Well, I was asked to leave my church yesterday. Somehow I am feeling relieved. The drama started months ago, when our Worship Leader(WL) first told my Pastor, then me, that he had a serious sexual addiction problem. I was to be the "accountability partner". Well, after months of (me)"doing any better this week", (WL)"NOPE." "Should we put software on your computer to monitor/block you" -(WL)"wouldn't matter, I'd just go around it". So I had to tell him it was pointless to continue, since he was totally resisting any progress. After that, he started coming to me, angry that women in the church were "tempting him" with their breasts, particularly one young mom who hadn't quite figured out how to handle the bounty of her body changes after having a baby(I know, really disgusting). I reported this to the Pastor, but he was "well, I don't think it's a good time to deal with this". Then he(Pastor) announces his resignation a month or so later, at a time when the WL had walked away for a few weeks because, "I need a break, don't know for how long". So our District Superintendant was acting as Interim Pastor and I took this issue to him, as the WL magically appeared the first Sunday after our Pastor left, wanting to retake the alter area. I had been getting into 1 Timothy AND Ezekiel, and got a bit "Peter" on the WL, asking him to step-down, since he was not a man in good standing, nor a man with his personal affairs in order. The DS imploded on me, told me to not grace one of HIS churches with my presence again, and that the WL was a fine gentleman and I was a crude slanderer. And the former Pastor does not want to admit that he LEFT this problem for us, and any new Pastor to solve. The unwillingness to do spiritual warfare is disheartening, but many grow weak and tired. And fearful. Praise be to God, I still have energy for the fight!

I could apologize for how I said it, but not for WHAT I said. I think the Scriptural directives to remove a person from leadership are pretty clear. I'm praying God will make good of this incident in MY life and the life of the WL, and that my worst fears are not realized at a church which I had put my heart and soul into.

And my loving, supportive wife has asked me to seek some Christian counseling for my more "Peter" outbursts.... I have occasionally cut off the ear on the wrong person.

Hi, Bruised,

Hmm, I think you probably owe some repentance. Something's not right here. First, you say "bruised", which in my experience is often a way of framing a problem in "victim" language to elicit sympathy that the person hasn't earned. Second, you say "not ashamed" after having had an angry incident, which speaks of what may be brazen, infernal pride.

First I have to ask, did your original "accountability partner" charge include the task of reporting the WL to the Pastor if the WL didn't shape up? If it wasn't part of your original mandate, then it's time for you to repent.

As to the "serious sexual addiction problem", those can be overblown and often are, I suspect, by people who aim for 100.0% purity. I'm sure it's a problem, the guy admits that much, but does it really disqualify the WL from his job? Unless it's actual physical-intercourse adultery or rape or child molestation, it seems to me that maybe it's something he should be helped with further, not fired for. So maybe it's time for you to repent.

I dunno, bro, I'm not gonna analyze it all, because it's a complicated story, and I'm only hearing one man's version.
But something doesn't feel right.

My prescription: Go over 1 Cor 13:4-7 in every version you can get your hands on. Measure yourself against every word. 'Cause if you're not searching yourself thoroughly, you can be sure the Lord is. And if you're wrong, then since you acted out at such a high level of spiritual authority, you're in for some heavy chastisement. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

I am certain the Lord is not taking the matter lightly.

And as for "the Scriptural directives to remove a person from leadership", would you mind introducing me to those? I don't think there's any such thing, i.e., no procedure or rules for a leader's removal.

If you don't like what I'm saying, then why did you post in an advice forum?

NM7