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W. Ray Williams

Dr. Gause: 'Restore" NOT revoke erring ministers

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **4/18/11 9:08 am**

While cleaning my office Saturday I came across a document that had escaped my scrutiny. It is a 1994 document by R. Hollis Gause.

The title caused me to stop and read quickly, the title is After Moral Failure: Forgiveness vs. Ministerial Fitness. In this he argues that restoration to ministerial office in incumbent upon the church as that is true grace. To forgive is to move toward restoration.

DR GAUSE SAYS:

“Nevertheless, the aim of forgiveness is restoration – unencumbered restoration. There are pressures that would lead us to forget this. Our own sense of violation may be so severely assaulted that we feel a need to be more severe that the offense requires or than Scripture requires.

We may even feel that severity is a necessary part of restoration. The disdain of the world and our own fear of that disdain may press us to a severity that is a violation of Grace (bold added).

As we must not let these pressures drive us to an inappropriate severity, we must not let the sentimentality of forgiveness (mushy love) drive us to weakness in dealing with sin. This is one reason the story of David is valuable for us. We know the grace of God that can save the vilest of sinners is not so cheap that it implies that there are no consequences of sin. This would be denying the character of grace in the name of grace.”

He goes on to recommend a process similar to physicians who are found in need of restoration called the impaired physicians program. The physician continues to work, but under strict supervision until they complete a process of restoration. In this way the identity of a minister is not lost, the income may be impaired but not extinguished and there is a true GRACE offered to the fallen.

After Moral Failure: Forgiveness vs. Ministerial Failure
R. Hollis Gause
Pathway Press, 1994
_________________
Pax,

Ray

String Bender55

Re: Dr. Hollis Gause on Ministerial Restoration

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5681 **4/18/11 11:51 am**

NPS39

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1458 **4/18/11 1:24 pm**

This is the article I referenced a few days ago on another thread...powerful!

Love Hollis Gause, a true Christian gentleman! In the late 80's we were pastoring outside of Williamsburg, KY, and went to a service at the Green St. Church in town. There was a man there from MI who was friends with Dr. Gause, gave me his number and called to tell him I wanted him to preach at my church. He preached at my little church in the holler, probably had 65 max, but he preached Psalm 150 like the building was packed.

Later he would allow me to call and talk theological questions with him, kind and encouraging. Great guy!

I also agree with his article...wanted to get back on point:)

W. Ray Williams

I would post a copy....

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **4/18/11 2:06 pm**

if it was not copyrighted. I agree that it was not well recieved in 1994. We are light years behind the conversation as a denomination, but Dr. Gause was right in the thick of it in 1994.

I really like what he had to say. i think they are words we can live by.
_________________
Pax,

Ray

Quiet Wyatt

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **4/18/11 2:39 pm**

Could you restate in your own words what Dr. Gause says about restoring the moral stability and reputation of the fallen minister?

W. Ray Williams

Just a few thoughts from the Gause paper.

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **4/18/11 3:05 pm**

Paraphrase of Dr. Gause:

1. We must deal with all sin equally. We have dealt with sexual sin disproportionately and have disregarded envy, lust, etc.
2. Recognize that all forms fo sin are forgiveable in God's grace. That requires us to live out the forgiveness in restoration.
3. The steps of discipline in the MINUTES leave no room for adjudication and consideration of each minister that sins. he indicates that such rigid rules indicate a distrust of the church's judicial process and of those charged with the process.In addition the strict rubrics confuse uniformity and severity with righteousness and judgement.
4. The nature of our penalties are not prescribed to restore, but the opposite. they destroy. They cause ministers to leave the ministry forfeiting their income and many never return. they are still called but are prohibited from acting wihtin thier calling. In fact he states that creating these rigid rules leads us to call the offense by different names in order to avoid the public and handle the matter privately. And those who leave the church to avoid the penalty we many times welcome back without adjudication.
5. "these strictures are contrary to our Pentecostal presuppositions." We are all about rescuing the perishing, but we are not in the hall of fame for rescuing our own. We are lead by the Holy Spirit in worshipa and ministry, but we shut out the Holy Spirit when it comes to disciplining a fallen minisnter.

He does not give specifics, but does talk to the subject of standards for "fitness for service" that should include, but not be limited to the following:
1. Credible evidence of repentance.
2. Submission to Godly authority, discipline and rehabilitative counsel.
3. A continued committment to ministry so that the minister does not turn away from teh mininstry to survival activities.
4. Continued evidence of effectiveness in ministry.
5. Primarily, the spritual man/woman must continue to heal and grow
_________________
Pax,

Ray

String Bender55

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5681 **4/18/11 3:06 pm**

NPS39

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1458 **4/18/11 3:18 pm**

Clint Wills

The only issue...

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5161 **4/19/11 9:56 am**

I didn't see this in anything that Gause said, but I've read it in other comments. I do believe that the pastor needs some time away - even if just for the sake of his wife. Can you imagine the hurt and distrust these mens' wives must feel? Then to see their husband back in the pulpit this next Sunday morning...that would have to create even more damage. I'm not familiar enough with the COG's policy to make a judgement on whether or not it is fitting. I will say that I think it needs to be the same restoration process for everyone. Otherwise there is too much chance for people to cry foul if one man is treated differently than another. Yes it's gonna hurt to lose your income, and a phase or season of your ministry is going to die...after all, the wages of sin is death. Something is going to die when we sin. Not to mention, to say that a moral failure is a simple matter is working in ignorance. By the time a seasoned minister has an affair or habitually looks at pornography, there are many other things at work. The time off gives them a chance to focus on their marriage and finding out what kind of junk they need to work through in order to have an even more affective ministry on the other side.

