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Whether and when the pastor returns to ministry needs to be handled with care and on an individual basis. But given the nature of sexual sin, pastors who return to public ministry should probably be the exception. In most instances, the transgression undermines the trust necessary to minister. Charles Spurgeon offered one criterion when he quoted pastor John Angell James in his lectures to students: "When a preacher of righteousness has stood in the way of sinners, he should never again open his lips in the great congregation until his repentance is as notorious as his sin."

Churches that need a model may look to the Assemblies of God (AG). Every few years, AG leaders revisit their policies dealing with moral failure. Most recently, an advisory group considered how to handle pastors with chronic financial debt and problems telling the truth. AG churches turn cases of moral failure over to district or state bodies, and their national policy manual has codified five separate levels of response for pastors caught in varying degrees of pornography use. Adulterous affairs typically correspond with the most serious level for addictive pornography, when the denomination suspends the pastor's credentials and requires two years of professional counseling. Knowing the challenge of overcoming sexual sin, the AG never guarantees it will restore credentials. But if a pastor successfully completes the restoration process, the denomination reissues his credentials.

Restoration plans depend on a pastor's willingness to repent and submit to discipline. Sometimes, the church can only isolate the unrepentant. In such cases, isolation requires cooperation, so the world may see that the church takes holiness seriously. Tragically, unaccountable pastors are more prone to fall, and uncooperative churches are more likely to mishandle the discipline and restoration process. With God's help, together we can ward off temptation and protect our pastors, churches, and the vulnerable for the sake of Christ and the gospel.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Christianity Today's covered the Earl Paulk scandal.

Articles from our sister publication Leadership Journal on pastors and porn include:

The Leadership survey on Pastors and Internet Pornography | How widespread is it? (January 1, 2001)

Hooked: One Pastor's Struggle with Internet Pornography | First he turned on the computer, then the computer turned on him. (January 1, 2001)

If It Could Happen to Me | Help from men who've been there. (January 1, 2001)

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April 2006, Vol. 50, No. 4