When a Christian Leader Falls

Two desperately sad announcements were posted a few weeks ago, by Trinity Bible Church in Dallas and the board of OnePassion Ministries:

The elders at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas regretfully announce that effective immediately, Steven J. Lawson has been removed indefinitely from all ministry activities at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas.  Several days ago, the elders at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas were informed by Steve Lawson of an inappropriate relationship that he has had with a woman. The elders have met with Steve and will continue to come alongside him and pray for him with the ultimate goal of his personal repentance. Steve will no longer be compensated by Trinity Bible Church of Dallas.’

‘The board of OnePassion Ministries mournfully announces that just recently Steven J. Lawson confessed to the board that he has had an inappropriate relationship with a woman, a sin that has disqualified him from ministry. In response Steve has resigned from all his duties at OnePassion Ministries… Steve has confessed and regrets the damage he has caused to his family, the church, the reputation of OnePassion Ministries and most of all Jesus Christ.’

No doubt many of us have benefited greatly from Steve Lawson’s preaching and writing ministry. To hear of his removal from ministry under these circumstances is a grievous shock. The devil loves to use the public fall of the Lord’s servants to make other believers stumble or sin—we are not ignorant of his designs (2 Cor. 2:11). With that in mind, let’s make every effort to respond to this news in as godly a way as possible. What effect should this sad news have on us?

1. We should mourn with those who mourn. We are all joined to one another and so when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. We should grieve with Steve’s family and the family of the other woman involved, their churches and friends in their pain, praying for the Lord to sustain them and give them grace to forgive a sinner who has fallen, confessed and repented.
2. We should guard our own hearts. ‘Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.’ (1 Cor. 10:12). Let’s redouble our own efforts to keep ourselves from sin. Voddie Baucham put it so well: ‘The wisest man in the Bible fell into sexual sin, the strongest man in the Bible fell to sexual sin, and the godliest man in the Bible fell to sexual sin. For me to think I’m above falling into this sin is to think that I’m wiser than Solomon, stronger than Samson, and godlier than King David.’ How we need to pray for the Spirit to preserve each of us.
3. We should pray all the more earnestly for protection for our pastors and all in leadership in ministry. The devil is a roaring lion, constantly hunting for prey (1 Pet. 5:8). Do you regularly pray this for your pastor and elders?
4. We should remember that a fallen Christian is still a Christian. A believer who falls and repents is to be forgiven, whatever the consequences of their sin might involve; he is still a brother and is to be treated as a brother (Luke 17:3; 2 Thess. 3:15).
5. We should beware of the particular temptations and sins that come with hearing of the fall of a Christian leader, and pray for God’s grace to resist them:
6. Cynicism: ‘They’re probably all doing that and are no better than him—you can’t trust anyone in leadership.’
7. Pride: ‘I have never done that, so I’m better than him.’
8. Complacency: ‘I would never do that, so I’m better than him.’ He who puts his armour on should not boast as one who takes it off. (1 Kings 20:11). Wait until you’re safely in heaven before you start talking about things you would never do. Robert Murray M’Cheyne was one of the godliest men of his generation, but he said that the seeds of all sins were in his heart. A little water and the right conditions and who knows what poisonous fruit our hearts could bring forth. Make sure you have close friends who will keep you accountable.
9. Self-righteousness: we can be like the Pharisees exulting over the woman caught in the act of adultery, because it makes us feel superior when we find some poor, wretched, fallen brother or sister in a worse state than we are. What did the Lord say to people with that spirit? ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.’ (John 8:7) We may not have committed this sin, but how many other sins are we guilty of? How many other sexual sins have we committed, even if not this particular one? How many times has the Lord in his grace turned you back from this very road before you got to the stage this man reached?
10. We should guard our conversation against the temptation to gossip and empty speculation. Trinity Bible Church and OnePassion Ministries have wisely said as little as possible about the details of what exactly happened. They have said enough and the people who need to know more do know more. Our sinful hearts may want to know more, but we need to accept that it is none of our business. We should avoid trying to read between the lines of what has been publicly stated. In fact, in the absence of more information we have a duty to assume the best as far as possible. Although a few more details have come to light since the news broke, there is a great deal that the general public doesn’t know and doesn’t need to know. Love always hopes (1 Cor. 13:7). Why would we fill the vacuum by assuming the worst about a fallen brother? Why not assume the best? Let’s assume, until we know otherwise, that this brother was convicted by the Word of God and the work of the Spirit so that he confessed this sin of his own free will instead of keeping it a secret, that he is genuinely repenting of what he did and that he is humbly submitting to whatever his elders are counselling him to do. Let’s hope that this ‘inappropriate relationship’, although clearly serious enough to disqualify Steve from continuing in ministry for the time being, was not as sinful as it could be.
11. Let’s commit not to talk about this subject or think about Steve Lawson without praying for him and his family, and the woman with whom he had this relationship and her family. Let’s pray that his repentance is indeed genuine, that his wife and family will be given the grace to forgive him just as God in Christ forgave them. Let’s pray that the cause of Christ will be furthered because this terrible situation is handled in a biblically faithful way, so that instead of cover-up and self-justification there is repentance and grace and loving discipline. Let’s pray for the restoration of a fallen brother, even if that means he never stands in a pulpit again. Let’s pray that no Christian will fall into this sin, using this man’s fall as an excuse for doing so.
12. Many Christians, when they hear about the fall of an eminent Christian leader through whom God has blessed them, begin to doubt the legitimacy of his teaching and the reality of the blessing they gained from his ministry. But in the end every minister of the gospel is a weak earthen vessel that the Lord in his grace and power chooses to use to build up his people (2Cor 4.7). That any blessing ever comes through a sinful human being is a testimony to the greatness of God—God can draw a straight line with a bent stick. Paul spoke of some men who preached Christ for sinful motives, even out of envy and rivalry, but was able to say that the main thing was that Christ was preached and he rejoiced in that (Phil. 1:15–18).
13. Above all we should be so profoundly thankful of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, without which every one of us would be lost. ‘If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?’ (Psa. 130:3) The Lord Jesus lived a life in which he never once, in thought, word or action, had an inappropriate relationship with anyone—instead he related with perfect integrity towards everyone. On the cross he suffered and died to atone for Steve’s sin, whatever it was, and all his other countless sins, and all the sins of all of us his people so that we might be forgiven. ‘If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.’ (Psa. 130:3–4)

Warren Peel is pastor at Covenant Christian Fellowship, Galway, Ireland, and a trustee of the Banner of Truth. This piece first appeared on the Gentle Reformation blog. It was first published here on 20 September 2024 and last updated on 14 October 2024.