Pastors

JILL HUDSON: For me, the boundary is intercourse or significant sexual activity that replaces intercourse. I come from the school that once a pastor has crossed a boundary it's very, very difficult for that pastor to get his or her ministry in workable order again. We know from studies that once a person has violated that boundary, he or she will continue to do so. Maybe not with the same frequency or intensity, but once a perpetrator, almost always a perpetrator.

Plus, civil courts are awarding huge settlements and sending the message to the church, "If you're not able to discipline your pastors, we will." As a result, people are more gun shy about restoring a pastor with a history of abuse.

ARCH HART: If pornography and masturbation are the boundary, that would exclude 50 or 60 percent of all candidates for ministry. Neither do I think one isolated incident disqualifies someone. However, I would plead for a period of withdrawal from ministry and for that person to undergo evaluation to ...

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