Pastors should know their place

he knows he never would be found out.” These words were confirmed when the H-Metro of 28 November emerged with a touching headline on an adulterous pastor who was dismissed from duty. Recently a priest from the Anglican Church was slapped with a 14-year prison term for raping a minor.
Most churches are being led by this breed of pastors whose sheepskins are virtually perfect to hide the wolf stature. Spiritual leaders are usually viewed as role models and the church plays a pivotal role in moulding society. It is disturbing to note that there is an increase in the number of pastors who have been making the headlines for their loose morals. Some have been transferred from their congregation but still remain in the same church. It is wise to get rid of these pastors completely as they have failed to lead by example.
It boggles the mind to note that all these events have coincided with the commemoration of The World Aids Day when people were supposed to do an assessment of the achievements made in the fight against the deadly disease. The coverage on these priests or pastors makes a reasonable person to think otherwise.
It is painful to admit that some church leaders are fuelling the spread of this scourge, hence frustrating efforts made by well wishers in reducing the prevalence rate in our country. HIV and AIDS activists claimed that there is evidence of behaviour change and they are looking forward to a further decline in the number of people who spread the virus.
What is worrisome is that behaviour change is not evident among some church leaders who bear the responsibility of preventing the flock from straying into the path of the deadly epidemic. Men of cloth like pastors are expected to set good examples by living lives that make the name of God glorified.
Societies always rely on pastors for moral teachings and people tend to believe everything that they get from these supposedly anointed men of God.
Youths always look towards church pastors for inspiration and they consider them the ideal people whose lifestyles are worth imitating. Unfortunately the examples being set leave nothing to be desired.
Paul in his letter to Timothy wrote “. . . Be their ideal; let them follow the way you teach and live . . .”
Some bishops, pastors and priests have failed dismally to uphold this set standard and when action is taken against them they label it as persecution. I am not against church pastors neither do I support hypocrites who masquerade as the anointed ones of God while they live lives that do not conform to the Christian code of conduct in any way. The bible states in Timothy 3:1 that, “It is a true saying that if a man wants to be a minister, he has a good ambition. For a minister must be a good man whose life cannot be spoken against.”
Today we are witnessing a tremendous increase in the number of people entering the ministerial arena with bad intentions. The only achievement that can be credited to these men and women is making the name of God or Christianity despised. The life of a church leader is always under scrutiny as they were set as light to the world and they are expected to deliver accordingly. Once a church leader is caught in the midst of immoral acts there will be no excuse and no one will owe him an apology for whatever action taken to redress the damage caused. The one who attracted the attention of the media is but one among thousands who are playing their cards well. If a similar misfortune does not cross their path, their evil deeds will remain veiled in obscurity until the end of time.
The channels being used by these men and women to enter the ministerial services have proved to be ineffective. These days for one to be a pastor you need a diploma or a degree in bible studies or theology.
Gone are the days when people acquire these positions through a divine calling. Obviously the later will be endowed with heavenly wisdom and guided by the Holy Spirit. This sets forth the weakness in the way things are being done. For one who is aspiring for the pastoral position does not have to look beyond academic qualifications and the skill to speak in public as this will be enough for a well deserved ministerial journey. One of those preachers who throng First street every day to share the word was once asked by one spectator who wanted to come to his church on a Sunday and he replied “I failed my Ordinary level and according to my church standards I am not qualified to be a pastor so that is why I come here every day.” He went on to criticise churches who take academic qualifications as a necessity for the ministering of the word as the root cause for moral decay.
As if people with the required academic qualifications are in short supply, some churches always cover up for the immorality of these pastors by transferring them from urban areas to rural areas or from leafy suburbs to the ghetto. This scenario is disturbing and leaves one wondering whether rural people or the poor are the ones who deserve mediocrity?
Is this really what God wants? So it is right to dismiss those pastors who are caught on the wrong side.
Those who sympathise with these adulterous pastors always say that they are always labelled as wolves in sheepskins and people always find it difficult to accept that there is also another version which portrays a sheep that is surrounded by wolves. Many pastors are victims of the situation as they are always targets and they have little leverage to protect themselves owing to their positions. They are human beings, imperfect just like everyone else but it is very unfortunate that they have humbled themselves to the extent that a grade one graduate can pronounce judgment upon them.