When Pastor/Priest Goes Bad

About the same time that the latest scandal erupted in the Catholic church, I caught a line in the newsletter of a church I had known for many, many years that caused me to contact a friend in the congregation. Long story short, the pastor of sixteen years had resigned in order to deal with personal issues. Now, generally speaking, there are three things that do in a pastor or priest: money, sex, and/or alcohol.

In the case of this pastor it was alcohol. The Presbytery moved in quickly. The pastor entered rehab, the congregation prayed for him, supported his family, and the church leadership began the difficult task of leading a congregation through the grieving and transition process.

Step inside the door of almost any congregation, Catholic or Protestant, and you will hear stories of pastor/priests gone bad. It is not a new story in the life of the church, but in this day of instantaneous communication, the stories have become ubiquitous. The Pope, writing to Irish priests and parishioners, exhorted the priests to follow the example of a famous saint, Saint John Vianney:

...I commend to you most particularly the figure of Saint John Mary Vianney, who had such a rich understanding of the mystery of the priesthood. "The priest", he wrote, "holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of his goods." [St John Vianney] understood well how greatly blessed a community is when served by a good and holy priest: "A good shepherd, a pastor after God's heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy." Through the intercession of Saint John Mary Vianney, may the priesthood in Ireland be revitalized, and may the whole Church in Ireland grow in appreciation for the great gift of the priestly ministry.

While such an exhortation is inspiring (as well as intimidating), focusing on bad pastor/priests is only half the story. No pastor/priest serves in a vacuum. We are all part of a complex web of staff, session, governing council, consistory and congregation. Even as there were those in the present Catholic scandal who were aware of problem priests, so I am convinced that there were those in my friend's congregation who were aware of the pastor's problems with alcohol. Yes, it is hard to challenge a good and beloved pastor/priest/friend when he or she strays. Yet for the pastor/priest's own soul, and for the good of the church, such challenges often have to be made.

The Reformers in their wisdom did their best to balance power between pastor and congregational leadership. Because of my own work with other troubled congregations in the Presbytery, I have often remarked to St Mark's leadership that a strong and vocal session is the most faithful friend a pastor can have. We pastors may chafe and complain about not getting our way, but in the end, a loving and disciplined session is the best insurance a church (and a pastor) can have when a pastor needs spiritual correction. Perhaps best of all, a pastor/priest then discovers that he or she is not a spiritual orphan but part of a family of God that loves, serves and mutually corrects one another ... and that is good.

Pastor Judy