A Backslidden Minister In My Church

By Raul Rivera

It never crossed Pastor Nelson’s mind that he would need to revoke the ordination of one of his ministers.  During the four years of his church experience, he had created a Bible training center, from which twenty-one ministers had successfully graduated, many of whom had been sent out to start their own churches.  But for one of the ministers, it had not gone so well.  It seemed that no matter how hard Pastor Nelson tried to help, this one minister kept returning to some of his former ways that were not becoming of a person of faith--much less a minister of the gospel.

Confronting one of his own

It all began when Pastor Nelson received a complaint from someone in the church concerning the minister’s behavior.   At first the claim seemed insignificant, but when he received a second,  third,  fourth, and even fifth complaint, Pastor Nelson became concerned.  His church’s reputation was beginning to suffer negative repercussions.  Was there something he could do to help the minister?  Should he be concerned of the legal consequences if the minister engaged in hurtful activity?  What was he going to do? 

Knowing he could no longer let it go, Pastor Nelson met with the minister to discuss his ordination status and offer him help, in an effort to bring restoration where necessary.  The minister, however, was defensive and unwilling to cooperate.  The meeting did not produce the desired result, making it clear to Pastor Nelson that he needed to revoke the minister’s ordination.  This would be a little more complicated than he first thought. 

Four months later

It had been four months since Pastor Nelson’s conversation with the minister.  He had not seen nor heard from the minister.  Though he attempted many times to call him on his cell phone, it always went to voice mail.  The only thing the pastor could do was send him a letter informing him that his ordination was revoked, and that he was to return all ordination documents.  Needless to say, it did not work.

The church’s legal and social responsibility

Every church that has ordained ministers needs to think about the potential legal consequences that could fall upon the church if one of its ministers gets involved in illegal or unethical activities.   Pastor Nelson wondered what could happen to his church if the backslidden minister acted inappropriately, but he did not have any answers.  At our Ultimate Church Structure Conferences we teach every church the 10 proper steps to legal ordination.  Below, let me give you three of those steps to take when ordaining someone in your church, and how to be prepared in the event that you need to revoke an ordination. 

1.     Make sure there is an application process:  Part of any process should include an application.  Before ordaining anyone, make sure you create an application that they must fill out and sign.  In the application, include language stating that they must adhere to the church’s tenets of faith, and that they must live a lifestyle consistent with the church’s scriptural standard.  Moreover, make sure to include a provision in the application form which makes it clear to the applicant that ordination can be revoked by the church at anytime with and without cause.

2.     Assign an expiration date:  There are many reasons to include an expiration date on the license card.  One important reason is the fact that when a minister breaks fellowship with the church, the possibility exists that the minister may leave without officially turning in his/her credentials.  By putting an expiration date on the card, you can at least ensure that the ordination card will no longer be used after that date.  After all, one of the church’s most important assets is its reputation.

3.     Language on the ordination certificate: The language used in the certificate and license is very important.  In keeping consistent with the application process, it is very important that you include a phrase requiring the minister to maintain a scriptural standard of teaching that is consistent with that of the church.  This ensures that the minister is fully aware of his/her responsibility to the church, and also strengthens the legal validity of the ordination.  On January 11^th, 2012, the United States Supreme Court ruled that a church-controlled school teacher is a minister, and noted that part of the minister’s responsibilities is to convey the “church’s message and mission.”

The best legal foundation

As a pastor, having to deal with a backslidden minister is always difficult.  On one hand, winning the minister back has a very complicated set of challenges.  On the other hand, one must also take measures to protect the church and its reputation.  At StartCHURCH, we teach pastors and leaders that good structure creates an environment that fosters a healthy congregation for life, while maintaining an astute legal foundation that protects the church.