In these days, when we continually receive news in various media, about many in ministry that have fallen into sin, including financial fraud and sexual abuse, a pattern seems to emerge surrounding the path that ended in such exposure.
In the majority of cases, it never seems to be a one-time occasion, but an ongoing pattern of action, shielded from the public eye by structures, behaviors, or a culture that has somewhat recovered the separation of the priesthood from the laity.
What is next? Should those ministers begin to perform in Latin?
Within that picture, I have noticed how dismissive many ministers become toward the ‘little guy’ -or to use a religious establishment term, the layman- as if there was always the intention, from the very beginning, to keep those followers, and the public in general at a safe distance, from where nobody could see anything within their ministry organization or personal lives.
It is almost as “I am up here, called to minister to you down there. There is a gap between us that you should not try to cross”
I have noticed that almost invariably -with very few exceptions- those who developed such a separate idea-gap-trench in between, like some sort of spiritual ‘upstairs-downstairs’ culture or mentality, have fallen, having been exposed in whatever was going on their side of the gap-shield.
If we were to look at that pattern, from a psychological, behavioral, or even societal point of view, we would find that it is the same pattern that often -very often- rules the interaction of politicians and crowds, or -to use one of today’s favorite terms- “influencers” and their followers.
That said, let’s point out that such pattern, while common practice in politics, cultural influence tanks, and all such, should have no place in ministry.
In a veritable sense, it seems as if such gaps, or voids in between, are perceived as creating a shield of sorts, that screens out the people those ministries are meant to serve. Simply put, it feels like as long as there is such a separation from my followers, I am not accountable to anyone for my actions, or words, because I do not seem to belong to the same body and then there is no accountability because that body is on the other side of the gap.
They don’t see what goes in my side, and ‘out of sight out of mind’, they say.
Nothing can be more distant from the Church operation in the New Testament, where from Jesus to the Apostles and all leaders, they were always in the public eye with nothing to hide. The Church leaders were as much part of the same body of believers as any of the believers at any and all levels.
I would say, lastly, that although seen or intended as a protective screen, rather than protect a ministry, a church, or religious organization of any kind -evangelistic, prophetic, educational- that kind of shield actually ends up functioning as an enabler of all things hidden.
But then again, there is nothing hidden that will not be exposed.
JC
Conrad Lampan eMail: connect@conradlampan.com Facebook: Conrad Lampan Instagram: conradlampan TikTok: @conradlampan YouTube: @revivalhighway