Recently, the church has faced exposures of leaders who committed grievous things. These have been serious. It has not merely been the common online “hit pieces” written by those who are trying to discredit popular leaders to build their own platform out of the rubble of others. How do we handle when leaders compromise?

When such failings come to light, it stirs a range of emotions. For me, it brings grief—grief for the victims who were harmed by those who should have been trustworthy, grief for the leaders who lacked the accountability or real relationships necessary to avoid compromise in the first place, and grief for the body of Christ, whose witness has been damaged.

Peter speaks to this in 1 Peter 4:12–19, reminding us that suffering for Christ carries no shame. However, he also cautions against suffering as a result of wrongdoing. He states that judgment begins with God’s house (v. 17) and then reaches outward from there. I believe that what we are seeing today is a type of judgement of faulty foundations that cannot stand in His house.

In all of this we need to listen for the voice of the Lord and not be those who camp around headlines. I am not in any way saying that we bury our heads in the sand and not champion purity, truth, wholeness, and integrity in the body of Christ. This is needed. But God is about to do more than clean house. I believe that His house is being cleaned so that what He is about to do will not be able to be discredited in the future.

Every leader is human and is responsible to manage their own human weaknesses and struggles with the Lord in the context of community. For every leader who has compromised, there are countless others who have faithfully served with integrity and accountability and who have not compromised! These faithful servants of God may never make headlines, but their obedience and devotion make a profound impact in God’s Kingdom.

What do we do with leaders who have fallen? Wise leaders must address and correct the systems that allowed such failings. But should we discard everything they’ve done? Probably not—God has used flawed individuals throughout Scripture. This isn’t an excuse for sin, but a call to pursue authentic community, accountability, and integrity in our own lives so that what God does through us cannot be later discredited.

God is moving in this generation. I am convinced that in the next decades, we will look back in awe at what He has done in the body of Christ during our lifetime. Let’s stay close to His heart and be attentive to His still, small voice. Let’s be people who move with His Spirit, grounded in His Word, and responsive to what He speaks.

Prayer

Father, in this season of refining, we trust that You are preparing Your church for greater things. We pray for healing where there has been harm, wisdom for those leading through this time, and grace to walk in integrity and humility.

Help us to stay close to Your heart, anchored in truth and responsive to Your voice. Strengthen the faithful, heal the broken, and prepare us for the greater things You are about to do. We look ahead with hope, knowing that Your Kingdom is advancing.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.