Apostolic Friends Forum - Restoration after a moral failure

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Restoration after a moral failure

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissBrattified (Post 1192981)

Being restored into right standing with God and being reconciled to friends, family and community is NOT the same thing as being restored to a position of leadership. Relationships and positions are different animals.

There are qualifications for leadership, and they are as practical as they are mandatory. The reason why leaders have so many qualifications is because people have to be able to respect a man in order to follow him. Plain and simple. God put the qualifications for a bishop in place for good reason and it's silly to throw them out.

Sometimes congregations can forgive and forget and reinstate the pastor, but they aren't doing anything wrong if they decide the best option is to put in a new pastor.

I wonder if LooneyLucy and others would be so quick to want a pastor restored to his position if it was discovered he'd been beating his wife or children for years? One of the qualifications of a bishop is that he rule his house well and another is that he not be a "striker." Should we kick that one to the curb, too, in favor of having grace? Let men beat their wives and children and still be in leadership?

While we're on the topic, marital neglect can lead to sexual indiscretions and immorality, but it is still not an excuse for it. It may be a reason, but having a reason does not mean you have an excuse. Not with God, anyway.

I Corinthians 10:13

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

God always provides a way of escape. That's why when we sin, we can only blame ourselves. Not our wives; not our husbands; not our friends; not our family; just ourselves.

Ms B, your quote above from the other thread got me to thinking about restoration.

I hope to gain some perspective about how UPC and other organizations handle moral failures in their system.

About 28 years ago, my first UPC pastor committed adultery. Like all cases, it split the church. There was a lot of infighting and bickering. People shunned one another because some believed it, others did not. The former pastor denied it right up to the very end... to his congregation. In fact, he never came before the congregation to confess it. We heard it second hand, which caused all the division.

He was confronted by the district superintendent and presbyter without the knowledge of the congregation. He was given a certain amount of time to tell his congregation. Yet, all he said to us was that he preached his guts out for years and that we all were going to have to "get what we need for ourselves". He told us his doctor gave him orders to stay away from stress and that he was going to take 3 weeks off and that nobody should contact him in any way for 3 weeks.

That's the short story from my perspective. There may be more to it than what I know. However, my thoughts are this...

I was told by a UPC pastor that my former pastor is able to do one of two things. He would have to resign that church and he would never be able to pastor another church again in the UPC system.

Or he could ask the congregation for forgiveness and still pastor there, but the people would have to pull out of UPC for that to happen.

My guess was back then, had he asked for forgiveness, the congregation would have retained him as pastor. They loved him that much.

It seems that I vaguely remember being told that he would have to sit down for a time. But I am not sure if that was an option for him since I was told that once adultery is committed, there is no second chance.

Now, my questions are these:

Has the UPC changed it's stance about pastoring and adultery?

Why couldn't restoration to God and to a leadership position happen....at least once after a moral failure? Why cannot UPC give it's pastor's a second chance if they follow a program leading to restoration if they haven't changed this rule ?

Are all OP or trinitarian denominations like this?

What are the restoration processes?

I am just wondering that since the callings and gifts of God are without repentance, how does a man continue to serve God (even after repentance and restoration) if he is not allowed by an organization to preach in the pulpit?

PS..It is not my intention for this to be a bashing an organization post. My wishes are to understand the positions that are being taken by an organization for marital infidelity or in the case of single pastors, fornication and why such positions are taken.

Re: Restoration after a moral failure

I really can't (and don't) speak for the UPC. I don't take my views on anything from the UPCI manual. I try my best to get them from scripture.

Excellent questions, though. Should be an interesting thread.... :coffee2

Re: Restoration after a moral failure

Are you ready, because my brother is a district superintendent with the UPC I happen to know that the UPCI is the only oneness organization that holds this stance on adultery and that headquarters has been reconsidering it's stance with all the embezzling and other junk that has been coming out the past few years. Because many have said how can it be right to "ban" only if he has committed adultery.

Re: Restoration after a moral failure

Lucy, so by your answer, I am under the assumption that they had and continue to have this stance on adultery?

