{"id":5221,"date":"2019-06-30T16:33:04","date_gmt":"2019-06-30T21:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=5221"},"modified":"2019-07-10T12:03:07","modified_gmt":"2019-07-10T17:03:07","slug":"what-should-be-done-about-a-minister-who-is-committing-adultery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-should-be-done-about-a-minister-who-is-committing-adultery\/","title":{"rendered":"What should be done about a minister who is committing adultery?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Recently some in our congregation have found out that our married minister is committing adultery. This information was shared with certain brothers. They approached the minister, who vehemently denied it, but there is valid proof of this affair. The minister continues to preach and will be preaching at a church lectureship in a few weeks time. What should be done? The brothers have given him the benefit of the doubt, but the evidence is overwhelming, and those who know fear that we will be held accountable for these brothers not rectifying this situation immediately.<\/p>\n

Thank you for a quick response.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

Since I do not know the people involved or the situation, I cannot help you determine if the evidence is true or not. But it sounds like the congregation is fairly confident that the accusation is true. What I urge is that the brethren use the rule of having two or more independent witnesses to determine what is true.<\/p>\n

Assuming it is true, the steps the congregation must take are clear. “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus<\/em>” (I Corinthians 5:1-5). A preacher is not exempt from God’s laws. He must be withdrawn from and his support discontinued. Failure to take action will destroy the church. “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?<\/em>” (I Corinthians 5:6).<\/p>\n

If the preacher repents, then he is to be forgiven and allowed to worship with the brethren again, but they must decide if they want him to continue to preach for them or not.<\/p>\n

See:\u00a0Withdraw Yourselves<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: Recently some in our congregation have found out that our married minister is committing adultery. This information was shared with certain brothers. They approached the minister, who vehemently denied it, but there is valid proof of this affair. The minister continues to preach and will be preaching at a church lectureship in a few…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[66,1511],"class_list":["post-5221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-adultery","tag-preachers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35331,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-deal-with-a-member-who-is-in-an-adulterous-marriage\/","url_meta":{"origin":5221,"position":0},"title":"How do I deal with a member who is in an adulterous marriage?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question that requires me to go outside of the current congregation where I am a member. If there is a member who is in an unscriptural marriage, which I do have personal knowledge of, and who is being allowed to preach and teach in worship service,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":47215,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-should-the-adultery-of-a-minister-be-handled\/","url_meta":{"origin":5221,"position":1},"title":"How should the adultery of a minister be handled?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My Dear Brother, I would like to express my deep grief because of what's happening in our local congregation.\u00a0I am in desperate need of guidance as my heart is so much troubled. We found out that our minister of many years has been hiding a horrible sin of adultery\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24717,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-a-minister-has-committed-adultery-should-he-step-down-even-though-he-has-repented-of-his-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":5221,"position":2},"title":"If a minister has committed adultery, should he step down even though he has repented of his sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 8, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What should happen to a minister who has committed adultery for almost a decade with a woman of another congregation who has made their relationship known to the leadership and other members?\u00a0 Hence, the minister has confessed before the congregation that he has sinned and that he repented of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22060,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-should-a-congregation-go-about-selecting-another-preacher\/","url_meta":{"origin":5221,"position":3},"title":"How should a congregation go about selecting another preacher?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 21, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was wondering if I could get your advice on selecting a pulpit minister. Our minister stepped down due to fleshly and worldly desires, like Demas \"having loved this present world.\" We have an interim minister at this time. We have other ministers who sent resumes but didn't have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39947,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-the-church-right-to-withdraw-from-a-couple-who-lived-together-without-being-married\/","url_meta":{"origin":5221,"position":4},"title":"Was the church right to withdraw from a couple who lived together without being married?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My husband and I are faithful members of the Lord's church. We are active in a congregation in which a situation has occurred which has caused division in the congregation. The situation is this: a man and a woman who have been baptized and are members of the Lord's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20263,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/though-my-husband-is-divorcing-me-in-order-to-marry-another-woman-he-is-telling-everyone-that-im-the-one-who-committed-adultery-how-can-i-defend-myself\/","url_meta":{"origin":5221,"position":5},"title":"Though my husband is divorcing me in order to marry another woman, he is telling everyone that I’m the one who committed adultery. How can I defend myself?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 22, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My husband of 25 years has recently left me for another woman. He admits, to me, that he committed adultery with this woman and wants to marry her. 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