DECLINE OF PASTORAL INTEGRITY
Title: DECLINE OF PASTORAL INTEGRITY
Category: Pastoral Issues
Subject: Integrity in the Ministry
Decline of Pastoral Integrity
There are several factors which can contribute to a decline, or erosion of integrity. Surely those engaged in ministerial service recognize that respect for integrity must be earned and is therefore given to us by others. When we make mistakes and then try to cover them with distortions of the truth, or by blatant lying, integrity suffers a mighty blow as the truth is eventually revealed. People under the spiritual leadership of a pastor need and should to be able to trust the pastor. Rarely, if ever, should members be given cause to wonder about a pastor’s character.
PERSONAL INTEGRITY
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines integrity as “the quality or state of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty and sincerity.” In ethics worships and seminars for many years, I have what I refer to as an operational definition of integrity: “consistently adhering to a discernible set of moral values in making daily choices.” What this means, literally, is that you and I are what others see; say what we may, we are still judged by our daily actions. When we deviate from generally accepted notions of what constitutes “right” and “good” and, as Christians, when we act apart from Scripture, our integrity erodes. Sadly, in some instances, a pastor may not recognize when his credibility is in a downward spiral until it’s too late to overcome the negative view congregants may hold for him. This would seem especially true when a pastor has become so accustomed to distorting or otherwise manipulating truth that the line dividing truth from un-truth has become obscured.
Recent experiences have prompted me to reflect and re-affirm expectations I and, hopefully, other members of our congregation hold with respect to pastoral integrity. Shouldn’t we expect, indeed, demand that a senior pastor be held to the highest standard God expects of his leaders, or should we remain silent, hoping things will just get better when we seriously believe something about the pastor’s behavior may be impeding God’s blessings for our church? Should we refuse to deal with these issues, as some churches may be guilty of doing and accept unethical behavior with a corporate attitude of “everyone else behaves that way, but surely much worse than our pastor?” The Doctrine of Relative Filth holds that, “I’m not so bad as long as there are others who are worse.” Perhaps that doctrine is in play when many congregants dismiss their pastor’s behavior as “not so bad.” I strongly believe we must maintain a stand for what is right and deal head-on with ethical lapses on the part of pastors, despite the fact that there will be many who “worry” about dealing harshly with “God’s man.”
Michael Josephson [Josephson Institute of Ethics] says that there are three qualities essential to good character. “First, people of character have good principles. They believe in honor, integrity, duty, compassion, justice, and other ethical values.
Second, people of character also possess two emotional or psychological qualities that help them live up to their values: conscience and courage.
Third, is moral courage, or willpower, something to help us do the right thing even when it’s costly, risky or unpleasant.”
One of the reasons pastors have lost their integrity today, according to Bobby Mullins of Central Baptist in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is because of their ambition, or deluded desire, to compete with other pastors who appear to be successful. He reminds us that the Bible says that whatever we do, we should do it heartily (Col. 3:23) and our focus should be on pleasing the Lord, not receiving the accolades of what the world views as success. Those ministers who believe they have to become the best can become so focused on attaining success in the world’s eyes that they make decisions by looking for loopholes or shortcuts to quick numerical and statistical achievements and violate ethical ministerial practices and proper protocol. Then, when they have reached the pinnacle of their idea of success, they feel spiritually invincible and let their guard down, and that is when and where moral failure often takes root.”
In an address by O. S. Hawkins entitled, “Integrity is Key to Christian Leadership,” delivered to students at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he said that “integrity is the most important attribute of a Christian leader. Lack of integrity will undermine a Christian leader who is gifted with intellectual skill, passion in the pulpit and vision for ministry.” He said he went to seminary with men who ‘had a tremendous amount of intellect but had little integrity and are out of the race today.” Hawkins further stated, “I’ve known others who had a lot of intensity and passion and the spirit of conquest and could really rally people, but who had little integrity and became what Paul feared becoming, a castaway with God’s hand removed from him.” Hawkins also said that those who lack integrity in ministry are often exposed publicly. Many of them may practice immorality [or other unethical practices] for many years in their private lives, but on nearly every occasion, it is eventually made known before a watching world.
