About two weeks ago, two celebrity pastoral couples suffered public crackups within days of each other. Randy and Paula White, pastors of Without Walls International Church in Tampa — reckoned in 2005 the second-largest church in America and the fastest-growing — announced they are going their separate ways. By all accounts, it is an amicable split, and Randy White will continue as pastor of Without Walls while Paula follows her star as a preacher, author and “life coach.”
About the same time, singer and evangelist Juanita Bynum had a rather more nasty breakup with her estranged husband, Thomas Weeks, pastor of Global Destiny Ministries in the Atlanta area. According to police, Weeks had to be restrained from choking and stomping on Bynum in a hotel parking lot. She went to the hospital, and he has been charged with assault and battery.
No doubt, divorce is painful and tragic. I would even say in a few cases, it is necessary for the health of those involved. But when a pastor’s marriage goes on the rocks, should it be no big deal? If either of the Whites marry again, it would be their third marriage. Does this matter? Should members of Without Walls mind that their pastor hasn’t set a very good example?
Some might say pastors are human, too, and that it is unfair to hold them to a different standard. Others might say that is the price of leadership — that leaders should be held to a higher standard.
“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness.”
James 3:1
Those ordained always ought to be held to a higher standard.
Once again, the ECUSA is the bad example to follow:
[i]In 2006, a candidate for bishop in the Episcopal Church was challenged on the grounds that he had been divorced twice and married three times. The objections were disregarded, and Barry Beisner was made bishop of the Diocese of Northern California.[/i]
I will continue to stand as one who finds Beisner’s episcopacy as objectional as Robinson’s.
MJD_NV, I agree totally.
AP+
MJ_NV,
That makes three of us.
JE <><
Four of us.
I think one must avoid painting too broad a brush on divorce, although I concede the Lord hates divorce. In my pastor’s case, he was divorced when he was young, but (1) the divorce took place before he entered seminary; (2) his wife left him, unilaterally and abruptly; (3) apparently she had been unfaithful and was having an affair with another man she then married shortly thereafter; and (4) he was a believer and she was not. I don’t see how any moral or scriptural condemnation can be put on him in that circumstance, and in fact I understand he was pretty devastated by the whole thing for a long time.
Despite this, however, I understand the word “divorce” on his resume was a big negative against him in many people’s eyes who didn’t know, or didn’t want to know, the specifics behind it.
Eventually, after he graduated from seminary and was ordained, he met a wonderful Christian woman and they have been happily married for 25 years.
[blockquote]Those ordained always ought to be held to a higher standard.[/blockquote]
You mean just like Paul?
I think the rules on divorce have been pretty much relaxed in the episcopal church.
Five
One divorce should not be an automatic bar to ordination, but it should be a serious flag. In the case Jim (#6) mentions, there should have been a judgement entered that the marriage was not sacramentally present and that that divorce should not be a bar to ordination. Two divorces, however, is a sign of a serious issue that needs to be resolved before continuing with the process. I don’t think we should raise up leaders who have been divorced twice because they set the example.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Six.
It is interesting that both ministries were founded independently, with no oversight, no one holding feet to the fire. I’m not about to claim that episcopal ecclesiology is the only way to go, but it would (could, anyway) help avoid these kinds of situations in the story. Sexual misconduct and divorce is, in my opinion, a real problem for the leadership of these kinds of churches (and I live in Tulsa, OK, where we have a lot of them, and it has happened several times).
Everyone seems to remember the infamous pagan ritual written by the Wiccan/Episcopal priest that appeared on the official website of the Episcopal church. It appeared on the women’s ministries page, which is run by one of the candidates for the Bishop of Chicago, – rev Margaret Rose. At the same time this ritual was available, another was also available on the same webpage – a liturgy for the blessing of a divorce. It was silently removed at the same time the pagan ritual was removed (fortunately I saved a copy of both). Sadly, it appears that divorce (like abortion) is just not a big deal to the Episcopal church.
Seven
Who is this “Dr” Juanita Bynum? I just looked up this website and I have never seen a a more ridiculous assemblage of self-obsessed, self-glorifying skuballon tou taurou parading as Christian ministry:
http://www.juanitabynum.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=27
It surpasses even the rubbish of Paul Cain and his ilk.
How many “orthodox” priests or bishops have conducted ceremonies for those not divorced on Biblical grounds? I know of one newly made “orthodox” bishop who has.
#14, you just made this Greek professor chuckle. I like your Greek euphemism/periphrasis. On the other hand, I wonder how two animals managed to emit the same droppings, since the -ku- root means “dog.” But you probably knew that.
Thanks for the laugh! I’m grateful for your ministry of good humor.
Eight. It is a scandal how widespread divorce is among those who consider themselves “evangelical” and “born again.”
Nine…if you must divorce, don’t remarry…at least for a very long time.