What to do When Leaders Fall

When Christian leaders fall our faith can be challenged. We’ve had many Christian leaders fall in the last five years. I’ve wrestled with the brokenness and sadness in many of these situations. Big megachurch pastors, Christian music leaders… Christian authors… falling… I’ve had many conversations about “how could they do that?” with Christians and non-christians alike. The question always comes up, “so what do we do now?” I would argue — exactly what we’ve done before.

Maybe it’s more personal. Maybe the leader who fell is someone in your life who mentored you and pointed you towards Christ. Now they somehow have failed you or let you down. You think how could you do this when you told me to do the opposite? I remember when a mentor of mine ended up getting a divorce. I was so shaken by how she had pointed me towards the exact opposite in high school and college. I had to realized, hey she never pretended to be perfect. We need to go right back to the foundations of our faith when this happens, because then we will be reminded of the only One is to be elevated and who is sinless.

When a leader falls, it is just a reminder that we cannot put humans on a stage. I’ve done this so many times. I’ll put a person on a stage, holding their opinions, thoughts, faith, or life above other’s.

I’ve done it. 

But here’s the thing, this leaves us questioning our own faith and life when they fall off the stage we’ve built for them.

This isn’t the Gospel.

Actually, this is the exact opposite.

See, Romans 2:11 says that God shows no partiality. Romans 3:23 says,  “That all sinned and was in need of a savior.” We all are being sanctified. The gospel message is that through Christ we are all equal. That leader is a sinner saved by grace just as much as you are. The worst thing we can do is to let a fallen leader affect our relationship with the only one who should be elevated — God.

Take that spiritual leader off the platform and look up to God.