Christians long for pastors and other church leaders of integrity and we live in a time in desperate need of integrity. If we as congregants cannot look to our ministerial leaders as persons of impeccable integrity, where might we find the integrity we so desperately need? If ministers do not consistently behave in integrity-maintaining ways, if we cannot believe all that they say and do, then our churches are in serious trouble.
FINANCIAL INDISCRETIONS
Another area in which pastors can and have experienced immense damage to their integrity and credibility is in the area of church finances. What in the world – world, indeed – possesses a pastor, an ordained man of God, to use church finances – the tithes and offerings of congregants – for personal use? And then make the matter of financial abuse even worse by not being forthcoming by acknowledging the misdeed and immediately re-paying his church. What might possess a pastor to distort truth by claiming he didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to spend church funds for personal needs and that he had been allowed at his previous churches to do so? Most of us have been taught, and life experiences have reinforced, the importance of facing up to a mistake or un-wise decision and not trying to cover it up. I have seen a pastor attempt to deflect criticism and confrontation over his less than wise choices by blaming someone else so as to take the focus off of himself. I am not aware of how much emphasis is being given in Southern Baptist seminaries on personal integrity, how it is earned and how easy it may be lost, but at this point I certainly want to recommend that more be done. Faltering integrity presents a major impediment to the local church’s influence within its community and I would hope that someone other than just a few “let’s stand up for what is right” men in a church would begin to recognize this fact.
John Knapp, president of the Georgia-based Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics, quoted in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin’s website said, “Research suggests that ethical issues related to money are much more common problems for churches than sexual misconduct and other issues that have grabbed headlines of late.” He continued, “Indeed, ethical issues involving money are a growing problem in the church, undermining congregational life and effective pastoral ministry. It is likely that financial disputes cause more churches to split than theological disputes,” he wrote in an e-mail to the Star-Bulletin.
At Spiritual Life CBN’s website, it is posited that “as good stewards, when we become aware of financial mismanagement, we are responsible for how we sow our financial seed. The author [non-attributed] says, “I can’t imagine anyone choosing to continue to give money after becoming aware of the misuse of funds. However, if the approval of those in leadership is more important to a person than financial integrity, that person might still feel compelled to give – even if misuse of funds was involved.”
TRUST AND LEADERSHIP
Why would a man called by God and ordained to preach and teach His marvelous Word not be continuously sensitive to speaking and acting only in truth? Dishonesty by anyone is a bitter pill to swallow, but exceptionally more bitter when practiced by a pastor. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 seems clear that a pastor-as-leader is to be above reproach, for the responsibility is heavy, because the church belongs to the living God [Life Application Bible, New International Version].
John Maxwell states in his 2008 publication, Leadership Gold, that “trust in the leader is essential if other people are going to follow that person over time. People must experience the leader as believable, credible, and trustworthy. One of the ways trust is developed – whether in the leader or any other person – is through consistency in behavior. Trust is also established when words and deeds are congruent.” He also says that, “The five quickest ways that leaders (lose) the trust of their people in the work place (are):
- Acting inconsistently in what they say and do
- Seeking personal gain above shared gain
- Withholding information
- Lying or telling half-truths
- Being close-minded
…..and the best ways for leaders to build trust:
- Maintain integrity
- Focus on shared goals more than personal agendas
- Do the right thing regardless of personal risk”
“Individuals of character,” says Rushmore Kidder, “are those who walk their talk, keep their promises, and do what’s right. There’s no visible daylight between the standard they profess and the ways they act.”
ETHICAL BEHAVIOR
Perhaps it would be helpful to readers for me to share some sage, paraphrased advice from Michael Josephson concerning things to remember and do in striving to be an ethical person:
* Ethics is about knowing and being committed to do what is right, good, and proper.
* Ethical persons seek to avoid doing bad things; e.g. lying, cheating, stealing, revealing confidences, abusing others, and improper conduct.
* Ethical persons seek to do good things: e.g. to be truthful, fair, helpful, compassionate, and accountable.
Ministers can best protect the trust of the church body by:
* Avoiding wrongdoing
* Avoiding conflicts of interest
* Avoiding violating common standards of propriety
* Avoiding appearances of wrong-doing
If we Christians can’t depend with assurance on pastoral leaders to consistently do what is right, good, and proper, where is the church headed?