W. Ray Williams

Good comments Clint...

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **4/19/11 10:07 am**

Dr. Gause did not try and provide details. this paper was more of a theological and theoretical argument that we do not do reconciliation and restoration well in the COG. I think he would agree that time away is important and even necessary, but that we need to support this minister and thier family and provide lesser ministry opportunities so that the minister does not have to seek income outside thier calling.

he is looking for a way to balance justice and mercy, forgiveness and restoration that provides for the discipline without causing undue harm to the minister and the family.

Discipline should never be one size fits all. here is our area there is a zero tolerance for fighting in school. it does not matter who started it, all participants get suspended. In one case witnesses recall that a child was assoulted by another child. The one that was assaulted fought back. both were suspended from school, no questions asked. you fight you get suspended.

justice always requires mitigation or it is not true justice.
_________________
Pax,

Ray

Nature Boy Florida

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16646 **4/19/11 10:09 am**

Question - who pays for the time off from ministry - so he doesn't have to look for secular work to survive, as Gause put it?

Since we are not flush with cash on a corporate level - should we take a little more out of the missions fund and pay him a salary for a year until he gets back on his feet?

Perhaps the struggling minister that forgoes a salary to pastor his church could take up an offering to give to the needy "minister"?

Are we labeled as "not forgiving" as a body if we don't have the funds to finance an adulterer's unemployment compensation?

jmho - let him work his way back in - if he thought so little of his ministry to risk losing it - why should I care any more than he did?
_________________
Whether you like it or not, learn to love it, because its the best thing going today!

W. Ray Williams

Good points and......

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **4/19/11 10:18 am**

Again, I don't know how it would look. I do not think that Dr. Gause knew how it would look. i do think he was searching for a balance. A minister under discipline could be sent to another state to work as an associate pastor while the associate in that church is given thier own pastorate. The could work at adminstrative jobs at Lee Univeristy, GHQ, Regional or State offices. They could even be sent abroad to minister as missionaries.

Although we must always consider the second and third order effects of any policy, I think it is very important to rethink how we discipline and can a minster ever be restored to thier former place.

It is extremely rare that a COG minister return to a COG pulpit after adultery. It is uncommon for them to return after any moral failure. it is impossible for them to return if they engage in homosexual activity.

Is that the right answer? Would Christ forgive and tell them to go and sin no more, would Christ empower them and entrust them to "feed my sheep"?
_________________
Pax,

Ray

Nature Boy Florida

Re: Good points and......

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16646 **4/19/11 10:31 am**

Clint Wills

Re: Good comments Clint...

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5161 **4/19/11 10:54 am**

Clint Wills

Re: Good points and......

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5161 **4/19/11 10:59 am**

W. Ray Williams

No intention to smack bi-vocational pastors...

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **4/19/11 12:35 pm**

I have been one and my father has been one for most of our pastoral life. I am now an Army Chaplain and the Army pays my way.

Once again, I do not know what it could look like, but....if the minister is bivocational, then help them stay that way, but under an authority that restricts thier ministry, nut does not end it.

The idea Dr. Gause had was that we treat sexual sin as "more sinful" than other types of sin or moral failure. We disproportionately punish sexual sin and overlook other sin.

because of the severity of the punishment we drive ministers out of thier calling. the call is without repentance so they live in failure and pain. we can restore them and give them back a place in thier calling so that they are responding to the voice of God in thier lives. In fact some have left the COG due to the severity of the discipline and benn very spiritually successful because they were truly repentant but our rules did not allow for true restoration.

How can we strike a balance between grace and justice and give a sense that sin is sin is sin. Why should one sin be punished more severely when mosre damage is probably done by the sins we do not procecute, financial malfeasence, dissentions, factions...Addiciton to prescription medications...alcohol use and abuse.

if we are going to punish sexual sin to the extent we now punish, then all sin and failures should be punished equally, or we should relook our process.

again, sorry for seeming to take a swipe at bi-vocational ministers. nothing was further from my intention.
_________________
Pax,

Ray

Quiet Wyatt

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **4/19/11 1:20 pm**

Though it might be viewed as such, it should be quite obvious that a restoration process is not about punishment, as if sitting out of pulpit ministry for a year and going through the two-year process would even be close to the punishment sin deserves.

It also can't be about forgiveness, since we also know it doesn't take a year to get forgiveness from God (and really ought not take a year to get forgiveness from our brothers).

It can only be really about restoring spiritual stability and integrity.

The Apostle Paul does set sexual sin apart from the others. Not with regard to its punishment perhaps, but again, ministerial restoration simply cannot be about punishment, reasonably or scripturally.

Clint Wills

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5161 **4/19/11 1:27 pm**

W. Ray Williams

I agree with both....

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **4/19/11 2:42 pm**

the problem we have in COG is that we so severely punish as a part of our discipline, and we do a poor job of restoration....we drive ministers from thier calling.

The end result is neither justice or mercy.....it should always be both, justice and mercy.
_________________
Pax,

Ray

Nature Boy Florida

Re: No intention to smack bi-vocational pastors...

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16646 **4/19/11 3:11 pm**