When leaders fail (part 2)

The Biblical reality of leadership failure

Leadership failure is not something new among the people of God. In Old Testament times out of many examples the most famous were the cases of Aaron and King David.

During the Exodus generation under Moses, Aaron the first High Priest fashioned a Golden Calf – an idolatrous fertility symbol for worship. He also organized a huge feast after which “people rose up to play”, which according to some scholars meant engaging “in what was probably a fertility cult orgy.” Then in the time of the Kings, David, in whose line Jesus was born, after voyeuristically seeing Bathsheba bathing nude, wickedly planned not only adultery with her, but also the murder of her husband!

Then in the New Testament there is Peter (it is after Pentecost and the miraculous healing of a lame-man) being taken to task by Paul, a much younger man. Here is Paul’s account:

“when Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James [head of the church in Jerusalem], he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy” (Galatians 2.11-13).

And there are other such leaders in the New Testament. In Thyatira, in Asia Minor, there was being tolerated (in the risen Christ’s words) …

“that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2.20).

In every age there are leaders who fail; and we all fail in some ways. Even in times of renewal there are failures in leadership. Let me quote J. C. Ryle from his paper, The Fallibilty of Ministers (which is in our staff hand-book and so is to be read):

“The Reformers were honoured instruments in the hand of God for reviving the cause of truth on earth. Yet hardly one of them can be named who did not make some great mistake … The lesson is one that we all need. We are all naturally inclined to lean upon man whom we can see, rather than upon God whom we cannot see. We naturally love to lean upon the ministers of the visible Church, rather than upon the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd and Bishop and High Priest who is invisible. We need to be continually warned [againstsetting church leaders on pedestals] and set upon our guard.”

And in recent times there have been high profile problems in the Roman Catholic church over the abuse sexually of boys; and there have been high profile cases of paedophilia in the Church of England. All this is shocking - there is no doubt about it. So when I first heard that there was a case against Jonathan Fletcher in 2019 at the Church Day Out to Hexham, I was shocked. People were telling me about an Article in the Daily Telegraph I needed to read, which I duly did when getting home that evening. And there I read that there had been discipline from the diocese of Southwark. I also learnt then or later that there was no police action as the behaviour was with men not boys.

But what should other Christians learn, or take, from this tragedy in Wimbledon?

The past good works of a present wrong doer

One lesson to learn is that all the Christian ministry done prior to, or during, the period of sinful behaviour is not invalid. That is so important for people converted through the ministry of Jonathan Fletcher. That, of course, is the subject of Article 26 of the 39 Articles of the Church of England, namely, Of the unworthiness of the minister, which hinders not the effect of the sacrament, which says this:

Although in the visible Church the evil be ever mingled with the good, and sometimes the evil have chief authority in the Ministration of the Word and Sacraments, yet forasmuch as they do not the same in their own name, but in Christ's, and do minister by his commission and authority, we may use their Ministry, both in hearing the Word of God, and in receiving of the Sacraments. Neither is the effect of Christ's ordinance taken away by their wickedness, nor the grace of God's gifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly do receive the Sacraments ministered unto them; which be effectual, because of Christ's institution and promise, although they be ministered by evil men.Nevertheless, it appertaineth to the discipline of the Church, that inquiry be made of evil Ministers, and that they be accused by those that have knowledge of their offences; and finally being found guilty, by just judgement be deposed.”

It is obvious: suppose someone reads one of the Bible readings in church and a visitor gets convicted and converted through that passage of Scripture, and later they learn the reader is now in prison, having been arrested and sentenced as being a serial killer. That does not invalidate the Holy Spirit’s working for their regeneration.

An opportunity for reviewing “safeguarding” in churches

However, this particular experience at Wimbledon is a reminder to all of us to check on whether we “advocate and model appropriate biblical behaviours and practices, proper governance, and accountability for the spiritual welfare of all” and particularly governance as it affects safeguarding.

At JPC we have always taken Safeguarding very seriously. We were one of the first churches to be registered with CCPAS (now Thirtyoneeight). And, Jonathan Pryke and I are fully involved in the diocesan safeguarding programme. I have recently completed my required triennial refresher course! We have always had a good relationship with the diocese in safeguarding matters. While we have some problems with the Bishop on some doctrinal issues, we try to follow precisely diocesan practice in practical matters, not least with Safeguarding. Andy Gawn our Safeguarding Officer also is in touch when needed with the diocese. And, of course, all the senior staff would be very happy to talk and offer pastoral support to anyone who might have been disturbed by, or involved in, the Jonathan Fletcher issue.

One problem with Emmanuel Wimbledon was that Jonathan Fletcher did not believe, as I understand it, in a large team of senior staff even though they were a larger church. Instead he had more junior ministry assistants. But Jesmond, with more senior staff, affords a significant amount of informal accountability for the senior staff themselves. If one of us would go “spiritually or morally AWOL”, it would soon be discovered by someone who was worried. And Andy Gawn and Carolyn Hosie are our Safeguarding Officers, so, if anyone has a problem such as they had in Wimbledon, they can talk to them. With only one or two much younger curates at Wimbledon, Jonathan Fletcher was the only senior male leader on the staff that the men involved could talk to and he was the only safeguarding lead by default.

Also, Emmanuel Wimbledon had and still has, I imagine, a level of doctrinal impairment of communion with the diocesan bishop. If so there still needs to be a level of more formal accountability for the clerical senior staff. At JPC we achieve that in normal circumstances by visiting bishops. We have been grateful, over the years, to Howell Davies, Jon Ellison (assistant bishops of Hereford and Winchester, respectively) and, particularly, Bishop Martin Morrison from Johannesburg. So, when Martin has visited annually for Advent, he stays with me (and I am privileged to have extended time with him). But I arrange for him to see all the ordained staff individually. They know they can contact him anytime they need to (and have done so). And there is a meeting for all the senior staff together with him before he goes. I expect that is more time with a senior bishop, who has had huge experience, than most parochial clergy have in the whole Church of England! Of course, this side of heaven we can always make improvements in our safeguarding, structures and accountability. One of my jobs on Sabbatical is to think about such improvements. I would value your prayers.

Post-script

A final question? What are we to make of Jonathan Fletcher, when contacted recently by the Daily Telegraph? For the paper was wanting a comment from him about a sexual incident detailed in the report. He simply replied:

“it was 40 years ago and I’m deeply ashamed of that.”

And speaking of those he had “spiritually harmed”, he was reported as saying that he was …

“… hoping for the day when they’ll recognize my deep penitence and repentance.”

Whatever answer we give, let us all heed the final words of Galatians 6.1:

“Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
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