1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." This is why Reverend Juan McFarland, the pastor for ninety five year old Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, was fired by the congregation in the middle of his twenty fourth year of leading the church. But why would a long-term godly man get the pink slip so suddenly? Aren't Christians supposed to support their spiritual guides?
[FOX news' summary] McFarland had been accused of having sex with members of the church without forewarning his condition of AIDS. Not to mention that he also used illegal drugs, mismanaged church funds, and fired several church employees on September 28, 2014 when he suspected that they were on to his sinful deeds.
A vote was placed during a service a week later on October 5th to inquire whether or not he ought to be fired. The result, an eighty to one landslide vote. McFarland would go a.s.a.p. However, refusing to be let go after the vote was revealed to him on that day, he attempted to set up a defensive barrier by secretly blocking access to church resources to everyone but himself and a few accomplices by changing locks, placing guards near the doors, and rearranging who could access its bank accounts. He also knew about recent bylaws previously created by the church in January of 2013, which stated that pastors can only be removed only if they personally resign or die and that it is legal for them to fire any church service member they please. He was legally protected on multiple fronts!
I'm seeing that McFarland is a very dangerous man! He would definitely corrupt some good character if we were leading my church. One of the members who McFarland recently let go, Deacon Nathan Williams Jr., claimed that the church tried to help the pastor overcome his sins etc. just like God's word wants us to do in Luke 17:3, which states, "Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him." The pastor sinned and was rebuked, but he clearly did not repent. So should he be forgiven? Hebrews 10:26-27 says, "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries."
Although Rev. McFarland may have served the Lord's people for a solid twenty four years, I do not believe that a person, who has committed sins such as these and continues to do them against the congregation's wishes and against God's wishes, should be allowed to lead a church. It sets up an evil example implying that [because a pastor committed a sin without consequences, I must be able to do it too. He knows more than I about God and the Bible.] I would feel horrible if I or others were comfortable taking advice to improve faith and relationship with God from anyone who constantly behaves in this manner even if he or she was a "servant of God" and bylaws protected them. Although, this does not mean that we should stop helping those who are fallen. We all sin all the time, but we are never not to accept aid from brothers and sisters in Christ to overcome these sins. God never gives up on us, so we should never give up on Him.
this is a strange story, I think I heard a little about it but not to this extent. You did a good job presenting the case and the Biblical options. Confronting is one of those things God calls us to do but is one of the more difficult thing to do in the church.
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