Thomas R. Gaines
July 2008
There are several factors which can contribute to a decline, or erosion of integrity. Surely those engaged in ministerial service recognize that respect for integrity must be earned and is therefore given to us by others. When we make mistakes and then try to cover them with distortions of the truth, or by blatant lying, integrity suffers a mighty blow as the truth is eventually revealed. People under the spiritual leadership of a pastor need and should to be able to trust the pastor. Rarely, if ever, should members be given cause to wonder about a pastor’s character.
PERSONAL INTEGRITY
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines integrity as “the quality or state of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty and sincerity.” In ethics worships and seminars for many years, I have what I refer to as an operational definition of integrity: “consistently adhering to a discernible set of moral values in making daily choices.” What this means, literally, is that you and I are what others see; say what we may, we are still judged by our daily actions. When we deviate from generally accepted notions of what constitutes “right” and “good” and, as Christians, when we act apart from Scripture, our integrity erodes. Sadly, in some instances, a pastor may not recognize when his credibility is in a downward spiral until it’s too late to overcome the negative view congregants may hold for him. This would seem especially true when a pastor has become so accustomed to distorting or otherwise manipulating truth that the line dividing truth from un-truth has become obscured.
Recent experiences have prompted me to reflect and re-affirm expectations I and, hopefully, other members of our congregation hold with respect to pastoral integrity. Shouldn’t we expect, indeed, demand that a senior pastor be held to the highest standard God expects of his leaders, or should we remain silent, hoping things will just get better when we seriously believe something about the pastor’s behavior may be impeding God’s blessings for our church? Should we refuse to deal with these issues, as some churches may be guilty of doing and accept unethical behavior with a corporate attitude of “everyone else behaves that way, but surely much worse than our pastor?” The Doctrine of Relative Filth holds that, “I’m not so bad as long as there are others who are worse.” Perhaps that doctrine is in play when many congregants dismiss their pastor’s behavior as “not so bad.” I strongly believe we must maintain a stand for what is right and deal head-on with ethical lapses on the part of pastors, despite the fact that there will be many who “worry” about dealing harshly with “God’s man.”
Michael Josephson [Josephson Institute of Ethics] says that there are three qualities essential to good character. “First, people of character have good principles. They believe in honor, integrity, duty, compassion, justice, and other ethical values.
Second, people of character also possess two emotional or psychological qualities that help them live up to their values: conscience and courage.
Third, is moral courage, or willpower, something to help us do the right thing even when it’s costly, risky or unpleasant.”
One of the reasons pastors have lost their integrity today, according to Bobby Mullins of Central Baptist in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is because of their ambition, or deluded desire, to compete with other pastors who appear to be successful. He reminds us that the Bible says that whatever we do, we should do it heartily (Col. 3:23) and our focus should be on pleasing the Lord, not receiving the accolades of what the world views as success. Those ministers who believe they have to become the best can become so focused on attaining success in the world’s eyes that they make decisions by looking for loopholes or shortcuts to quick numerical and statistical achievements and violate ethical ministerial practices and proper protocol. Then, when they have reached the pinnacle of their idea of success, they feel spiritually invincible and let their guard down, and that is when and where moral failure often takes root.”
In an address by O. S. Hawkins entitled, “Integrity is Key to Christian Leadership,” delivered to students at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he said that “integrity is the most important attribute of a Christian leader. Lack of integrity will undermine a Christian leader who is gifted with intellectual skill, passion in the pulpit and vision for ministry.” He said he went to seminary with men who ‘had a tremendous amount of intellect but had little integrity and are out of the race today.” Hawkins further stated, “I’ve known others who had a lot of intensity and passion and the spirit of conquest and could really rally people, but who had little integrity and became what Paul feared becoming, a castaway with God’s hand removed from him.” Hawkins also said that those who lack integrity in ministry are often exposed publicly. Many of them may practice immorality [or other unethical practices] for many years in their private lives, but on nearly every occasion, it is eventually made known before a watching world.