Re: Restoration after a moral failure

Quote:

Originally Posted by AreYouReady? (Post 1193083)

Lucy, so by your answer, I am under the assumption that they had and continue to have this stance on adultery?

I believe they do.

Re: Restoration after a moral failure

Embezzlement is a big problem because some pastors do not see the wrong in taking church monies from one area for their own use. I've heard of at least one church split because of this problem.

Re: Restoration after a moral failure

But what is UPC's restoration plan for moral failures?

Re: Restoration after a moral failure

Quote:

Originally Posted by AreYouReady? (Post 1193083)

Lucy, so by your answer, I am under the assumption that they had and continue to have this stance on adultery?

It has been under reconsideration for a few years now and most expect it to change.

Re: Restoration after a moral failure

Here are the official statements from the UPCI and ALJC. I posted a WPF statement as well, but it isn't very detailed and appears to only address the issue of remarriage following divorce:

Quote:

From the 2012 UPCI Manual:

"“Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery” (Matthew 19:9). (See also Matthew 5:32.) When this sin has been committed, the innocent party may be free to remarry only in the Lord. Our desire being to raise a higher standard for the ministry, we recommend that min- isters do not marry again.
Judgment begins at the house of God."

"1. Inasmuch as the ministry is the highest office on earth, no person shall be eli-
gible as a minister if after having been filled with the Holy Ghost said per- son has been divorced for any cause save fornication or adultery on the part of the one from whom he or she has been divorced, and has remarried; or after having been filled with the Holy Ghost said person has married a per- son who has been divorced for any cause save fornication or adultery on the part of the one from who he or she has been divorced. Further, if fornication or adultery is claimed as the grounds of divorce, sufficient evidence other than his or her own personal testimony must be presented to the District Board. The following procedure shall apply to all ministers applying for license who have been divorced or whose spouse has been divorced since

56 Article VII, Section 8 2012 GENERAL CONSTITUTION
receiving the Holy Ghost, but it shall not apply to currently licensed minis- ters seeking a license upgrade. Every minister should expect full investiga- tion and give wholehearted cooperation to the District Board. The minister shall provide the following items to the District Board."

4. Remarriage. We recommend that divorced ministers do not remarry. (See
Articles of Faith—Marriage and Divorce.) However, if remarriage is desired, the minister should wait at least one (1) year from the date of the divorce becoming final. If a divorced person has remarried or wishes to remarry, the District Board must determine that adultery or fornication has occurred on the part of the person’s former spouse. The personal testimony and the testi- monies of two witnesses must support this determination."

Any minister affiliated with our organization proven guilty of adultery or forni- cation, or committing any other immoral offense, shall forfeit his or her papers immediately. Immoral offense shall include sexual molestation of minors.
3. In the event a minister confesses in writing to immoral conduct and surrenders his or her fellowship card, no trial shall be granted. In either case, such minis- ter shall never be qualified for reinstatement into the ministry of the United Pentecostal Church International."

Quote:

From the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ constitution:

"“Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery” (Matthew 5:32; 19:9).
In order to lift a higher standard in the ministry, no minister shall be accepted in this organization who has married for the second time after his conversion, unless the first marriage was terminated by a death, or if he/she is determined to be the innocent party in the di- vorce. See General Constitution Article VIII, Section 5."

"9. Any minister proven guilty of the sin of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, pornography, or any other conduct, as stated in I Corinthians 6:9-10, while in this or any other organization, or any other ministry, shall not be permitted to have membership in this body. A hand of mercy, love and compassion should be extended to such ministers who have evi- denced a broken and contrite spirit, in an effort to restore them to God. Ministers so restored may develop a participating role in their local church at the prudence of their pastor; however, this shall not qualify them for the privilege of membership in this organization."

Quote:

WPF:

“Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commiteth adultery” (Matthew 19:9, 5:32). A right to divorce includes a right for the innocent party to remarry only in the Lord.

Re: Restoration after a moral failure

Thank you Ms B for posting this.

Does UPC have any writings in their articles of faith about restoration of the sinner? Do they have any plan for restoration or do they just write them off once they sin?

I see that the ALJC has a statement of extending mercy and restoration of fallen pastors to the church.