Quote:
Originally Posted by houston
I agree with EB. I do not believe that there is restoration to ministry after a minister falls. Restoration into the body, sure.
"A bishop must be blameless..." KJV
.
|
I'm not sure that he can never be restored to ministry in every case.
Take for example, Marvin Gorman. He basically walked into a trap, was seduced like Joseph, had very brief sexual contact with the other party, overwhelmed with guilt he lost the physical ability to follow through with a consummated act, and fled the room. He immediately repented and did not repeat the error.
The other party was another minister's wife who continued to pursue a relationship with Gorman who resisted her steadfastly. Like Potiphar's wife, she became enraged at being rejected and sought to destroy him. She found a willing accomplice in Jimmy Swaggart who viewed Gorman's fledgling TV ministry as threat to his own. She and Swaggart manufactured pages of wild tales of Gorman having hundreds of affairs, none of which could be substantiated. But that did not stop Swaggart from spreading these lies all over the AoG eventually causing Gorman to lose everything. Gorman did admit to the one time, brief encounter with the other pastor's wife, but by the time that was made public seven years had passed.
All the while Jimmy had been visiting prostitutes, by his own later admission, for several years. Gorman discovered this after filing a defamation lawsuit against Swaggart. When Gorman confronted Swaggart in New Orleans after Swaggart had just finished his latest visit to a prostitute, Swaggart admitted to Gorman that he had defamed and lied about him and vowed to make it right. Over the next few weeks the Swaggart and Gormans and several get-togethers where they ate, fellowshipped, wept and prayed together. Gorman promised Swaggart that he would never go public with what he knew about Swaggart if Jimmy would follow through on his promise to clear Gorman's name. But Swaggart never followed through on his promise to restore Gorman's reputation and began to ignore Gorman's phone calls. It appeared Jimmy had hardened his heart and decided the AoG would never believe Gorman that Swaggart had been visiting prostitutes and had lied about him. But what Jimmy did not realize was that Gorman had photos as evidence. But even after being exposed Jimmy still did not repent and was willing to endure a defamation trial where he , against the advice of his lawyers, continually blurted out outlandish statements that only sealed his fate in the minds of the jury.
No, I do not think Gorman deserved all of this and that the AoG should have restored him immediately.
Threaded Mode
