Why is a Pastor who was caught in a gay situation and is divorced from his wife allowed to continue to be the Bishop when everyone knows he is gay and continues to parade this before his parishioners?

This is indeed a difficult and tender question to so it will be lengthy for you and the other parishioners to make your choice as to whether to forgive or not.

Pastor Haggard had gone through something very similar and the 'Overseer Board of New Life Church' condemned him for committing sexually immoral conduct. The language of Pastor Haggard's church bylaws stated that as Overseers they must decide in cases where the Senior Pastor has "demonstrated immoral conduct" whether we must "remove the pastor from his position or to discipline him in any way they deem necessary." They ordered the dismissal and removal of Pastor Haggard and a new Pastor will be selected for that particular church.

Must not be a recent convert, must know how to manage his own family well. A Pastor should be mature enough to pastor a flock. Able to stand and handle with the truth even if the flock is hard headed. A pastor must be able to handle the flock and not the flock handles the pastor.

He must be able to handle his family well. Though there are lots of children of ministers that are notorious, biblically speaking, a pastor should be able to handle his family which includes his children. A simple logical view was pointed out by Paul that if cannot handle his own family; he cannot handle his flock as well. This would imply that the flock is more difficult to handle than our own family. Remember Eli the priest who took care of Samuel. He was not able to handle his children so he was held accountable by God.

Morally Qualified

Not a lover of money, a husband but of one wife, have a good reputation with outsiders. A pastor should have a good moral standing. Obviously, he will have to teach to obey the Lord and he is supposed to live with what he teaches. It will be ironic if he will be teaching against immorality while he lives an immoral life. There are two deadly sins of a pastor (I called it deadly, because if a pastor is engage in either of the two or both, his ministry will die and will cease to exist. Not all but in most cases.). The first one is illicit affairs which includes adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality and sometimes, even divorce. The second one is the love (or lust) of money which covers greediness and extreme high standard of living.

Our moral living also affects our reputation. If ministers live an immoral life, we cannot be qualified to teach The Bible. If a pastor lives an immoral life, how then will he able to teach against immorality?

Doctrinally Qualified

Able to teach, must not be a recent convert. A pastor is expected to have learned his doctrinal stand or we can call it the teachings that have taught in the Bible. A pastor is at the same time teacher. No teacher should be teaching what he does not know. A teacher ought to teach only what he knows and what he lives.

It will be difficult for a recent convert to teach doctrines where he himself has not learned Biblical teachings. On the other hand, one should not wait a year to be able to teach. Note that Paul did not specify a time that new converts should refrain from teaching. I think that it will still depend on the spiritual maturity of a person.

What we do is to disciple immediately new converts allowing them to involve themselves in the ministries of the church. They will not be the main leader but we need to teach them immediately how to lead by making an example. We call this apprenticeship. This is the only way that we can produce people who were not the same as most Christians who just go to the church and then go home.

The Lighthouse Christian Ministry is committed to produce a breed of believers that does not just go to the church, but also reaching out, reaching the lost people for Christ because we believe that this is what should we become. It's not a matter of job; it's not a matter of social standing in the society, but a matter of faith and commitment as a believer.

Socially Qualified

Above reproach, a husband but of one wife, temperate, self controlled, respectable hospitable, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, have a good reputation with outsiders. These qualities are more on works. Good works is not a requirement for salvation but it is important in exemplifying it. Being above reproach is should be our mark as Christians. The outsiders measure our Christianity by our works. If we don't exemplify good works it means that we don't have a testimony. And if we don't have a testimony, then it is impossible for us to bring someone to Christ.'

It is obvious that when a heterosexual male goes into Priesthood, Pastor, Overseer or Bishop that they know they are doing the work of God. They are suppose to teach the Word of God and his works, but, God is also merciful and Jesus died for our sins and knows that humankind is not perfect. God knows we will make mistakes.

There is no doubt the Bishop will be fired because he is going against the teachings he studied for years and the Overseer Board has no other recourse, but to fire him to save face with the church and it's members. Because the Pastor is still practicing in the church you attend does not mean that he is not fired, but that his case is being judged by the Overseer Board. Like the law this can take time. You have the choice of attending, not attending or going to another church.

The Parishioners have a choice. They can walk away from the church and gossip about the whole situation and grow angry and condemning his very soul, or stop and think that God has forgiven all of you for several sins in your lifetime and the quote from the Bible, 'For those who have not sinned cast the first stone' applies in this case. I do not hear any stone throwing!!!

Here are some things all of you should be asking yourselves:

• Can I say I haven't sinned even though it may have not had anything to do with homosexuality? Do I have a right to condemn this man's soul and go against God by condemning him? If I can't then I don't trust God to be the judge and I am against God by gossiping and condemning this man the Bishop.
• Did I learn anything from going to church? Did I learn forgiveness, not to be pious, judgemental and angry flaming the embers of the fire to go against the Bishop and not leaving it up to God to decide his fate?
• Do I know anything about homosexuals even though I may have a comfort zone of not wanting to know? Have I tried to understand that sometimes a gay person does try so hard to be heterosexual by getting married, having children, praying to God for strength, yet find the person is hiding their true feelings and a prisoner of their own body?
• When did God give each parishioner or anyone in the town the right to label?

There is an on going argument between Christianity, it's beliefs and homosexuality and yes, in the Bible it states, 'Man shall not be with man, nor woman with woman, but check it out and find exactly where that particular chapter in the Bible comes in. Search for it and you should know the truth! There is no Word such as 'gay' in the Bible! It is so easy to take over the duties of God when one is frightened, bewildered and know that they have been betrayed.

Yes, the Bishop will be fired so don't worry about that. It would be smart of him to be a Pastor for a gay community as there are Pastors for gays. There is a place for him and instead of condemning him for hiding his true self leave it in God's hands. Here is a wonderful poem that fits this issue:

Not I, But Christ

So often, so often, dear Master

When I think I am working for Thee,

Alas, in my heart's deepest chamber

The "Thee" has been lost in the "Me".

The cross that I thought I was bearing

Through love for my Savior, I see,

Had self-exaltation upon it-

The "Me" overwriting the "Thee."

Except that You dwell in me always,

Abide in my heart every hour,

Till self has been slain in Thy presence,

O'ercome by Thy love and Thy power;

The service, dear Lord, that I render

Contains self and vanity; can it be?

Indeed, no page I find but that always

The "Me" is yet mingled with "Thee".

But well do I know, blessed Jesus,

When you have the throne of my heart,

Then You are my strength and the Center

From whence every current doth start,

The "Me" is then lost in the fullness

Of that Life that flows only from Thee,

Oh fill me, then I shall be hidden,

The "Thee" to supplant all the "Me."

Lord, give me the grace to surrender

My heart, will, and being to Thee,

Not one cherished treasure reserving,

With Light and Life flowing freely

Oh! Take me, and mold me, and shape me,

Write "Thee" in place of the "Me"!

Let oneness with Christ be the outcome,

So the "Me" is transformed into "Thee"

The above poem doesn't mean the Pastor has strayed from God at all and gays do believe in God and are fighting the indignations of society condemning them to hell if they do not conform. There is only one way heterosexuals can deal with this .... leave it in God's hands.