Should a Church forgive a pastor for deceiving police during a stressful moment?

[Tristen]

51 minutes ago, Saved.One.by.Grace said:

To forgive him and welcome him back into the Christian family is fine if he has true repentance.  But he should never be in a position of authority within the church.  We have seen various pastors plead their case on national television.  But would you trust them with your money?  Think Peter Popoff as an example.  Once again, Holy Scriptures tells us what to do.

I don't think scripture teaches that a Christian who falls into sin is forever prohibited from a position of authority. But either way, that decision is between God and the people in authority who know all the specifics of the situation. I don't think that is the question being asked in the OP.

[Knotical]

12 hours ago, Saved.One.by.Grace said:

So are you saying we can pick and choose what scriptures to follow?

I am not so sure it is about picking and choosing, but praying to God to impart a better understanding of how to apply scripture.

The point is, if God forgives us of our sins making them completely forgotten by God why would we as humans, lesser beings, continue to remember people's past transgressions if they have already been forgiven by God?

[Knotical]

11 hours ago, Fidei Defensor said:

Prodigal Son. 

Seeing as there is no mention of a specific passage of time in that parable where are you getting the 3-5 year time frame?

[LonerAndy]

On 7/15/2020 at 9:06 AM, ReneeIW said:

A church’s pastor was arrested for DUI. He admitted to the arrest and his struggle with alcoholism and entered into rehab and has been sober since.
However, months after his arrest someone read the police report  and found out that when he was being processed at the police station, he took a bag of white powder out of his pocket and threw it under a table. The cop saw him and asked what it was and the pastor said he it was not his and he didn’t know where it came from. The bag was sent to the lab and it tested positive for cocaine.

The Pastor later admitted it was his.
Apparently, the church also knew that he had a past addiction to drugs from his youth and believed his stint in rehab was sufficient to forgive him for relapsing. But they want him to step down now for deceiving the police and throwing the bag under the table. Is the deception worse than the addiction issues? Should they forgive him for the deception also since that goes hand in hand with addiction?

So.... I think my positions would be different, based on when this happened.

If you had told me you found this out at the time... Then yes, I would have him step down, because it's clear he was trying to conceal his illegal activity after being caught.

However.. I'm having a problem with the fact that this is months later.   You tell this guy, that he goes to rehab, and is forgive... and now you want to retroactively punish him after saying he was forgiven, for something that happened months ago.

That rubs me the wrong way.  The church agreed to have him back, and you need to own that.

This is why you need to carefully consider the entire situation, and all the evidence AT THAT TIME.  You can't say "Alright, your good" and then go back the same event a year later, and say "Oh you said blaw blaw a year ago????  Now we punish you".

That just doesn't work for me.   The church needs to be slower to make choices, and be more diligent in researching all aspects of the case.

For now... you gave your word this guy was forgiven for going through rehab... and I would keep my word.  I would own the choice that was already made.

[Fidei Defensor]

1 hour ago, Knotical said:

Seeing as there is no mention of a specific passage of time in that parable where are you getting the 3-5 year time frame?

Christian Counseling guidelines. We are taught that an addict, especiallg a drug addict needs to be sober 1yr before being trusted with a position of low authority (usher, and eyc), and 3yrs minimum for higher authority because of tendency to relapse. 

Its built upon the principle that we must hold our brothers and sisters accountable before Christ. Giving a former drug addict or alcholic authority too soon is risky and can lead to both their relapse and dislluisonment of those watching them who may not know their struggle. 

This is about positons of authority. Not if they can work again. 

[Knotical]

12 minutes ago, Fidei Defensor said:

Christian Counseling guidelines. We are taught that an addict, especiallg a drug addict needs to be sober 1yr before being trusted with a position of low authority (usher, and eyc), and 3yrs minimum for higher authority because of tendency to relapse. 

Its built upon the principle that we must hold our brothers and sisters accountable before Christ. Giving a former drug addict or alcholic authority too soon is risky and can lead to both their relapse and dislluisonment of those watching them who may not know their struggle. 

This is about positons of authority. Not if they can work again. 

But what does this have to do with the parable of the prodigal son? There is no mention of any specific time frame for allowing addicts, or the like, to be trusted again. The prodigal son has nothing to do with addiction. It is partly about kids being unwise with what is entrusted to them. 

[Fidei Defensor]

3 minutes ago, Knotical said:

But what does this have to do with the parable of the prodigal son? There is no mention of any specific time frame for allowing addicts, or the like, to be trusted again. The prodigal son has nothing to do with addiction. It is partly about kids being unwise with what is entrusted to them. 

I used the Prodigal Son as an analogy of an addict. He’s welcomed back instantly, but it is the Faithful Son whom the Father says, “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31). There is nothing Prodigal story that says the prodigal was given authority to lead and direct anything, but there is evidence the Faithful Son has authority (over everything according to The Father), and he obviously was no addict, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property( with prostitutes  comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him” (Luke 15:19-30).  

[Knotical]

7 minutes ago, Fidei Defensor said:

I used the Prodigal Son as an analogy of an addict. He’s welcomed back instantly, but it is the Faithful Son whom the Father says, “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31). There is nothing Prodigal story that says the prodigal was given authority to lead and direct anything, but there is evidence the Faithful Son has authority (over everything according to The Father), and he obviously was no addict, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property( with prostitutes  comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him” (Luke 15:19-30).  

But where are you getting the 3-5 year time frame? There is nothing about time mentioned in this parable. 

[Daniel Marsh]

On 7/15/2020 at 9:06 AM, ReneeIW said:

A church’s pastor was arrested for DUI. He admitted to the arrest and his struggle with alcoholism and entered into rehab and has been sober since.
However, months after his arrest someone read the police report  and found out that when he was being processed at the police station, he took a bag of white powder out of his pocket and threw it under a table. The cop saw him and asked what it was and the pastor said he it was not his and he didn’t know where it came from. The bag was sent to the lab and it tested positive for cocaine.

The Pastor later admitted it was his.
Apparently, the church also knew that he had a past addiction to drugs from his youth and believed his stint in rehab was sufficient to forgive him for relapsing. But they want him to step down now for deceiving the police and throwing the bag under the table. Is the deception worse than the addiction issues? Should they forgive him for the deception also since that goes hand in hand with addiction?

He should be forgiven and step down to an assistant pastor position until he gets clean for seven years. 

[Guest]

16 hours ago, Tristen said:

I don't think scripture teaches that a Christian who falls into sin is forever prohibited from a position of authority. But either way, that decision is between God and the people in authority who know all the specifics of the situation. I don't think that is the question being asked in the OP.

1 Timothy 3:1-7.  I prefer to rely upon God's wisdom, not man's justification.