I posted this to the app formerly known as Twitter awhile back:
I was an associate pastor for 13 years before being called to where I am now. As an associate I was held accountable by the personal committee of the churches where I served. The same principle applied then as it does now - people like power over other people.
I don’t mind having accountability. I think done right it’s a great thing. But when men and women demand their pastors be accountable without their own lives called into question then that’s hypocrisy. If I were being held accountable by Godly men and women there wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately that’s rare in most churches today.
I won’t be party to a group of people who have no desire to live Godly lives but demand I do.
I have several Godly men that I trust and can confide in and I do. They in turn come and confide in me. We would have no problem holding each other accountable because we know that we are striving to live Godly lives1 .
The whole point to this short post is to just say that accountability is good - accountability to hypocrites is bad and should not happen. The committee’s in your church that hold the staff accountable should be Godly men and women and if they’re not then you either need to find some or dissolve the committee.
Have a blessed day everyone,
Scott
Please don’t mistake “striving” for “perfection”. Some people do, then preach sinless perfectionism to the masses and now you’ve got a whole new set of problems.
If a pastor is scrutinized to the Nth degree, a Pastors family and Godly leadership and biblical preaching, what do each of us bring to the table
This topic, at least for me personally, is why I am so convinced about the Presbyterian approach to church government. First, there is a plurality of Elders at the local level, for practical accountability, but then also accountability at the regional presbytery, and sometimes above that as well.
No approach is without it’s issues, but I have seen this work really well (and sometimes not).