was sleeping with moved out. I'm not sure that meant he really repented, but by that time, I just didn't care anymore. There are a whole lot more godly people I can listen to instead.
 
SomeDisciple

SomeDisciple

Well-known member
#19
Jul 4, 2021
2,375
1,081
113
#19
JohnB said:
The ONLY thing the pastors could do was to open the bible and quote scriptures. This did not help them at all and they did get divorced.
Click to expand...
If the Word of God can't help you; then nothing can help you.
JohnB said:
They had no answers for the issues they were going through.
Click to expand...
Oftentimes, the issues are not the issue; sometimes the problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem: but people don't want to hear that. They want the pastor to rebuke the demons and magic-away their problems; but it doesn't work that way.
JohnB said:
Another thing on this issue of bad Pastors, I have never heard a Pastor come out against a corrupt Pastor. Have you?
Click to expand...
It depends on what you mean by a Pastor "coming out" against another Pastor; I've definitely heard lots of criticism of celebrity Pastors from plenty of Pastors. That's not hard to find. But if you're talking about pastors within the same church, blasting each other from the pulpit; that's not how it's supposed to work anyway.
 
oyster67

oyster67

Senior Member
#20
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,705
113
#20
JohnB said:
"Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! " Matt 18:7.

If you know the Pastor or church leader has stolen from the church, cheated on their wife or done other things, are you held accountable for continuing to support them? Even if they have not repented? I am amazed when I read of corruption in a church and yet some members of the church still support the Pastor or church leader.
Click to expand...
Might we differentiate between supporting the Church and supporting one bad pastor? Need we throw out the wash water with the bad baby? :unsure:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.