As we were researching this article, we called a well-known theologian for his ideas on divorced pastors. After talking at length about the issues, he cautioned, "Of course, this is all off the record. Publicly, I wouldn't touch this subject with a ten-foot pole."

In some ways, we wish we could just avoid it also. But a magazine aimed at helping pastors and church leaders today simply can't dismiss the enormity of the problem. On the one hand, we have our biblically based principles about the permanency of marriage and the sanctity of the ministry (exemplified and articulated by David and Helen Seamands, pp. 16-28). On the other hand, more and more ministers are getting divorced. One recent survey of divorce rates by profession found ministers with the third highest rate, behind only medical doctors and policemen. Other indicators on the survey suggest that the only reason ministers are not the most divorced is because many, for theological reasons, stick with tough marriages most would ...