| It’s becoming so routine I can’t muster the energy to even act surprised. This week another prominent Christian leader stepped down from ministry, accused of sexual harassment. This time it was Brian Houston of Hillsong, the leader of the Australia-based global Pentecostal megachurch. New Testament scholar Michael Bird pointed out that in such cases churches are often incentivized to overlook indiscretions “to keep the machine running, protect the minister and the ministry, and maintain the rivers of money flowing in.” He also points out that part of the problem stems from our addiction to celebrity. “The biblical qualifications for a pastor don’t rely on clicks, downloads, book sales, revenue, conference circuits, the number of bums in pews, or how many celebrities attend your church. Instead, they require a pastor to be ‘above reapproach’ and ‘self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money’” (1 Tim. 3:2–3). Read Bird’s article, Hillsong Leaders Need Character More than Charisma. This also seems like the right time to recommend our resource on Accountability for Church Leaders. This download is full of practical advice for building up these relationships in your church and on your teams. | 