What Disqualifies A Pastor From Ministry?

Show Transcript When she was 17 years old, Jules Woodson's youth pastor drove her to a remote location and sexually assaulted her. That pastor--Andy Savage--resigned from the megachurch he pastored in Memphis, Tennessee, when news of his past assault surfaced. But last week, just 18 months after stepping down from ministry, Savage announced he's planting a new church in Memphis. And Jules Woodson is sick about it. What should we make of situations like this? Should pastors who commit serious sin be disqualified from ministry?  This week on The Roys Report, I’ll explore this issue with Jules Woodson and Julia Dahl, a clergy sexual abuse survivor and advocate. Also joining me will be Mitch Little, an elder board chairman and lawyer who’s represented some of the women who accused Bill Hybels of abuse—and John Armstrong, author of a book addressing the issue of pastor disqualification. Show Transcript Note: This transcript has been edited slightly for continuity. Segment 1: JULIE ROYS: Hi, I’m Julie Roys. And on this episode of The Roys Report, we’re going to be discussing sexual abuse. So, if you have any children listening, please keep that in mind. ANNOUNCER: In the midst of all of today’s noise and confusion, we need a voice that cuts through the chaos to bring wisdom and clarity. Welcome to the Roys report with Julie Roys—an hour-long show exploring critical issues related to faith and culture from a uniquely Christian perspective. Now, here’s your host, Julie Roys. JULIE ROYS: Lawyers can be disbarred, and doctors can lose their license. But what about pastors who betray their office? Should they be disqualified? Welcome to The Roys Report, brought to you in part by Judson University. I’m Julie Roys. And today we’re talking about a major issue in the church right now. Sadly, there have been several high-profile pastors, who have either been fired from their congregations or resigned amid scandal. But then these same pastors go to another church where their sins are less known, set up shop, and then they pastor again. For example, celebrity Pastor Mark Driscoll resigned in 2014. That was after an investigation at Mars Hill Church found that Driscoll had a pattern of intimidation and bullying his staff. Driscoll also is accused of plagiarism, misusing funds and airing inappropriate sexual comments. Yet Driscoll resigned before the elders at Mars Hill could publicly disqualify him. And he refused to submit to the church’s restoration plan. Then, less than two years later, Driscoll started a new church in Phoenix. And now, Driscoll has even returned to the conference speaking circuit. Just this week, he spoke at the Ignite Conference Southwest alongside big-name evangelical speakers like Ed Stetzer and Erwin McManus. Similarly, in Memphis, Tennessee, a pastor who resigned from a megachurch after admitting that he had sexually abused a minor, announced that he’s returning to ministry. Pastor Andy Savage resigned from Highpoint Church in Memphis, Tennessee about 18 months ago. It was then that Savage admitted that he had sexually abused a teenager when he was a youth pastor at a church. But now, just 18 months later Savage is back and planting a new church in Memphis called Grace Valley Church. Closer to home, James MacDonald, who was fired in February from Harvest Bible Chapel for a plethora of misdeeds—he  recently spoke at a men’s conference for a Chicago megachurch. And that church, New Life covenant Church, has now accepted MacDonald into fellowship. And many wonder if the church is paving the way for MacDonald to return to the pastorate. Yet just this past Sunday, the Elders at Harvest Bible Chapel did something that may prevent that. They publicly stated that they consider James MacDonald disqualified from being an Elder or Pastor. They added, without showing the fruits of repentance MacDonald should not be allowed back