Since when does welcoming someone back to fellowship mean that you have to welcome him back to a post he abused? What’s wrong with a pew, even up front if he wants it? But just a pew? Laity, as the kids might say if the idea ever entered their heads, rocks! The verse Morris cites says nothing about restoring to leadership. In fact it comes in the context of community life, so it likely just refers to fellowship. Who could be against restoring him to fellowship?

As a culture, we want people who offend us to go away, preferably forever. Mel Gibson, Paula Deen, pick your pariah.

Mark Driscoll, scandal-plagued former pastor of Mars Hill Church, fits that bill. Some want him to go away and never be heard from again. Others, however, want to see him restored.

Crucify him? Yikes

At the Gateway Conference in Dallas, Driscoll made a surprise appearance to a very welcoming crowd of evangelical church leaders. Sarah Pulliam Bailey of RNS posted the video here.

Introducing Driscoll, Gateway pastor Robert Morris posed two options: “We could crucify him,” he said. “Or we could restore him,” quoting Galatians 6.1, “with a spirit of gentleness, considering ourselves lest we are also be tempted.” The audience favored the latter.

Me too. But is there any compelling reason to restore him to church leadership?

I’m not an evangelical so these issues are shaded differently for me and not all the categories line up. But the Driscoll saga can teach every Christian something about humility and the responsibilities of pastoral leadership.

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