What if I’ve Been Hurt by a Church Leader?

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It can be very painful when a Christian brother or sister sins against us. But when that person is in a position of church leadership, it can be potentially devastating to our faith.

In our last podcast episode, we spoke about the importance of church leadership, and how spiritual authority in the church is God’s gift intended for our protection and growth. However, while leadership is a gift from God, church leaders are not above sinning. And when their sin wounds us personally, it can be difficult to know how to move forward.

It should go without saying that forgiveness should be the hallmark of every Christian and the church community (See Matthew 6:12-14; 18:21-35; Colossians 3:13). But when those charged with the shepherding of God’s sheep are the ones who sin, the pathway to forgiveness and healing is not always so cut and dry.

In this episode, Scott and Shawn dive into the Bible and discover the principles God gives us for dealing with sins that Christians commit against each other. From there, they build on those principles, working through several case studies to address the issues and considerations involved when it may be church leaders whose sin we need to forgive.