Restoring fallen ministers

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Liberal

Well, I know the Ted Haggard thing was a 2-year program, of which he dropped out of...and I didn't blame him. I thought the details of that program were ridiculous.....my opinion only, of course.

Obviously, the condition of the person's family is an issue as well. If the family is in trouble, that has to be resolved first.

I think 2 years might be too much, but I have a feeling that the reason organizations do this (and haggard willingly agreed to it), is to make it look good to everyone else.

You set a time table, like getting a degree, it makes the whole thing look legit to everyone.

Consider the conversations here of someone getting a PH.d in less than 2 years. Everyone is suspicious.

If I had to make someone wait 2 years, I'd still recommend he be given an internship like assistant pastor somewhere before moving on.

But I don't recall the details of what was involved in this 2 year process...or as I said, not even necessarily a process but just a waiting period for the sake of skeptical people I guess.

Also, why can't someone like him be restored back to the ministry sooner but still undergo some sort of counseling or spiritual oversight?

[DAII]

The AOG does not ... have a friend who just lost his license .... and it was taken away immediately.

To their credit, they do have facilities to deal with the aftermath (counseling for all parties) ... which the UPCI does not ...

[Praxeas]

From what I understand the AG won't re-license someone that was divorced then remarried

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Liberal

...I believe quite frequently, when those outside the faith see how we treat the fallen, it pushes them away rather than reinforcing our righteousness. In fact, I've heard people say, "If I'm every gonna sin, I sure don't wanna be a Christian when I do it."

That's why some have said that the Church is the only army that buries their wounded or why the church's spiritual warfare is compared to a circular firing squad.

[acerrak]

Originally Posted by Liberal

Can you tell me why? Someone, I believe Sam, posted something about the word "Restore" which means to go back to original status. If ministers are not restored back to pastoring, what are they being restored to?

God restores in full, but mans grace is partial
can you believe the preacher sinned? what? lets get em out of there!! No forgiveness no mercy, No love, that is mans forgiveness

God gets amnesia, and truely forgets the wrong, Im so glad for His mercy, and His ability to forgive us, and to restore us, all the years that the canker worms took amen.

[acerrak]

Originally Posted by DAII

The AOG does not ... have a friend who just lost his license .... and it was taken away immediately.

To their credit, they do have facilities to deal with the aftermath (counseling for all parties) ... which the UPCI does not ...

Hmm was he a pastor? i know several preachers in the AoG and they have been married again. they have a liscence. they can evangelize but they cant pastor.

Had one last year who was a single man divorced and as long as he was single he could pastor, but he remarried, and the next thing we know was our pastor took over his church and he went to evangelizing,

we had remarried men who was liscenced in our church but they were evangelist.

that has been my experience

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by acerrak

Hmm was he a pastor? i know several preachers in the AoG and they have been married again. they have a liscence. they can evangelize but they cant pastor.

Had one last year who was a single man divorced and as long as he was single he could pastor, but he remarried, and the next thing we know was our pastor took over his church and he went to evangelizing,

we had remarried men who was liscenced in our church but they were evangelist.

that has been my experience

Maybe thats it, pastoring. Maybe they changed or something too, but I had a friend that wanted to go into the ministry and his wife left him. He was saying he couldn't be licensed but maybe that was a certain type of license like the UPC has a local license

anyways they take the part about "the husband of one wife" to mean never divorced and remarried (except death I think)

[pelathais]

I'm rooting for the "fallen" to pick up and be renewed and restored.

I think that having the "death penalty" in place as the UPCI does tends to create a subculture of silence and conspiracy that is more easily abused than having everything out in the open.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by pelathais

I'm rooting for the "fallen" to pick up and be renewed and restored.

I think that having the "death penalty" in place as the UPCI does tends to create a subculture of silence and conspiracy that is more easily abused than having everything out in the open.

Yup and the same goes for those that deal with tempations like same sex attractions. Our tried and failed method is to call them reprobates and brow beat them with the bible until they leave or pretend to be cured or claim they just made the wrong choice while secretly suffering with the same guilt

[Aquila]

I think restoration is actually up to the body. If a man is spiritually restored and the congregation desires his ministry restored to the body after some time... why not?

Let's imagine if every private failure of every minister was shown on the overhead in church? Would we have any ministers?