We often think of moral failure as the reason so many pastors end up losing their reputations and ministries. Some leading figures within the evangelical community have fallen this way, and the damage done to their lives is only exceeded by the damage done to their own churches and to the broader reputation of the Church. But a moral failure is not the only way to ruin a reputation.

The lot used to be home to a large antique store, three houses, a small apartment building, and a few small small sheds. But the houses were empty, the apartment building was boarded up, and the antique store had a closing sale.

One morning, on my way to the job, someone was working around the apartment. When I came home in the afternoon, it was gone. The next afternoon the former antique building was a pile of rubble. And the next day they demolished the houses and outbuildings.

None of those buildings were necessarily pleasing to the eye, but they inhabited a large corner lot near us for several decades. Over time someone had a business or two, and people raised families inside those apartments and houses. Though I know very little about construction, I’m sure it took months for the various structures to be built. But compared to how long they had been on that site, they were gone in a moment.

A reputation is like that, you know. It takes time to build it, to earn people’s trust, to gain their confidence. But we can destroy it in a moment. I’ve heard stories just like you have, but I’ve also seen it with my own eyes.

A man I considered a mentor when I was in my late high school years made a horrible choice and jettisoned not only his ministry, but his marriage. He and his wife were discipling another couple, and they went away on weekends and swapped mates. Hearing about it shocked the boots off of me.

We often think of moral failure as the reason so many pastors end up losing their reputations and ministries. Some leading figures within the evangelical community have fallen this way, and the damage done to their lives is only exceeded by the damage done to their own churches and to the broader reputation of the Church. But a moral failure is not the only way to ruin a reputation.

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