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Restoration to Ministry

When a sexual offense occurs, we have a number of issues to deal with.

• The spiritual, mental, and emotional health of the victim and the victim's family.
• Maintaining the unity of the marriages and families involved, both the pastor"s and the victim's.
• The health of the church.
• Developing an attitude of confession and repentance on the part of the persons involved.
• The restoration of a growing relationship with Christ.
• Restoration to fellowship and acceptance in the Body of Christ.

Restoration to pastoral ministry may also be one objective. A specific time cannot be established, because each situation is different. However, the process needs an extended period of time to be certain that every issue identified by the Restoration Team has been met with a Christ-like attitude. The leader's recovery must be well-designed and monitored before the person re-enters ministry.

When a person is restored to credentialed pastoral ministry, it should be done with full confidence knowing that the person will be eligible for national conference leadership.

Healing is essential. Healing must be comprehensive, addressing the person's spiritual, mental, emotional, and social brokenness. We are talking about granting ordination to a person who will lead the church.

The admonition of 1 Timothy 5:22 applies in this situation: "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure."

Important Questions

• How much time is being allocated by the restoration team for the fallen one's healing? Should the process even include a time limit?
• What goals are the team members working to see accomplished as a barometer of healing or growth?
• What is the team's belief about healing and restoration of leadership? Does the team really believe that a person can return to the office or calling of "pastor/teacher" after committing sexual sin?
• How long was the leader in sin? What was the period of time? If it took time to bring brokenness to the fallen person's life, will it also take time to bring restoration back into his life?

Suggestions

Don't hurry the person back into ministry. There are a number of issues that must be addressed before re-entry. Jack Hayford says, "Beware of any preoccupation with too quick a return."

Scripture indicates that there were spiritual men who affirmed a person's calling into ministry (through the laying on of hands). The restoration team, the Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Commission, the cluster leader, and the bishop will be involved in the final decision for a re-entry into pastoral ministry.