BE A SMART BOSS
I must be frank with you. In recent years we have seen too many clergy get booted out of congregations because of false allegations and bogus charges.
When a parson can be sent packing on a list of trumped up charges that seem to appear out of the nether haze, something akin to slander or libel is happening in our congregations. Worse yet, if a congregation accepts those charges and removes a preacher from the pulpit without absolute proof of malfeasance, we have a frightening situation.
It's frightening because any word or action from a church or community member that damages a pastor's reputation ought to raise the hairs on the neck of every parishioner. When a pastor is forced out of a church without being able to face the accusers, we have a civil rights problem. And when a group of cowardly church members, hiding behind promises of confidentiality, can bring down a pastor simply by insinuation, we have a crime being committed.
Church council members need to realize that congregations are hot-beds of gossip. Every member who donates some amount of money to the coffers believes he or she has paid for the right to complain. But when the complaints become allegations of malfeasance, the pastor ought to be running for cover. And the cover might be the laws that protect every citizen, even dedicated clergy.
Any accused person ought to be able to face the accusers. Accused and accuser ought to sit down together, review the charges, find reconciliation and then move on with their lives. If they can't find reconciliation through honest discussion, then the U.S. government has courts that will settle disputes. But no one should have to suffer without hearing the charges and without facing the accusers.
The Bible passage the church uses to govern disputes is in Matthew 5 where it says that an accuser should come to terms quickly with the accused so that it does not become a legal proceeding. Christianity has always taught that it is the accuser who risks terrible judgment in these matters.
Matthew 5: 21 says if you are angry with another person, you will be liable to judgement, "if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council"; and "if you say 'You Fool' you will be liable to the hell of fire."
Believe it or not, even some church leaders don't understand the damage that can be done by accepting accusations that have no basis in reality. In just the past few months I have heard of a half dozen instances where pastors were removed from office because of anonymous complaints that were never substantiated by denominational supervison. The leaders in these churches either allowed or added momentum to the damage. That kind of action is libelous and slanderous, no matter how you look at it.
Libel is any written or published false allegation against another human being. Slander is any false accusation uttered in the presence of another person that damages a third person's reputation or character. To commit either one can get you in a heap of trouble.
If the church can't learn to seek truth and reconciliation in all matters, we are going to be facing a new reality in the years ahead. Clergy in this day cannot afford to let a small group of people with petty complaints ruin the ministry. That is not the way the church is designed to work.
Clark D. Morphew
Posted 2-06-02