It Takes a Village | Matt Chandler

“Biblical accountability begins with taking responsibility for one’s own actions and making a conscious choice of allowing God and others to help in accomplishing what is right.”

Over the years, many of us have heard the news of men and women falling short in ministry. Most often this is tied to some sort of moral failure. At times, these stories come as no surprise; however, last Sunday, August 28, 2022, many did not know what to say as the news spread rather quickly that Matt Chandler, a popular Evangelical Pastor, was placed on a leave of absence by the elders of Villiage Church and would be stepping out of leadership indefinitely.

Though I do not know Matt personally, I know his character well enough to advocate that this man loves the Lord, loves his family, and loves the local church. He has been a huge proponent of biblical accountability, church doctrine, and theology as well.

I will be the first to admit that many people love watching others fail, especially in times of high leadership or high standing. This has become such a common craving that our culture now defines it as “failure porn.” It is honestly sickening. Why would we rejoice in the hardships of others?

In a video from the Village Church service, Pastor Matt Chandler very maturely addressed the congregation and relayed some specifics regarding the situation.

Matt Chandler started by giving context.

He had been approached by a member of their congregation. This member brought concern regarding Matt and one of her friends DM’ing on Instagram.

Chandler did what Scripture calls him to do and brought the concern to the elders of the church and also told his wife of the concern brought forth by this member.

After some internal and external investigation and there was a general consensus that though Chandler’s conversation with this woman was not sexual or romantic, the conversations were too frequent and too familiar to be considered above reproach.

Before jumping into my thoughts on the situation, it is important to know that Chandler was completely open and honest with the elders, his wife, and investigators. He spoke very highly of leadership and agreed with their decision to place him on a leave of absence.

First of all, I debated whether I should even put this blog post out there because I’m sure the last thing Matt Chandler needs/wants is more publicity around this subject. However, I choose to believe God is going to use this situation for good.

My heart breaks for Matt Chandler. I empathize with him. He reveals his frustration regarding his lapse of judgment and authentically lays out his feelings of embarrassment for the situation as a whole.

Matt, if you happen to be reading this, just know I am proud of the way you conducted yourself. You didn’t make excuses for your actions. You took responsibility. And, you were willing to do whatever needed to be done to protect your wife, kids, and the health of the church. There is a familiar saying, “Trust is gained in raindrops and lost in buckets.” While that saying is true, the way you conducted yourself, took responsibility and showed honor to your family and church leadership made me respect you even more. As Craig Groeschel wisely says to end every podcast, “People would rather follow a leader who is always REAL than one who is always RIGHT.” Personally, I cannot wait to see how the Lord continues to use you and use this season to grow your character and the body of Christ. We all know He takes broken things and makes them beautiful.

For years you have spent countless hours reminding people of the grace of God. In this season, I am sure the enemy will try to discount the way you view God’s grace for yourself. Please surround yourself with people who will speak the Truth over you in this season.

Next, it is important to note that Village Church handled this situation extremely well with both grace, love, and truth… just as God intended church leadership and biblical accountability to work.

While podcasts like “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” gave deconstructionists, non-believers, even Christians, and others an excuse to feed off a moral failure (don’t even get me started)…my prayer for Matt Chandler’s leave of absence is that it becomes a precedent for how the church should handle messy situations.

My hope is that many realize even pastors are prone to temptation, slip-ups, fogged thinking, and a lapse of judgement. I also hope this serves as a reminder to hold pastors to a higher standard while simultaneously reminding ourselves that pastors are human beings and are not perfect. It would be really neat if we prayed for pastors in a season where they fell short rather than dragging their names through the mud.

Like my friend Luke Lezon once said, “It’s hard to throw stones when you’re busy washing feet.”

There is also a group of people who think that this whole situation is blown out of proportion. To this group, I would cautiously challenge you to view this as a healthy decision for BOTH Matt and the congregation.

Think about it like this… after a leg injury, you are given crutches. Though your leg could sustain some pressure, it is in no condition to carry the weight until it has gone through a season of healing. This season often involves waiting and patience. Similarly, I don’t think Matt or the elders are viewing this as a “slap on the hand” or even punishment… Rather, I believe they are heeding the red flags and warning signs and rejoicing that this was an early indicator of something that could have gone horribly wrong if not addressed.

Matt said it himself…his failure to read the warning signs says something about his clouded judgment and he plans on using this leave of absence to better himself with boundaries so he is able to redraw the necessary lines to be above reproach in all situations.

Dear Reader, I’d ask that you would refuse to let the enemy wreak havoc in this situation. I would ask that we stand boldly with Matt and his family as well as standing boldly with Villiage Church as they navigate this difficult but necessary season. God is a God of grace, love and truth… and last time I checked, we’re supposed to be imitators of Him.

If you would like full context, you can watch Matt address the congregation here.

Always in your corner,

-LM

You are loved! Until next time...

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Introductory Quote Credit: Tearfund