Hey Jeffrey,<\/p>\n
I know as a Christian, we are to do our best to abstain from sin at all costs. I also realize no man, except Jesus, is perfect. I have befriended my preacher, and he speaks as if he and his family are living in a glass house, all eyes are on them, and people seem to hold him to a ridiculously high standard. Since you are a preacher: do preachers struggle with sin? What should be done when a preacher sins?<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n\t
Anyone who is in a leadership position experiences more scrutiny than a low-level worker. Just look at any country’s leader and you see people analyzing every statement for all nuances. They don’t do that for the janitor. You find piranha swimming around looking for the least mistake so they can pounce and, if they particularly don’t like a person, they’ll pounce on imaginary slip-ups. This is both good and bad. It is good because we want our leaders to be careful and set a good example. It is bad because it sets a different standard for another person than we place on ourselves.<\/p>\n
“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you<\/em>” (Matthew 7:1-2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
If you are able to see wrong in someone else, then it means there is no excuse when you do something similar. “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things<\/em>” (Romans 2:1).<\/p>\n
Still, preachers, elders, deacons, and teachers in a church are in a position of influence. If they stray into sin, often it doesn’t just affect their own lives, others are dragged into it as well. God holds teachers to a higher standard. “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment<\/em>” (James 3:1). You should expect those leading in the church to set good examples. “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. … Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you<\/em>” (I Timothy 4:12, 16).<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, there are brethren who believe preachers and elders must be perfect. People make mistakes and hopefully they learn from their mistakes. I’ve been a preacher for many years and now am an elder as well. I’ve made my share of mistakes. I appreciate the brethren who help me realize the problem and help me straighten out the situation; that is the way it should be. In some places it is “fire the preacher first,” and then nothing is done to straighten out the problem because the apparent source of the problem is now gone. It becomes the path of least effort. It is sad because if a man does have a problem with sin, then he receives no help from his brethren to reach heaven.<\/p>\n
Now, there are preachers and elders who fall into sin and refuse to change. These should be dealt with just as you would any other member of the church (such as Matthew 18:15-17). When an elder sins, preachers are particularly charged with dealing with the matter (I Timothy 5:19-20) and care is taken to avoid unjust or inaccurate charges since it will affect the man’s influence in the congregation.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: Hey Jeffrey, I know as a Christian, we are to do our best to abstain from sin at all costs. I also realize no man, except Jesus, is perfect. I have befriended my preacher, and he speaks as if he and his family are living in a glass house, all eyes are on them,…<\/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_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[1511,179],"class_list":["post-53640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-preachers","tag-sin"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35535,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-a-preacher-sins-is-he-permanently-disqualified-from-preaching\/","url_meta":{"origin":53640,"position":0},"title":"If a preacher sins, is he permanently disqualified from preaching?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, What is the proper term to call the speaker on Sunday? Is it a pastor or a preacher? Also, to be a preacher you basically have to have all the qualifications of an elder correct? And if for some reason a preacher sins, such as adultery, they would\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":10409,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-preacher-retain-his-position-if-his-children-are-engaged-in-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":53640,"position":1},"title":"Can a preacher retain his position if his children are engaged in sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If a minister's daughter is pregnant with her second child and does not have a husband, can he keep his position as a minister? Answer: The qualifications of a preacher do not include qualifications on his family. See: Preachers. This man's daughter's behavior does indicate that there was a\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":90444,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-a-pastor-sins-is-he-still-qualified-to-be-a-pastor\/","url_meta":{"origin":53640,"position":2},"title":"If a pastor sins, is he still qualified to be a pastor?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If a pastor sins and then repents, is he still qualified to be a pastor? I don't know the Bible from cover to cover, but I've heard some Christians say that a pastor can no longer preach if he has sinned. I'm wondering if a pastor who has truly\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":32235,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-a-preacher-say-i-break-all-generational-curses-on-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":53640,"position":3},"title":"Should a preacher say, “I break all generational curses on you”?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why do so many preachers pray over people by saying \"I break all generational curses on you\"? I read what you wrote about\u00a0God visiting the iniquities of the fathers on their children, but I still need biblical verses to disprove these preachers and convince myself. Answer: \"For the time\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":15140,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/isnt-the-reason-denominations-want-married-preachers-is-because-they-confuse-the-office-of-an-elder-with-that-of-the-preacher\/","url_meta":{"origin":53640,"position":4},"title":"Isn’t the reason denominations want married preachers is because they confuse the office of an elder with that of the preacher?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 20, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I wanted to make a comment about\u00a0requiring preachers to be married. I have taken note that the denominations do not generally adhere to scriptural church leadership, and instead of a plurality of elders, they have a board of deacons and one 'elder' or 'pastor,' who also serves as the\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":39727,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-the-church-continue-to-support-a-preacher-whose-children-are-already-adults-but-are-not-christians\/","url_meta":{"origin":53640,"position":5},"title":"Should the church continue to support a preacher, whose children are already adults but are not Christians?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I need your advice brother. Should the church continue to support a preacher, whose children are already adults but are not Christians? Answer: There are no requirements in the Bible concerning a preacher's children. It may be a concern that a preacher is not able to persuade his own\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":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53640\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}