Scandals in Leadership: The Cost of Ignoring Biblical Repentance

The current wave of high-profile Church leadership scandals is deeply damaging, not only to the individuals involved but also to the broader church community. These scandals also have a profound impact on the public’s perception of the Church, a perception that is crucial in our mission to demonstrate and declare the good news of Jesus Christ. One thing that makes this current wave of exposure more devastating is the leaders’ lack of biblical repentance, a process that is not just a formality but a crucial step toward healing and restoration.

In almost every case, no specific sin is ever mentioned on the part of the leaders or those involved in dealing with them.  In a few of the cases, the victims have spoken out, citing the specific sins, but the leaders have not.  For those leaders who have made statements they admit to “indiscretions” but nothing specific. Some, never owning up to anything specific, release statements with generalities such as “I do not agree with the accounts of ____ (the victim), but never go on to cite what parts they think are being reported erroneously.

One significant problem with these nonspecific responses is the sickening feeling they create among everyone. The murkiness of not knowing what sins were committed and what is being done to address them leaves a void that only transparency and clarity can fill. It’s crucial for leaders to be transparent about their wrongdoings and the steps they are taking to address them, as this is a fundamental aspect of biblical repentance and accountability. 

Most people innately realize an important truth: Church leaders, while not perfect, should be held to higher standards of conduct and accountability. Why? They are called to lead God’s people by teaching and example.

• James 3:1 NLT Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.

• Hebrews 13:7  Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith ( Heb 6:12, 1 Corinthians 4:17, 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:7,9 etc.).

The Biblical Fruit/Revelation of Repentance

John the Baptist made an important statement about repentance as people came to be baptized by him, “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).  The GNT brings out the meaning of this verse in its translation: “Do those things that will show you have turned from your sins.”  This is greatly needed in the leadership scandals we are seeing exposed today!

The most thorough revelation of the fruit of repentance is found in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.  We know there was a prominent member of the church who was sexually sinning and he and his sin was not being dealt with.  Paul highlighted the fact that the sin that was being allowed to go on was worse than the sins of unbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:1).  Paul commanded them to deal with the man’s sin head-on (1 Corinthians 5:2-7). 

We know from Paul’s second letter that they effectively dealt with the man, and there was repentance to the point that Paul urged them to receive the man’s pact into membership (2 Corinthians 2:5-11).  He later commends them, both the man and the church because of the repentance they exhibited.  He showed the specific traits of repentance that God’s people desperately need in this hour of sin scandals among leaders.  Here is the passage along with some of the traits/fruits that we see seriously lacking in the current leadership scandals (including the Greek words and their definitions from Greek/Bible dictionaries and commentators).

• 2Corinthians 7:9-11 NASB  I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.  10  For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.  11  For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

Traits of Repentance

• Earnestness (“spoude”): It is earnest diligence to see the sin dealt with.
• Vindication of yourself (“apologia”): It is a clearing of yourself, not by denying, lessening, overlooking, or defending the sin but by diligence to put the sin right.  This means owning up to it and taking whatever steps necessary to “apologia” (apologize and atone for it). 
• Indignation (“aganaktēsis”):  It is anger and hatred for the sin and its effects.  
• What fear (“phobos”):  It is both a fear of God and a fear of the corruption that will spread in the church if the sin isn’t dealt with completely.
• Longing (“epipothēsis”):  A longing to see the sin and its effects both dealt with and removed. 
• Zeal (“zelos”):  Fury and zeal for God and His glory; for restoring what has been lacking and setting out the work of reformation with great earnestness
•  Avenging of the wrong ( “ekdikesis”):  Avenging of the wrong, not just in a private way, but also throughout the church.  This is one of the reasons why the lack of specifically identifying the sin in the current scandals is so disasterous.  There can be no avenging of the wrong among the church if no one knows what is wrong!!!
• Demonstrate yourself as innocent (“hangnos”):  Free from sin and back to a state of innocence.  In the Corinthian case, the whole church, having dealt thoroughly with the sin and its consequences, has come back to a state of purity/innocence.  

The Negative Impact of a Lack of Repentance

When churches fail to deal with sin and engage in a way that leads towards genuine/Biblical repentance, several damaging issues arise which we have seen in the current exposures.

• Loss of Trust: God’s people and the wider public lose trust in both the leadership and the Church as a whole. This breach of trust can lead to disillusionment and giving up on God’s great purpose for His house.
• Hypocrisy: A lack of repentance can be seen as hypocritical, especially when leaders preach about the importance of God and His truth but fail to pursue it themselves. 
• Moral Degeneration: In the Corinthian example, Paul shows them and us the consequences of not dealing with sin, “A little leaven, leavens the whole lump of dough.” Without repentance, there is moral compromise within the Church, where sinful behavior is tolerated or even excused.
• Public Scandal: When scandals are not met with genuine repentance, they often escalate, drawing negative attention from the media and damaging the Church’s witness to the world.

May the current wave of exposing leaders’ hidden sins spark an awakening among God’s people—a time when we do not abandon His plan for His house but rise up to pursue Him and His ways. Genuine repentance is crucial for rebuilding trust, restoring relationships, and safeguarding the Church’s integrity in the eyes of the world. Let us pray earnestly that God’s people embrace repentance and cultivate a culture where confession, humility, and restoration flourish.