Christians long for pastors and other church leaders of integrity and we live in a time in desperate need of integrity. If we as congregants cannot look to our ministerial leaders as persons of impeccable integrity, where might we find the integrity we so desperately need? If ministers do not consistently behave in integrity-maintaining ways, if we cannot believe all that they say and do, then our churches are in serious trouble.
FINANCIAL INDISCRETIONS
Another area in which pastors can and have experienced immense damage to their integrity and credibility is in the area of church finances. What in the world – world, indeed – possesses a pastor, an ordained man of God, to use church finances – the tithes and offerings of congregants – for personal use? And then make the matter of financial abuse even worse by not being forthcoming by acknowledging the misdeed and immediately re-paying his church. What might possess a pastor to distort truth by claiming he didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to spend church funds for personal needs and that he had been allowed at his previous churches to do so? Most of us have been taught, and life experiences have reinforced, the importance of facing up to a mistake or un-wise decision and not trying to cover it up. I have seen a pastor attempt to deflect criticism and confrontation over his less than wise choices by blaming someone else so as to take the focus off of himself. I am not aware of how much emphasis is being given in Southern Baptist seminaries on personal integrity, how it is earned and how easy it may be lost, but at this point I certainly want to recommend that more be done. Faltering integrity presents a major impediment to the local church’s influence within its community and I would hope that someone other than just a few “let’s stand up for what is right” men in a church would begin to recognize this fact.
John Knapp, president of the Georgia-based Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics, quoted in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin’s website said, “Research suggests that ethical issues related to money are much more common problems for churches than sexual misconduct and other issues that have grabbed headlines of late.” He continued, “Indeed, ethical issues involving money are a growing problem in the church, undermining congregational life and effective pastoral ministry. It is likely that financial disputes cause more churches to split than theological disputes,” he wrote in an e-mail to the Star-Bulletin.
At Spiritual Life CBN’s website, it is posited that “as good stewards, when we become aware of financial mismanagement, we are responsible for how we sow our financial seed. The author [non-attributed] says, “I can’t imagine anyone choosing to continue to give money after becoming aware of the misuse of funds. However, if the approval of those in leadership is more important to a person than financial integrity, that person might still feel compelled to give – even if misuse of funds was involved.”
TRUST AND LEADERSHIP
Why would a man called by God and ordained to preach and teach His marvelous Word not be continuously sensitive to speaking and acting only in truth? Dishonesty by anyone is a bitter pill to swallow, but exceptionally more bitter when practiced by a pastor. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 seems clear that a pastor-as-leader is to be above reproach, for the responsibility is heavy, because the church belongs to the living God [Life Application Bible, New International Version].
John Maxwell states in his 2008 publication, Leadership Gold, that “trust in the leader is essential if other people are going to follow that person over time. People must experience the leader as believable, credible, and trustworthy. One of the ways trust is developed – whether in the leader or any other person – is through consistency in behavior. Trust is also established when words and deeds are congruent.” He also says that, “The five quickest ways that leaders (lose) the trust of their people in the work place (are):
- Acting inconsistently in what they say and do
- Seeking personal gain above shared gain
- Withholding information
- Lying or telling half-truths
- Being close-minded
…..and the best ways for leaders to build trust:
- Maintain integrity
- Focus on shared goals more than personal agendas
- Do the right thing regardless of personal risk”
“Individuals of character,” says Rushmore Kidder, “are those who walk their talk, keep their promises, and do what’s right. There’s no visible daylight between the standard they profess and the ways they act.”
ETHICAL BEHAVIOR
Perhaps it would be helpful to readers for me to share some sage, paraphrased advice from Michael Josephson concerning things to remember and do in striving to be an ethical person:
* Ethics is about knowing and being committed to do what is right, good, and proper.
* Ethical persons seek to avoid doing bad things; e.g. lying, cheating, stealing, revealing confidences, abusing others, and improper conduct.
* Ethical persons seek to do good things: e.g. to be truthful, fair, helpful, compassionate, and accountable.
Ministers can best protect the trust of the church body by:
* Avoiding wrongdoing
* Avoiding conflicts of interest
* Avoiding violating common standards of propriety
* Avoiding appearances of wrong-doing
If we Christians can’t depend with assurance on pastoral leaders to consistently do what is right, good, and proper, where is the church headed?
Thomas R. Gaines
July 2008