Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife,temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (1 Timothy 3:1-3 NIV)
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. (Acts 20:28 ESV)
Pop Quiz: What do the following all have in common?
Jimmy Swaggart – Evangelist (1988)
Ted Haggard – Pastor, New Life Church (Colorado) (2006)
Ravi Zacharias – Apologist (2020)
Mark Driscoll – Pastor, Mars Hill Church (2014)
Bill Hybels – Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church (2018)
Gordon MacDonald – Pastor and author (1984)
Carl Lentz – Pastor, Hillsong NYC (2020)
Robert Morris: Founding pastor of Gateway Church (2024)
Michael Tait: Singer, D.C. Talk and Newsboys (2025)
Philip Yancey: Writer and speaker (2026)
Various Catholic priests – assorted places and times
They are all influential voices in the modern Christian church – mostly pastors – who have succumbed to “moral failure.” Sexual sins, pride, misuse of power, and spiritual drift and compromises are all temptations offered to leaders. Unfortunately, sometimes they take the bait.
Of course, these are not the first people in history to fail. King David committed adultery and then killed off his lover’s husband. King Saul disobeyed God’s commands, leading to his downfall. Moses struck the rock in anger instead of speaking to it as God commanded, preventing him from entering the promised land. Peter denied Jesus three times before the crucifixion. Even people who had (have!) hearts and wills dedicated to the Lord can be caught in moral failure.
Our pastor tells a story about someone who warned him early in his ministry that out of every ten pastors who start in ministry, only one will finish strong. He says that when he looks around today – 40 years later – he can see this sad reality.
When I see lists like this, I think of all the people who were caught in the fallout from one person’s choices to sin. That is another post for another day. But, today, let us pray for leaders and overseers in all levels of the Church universal. May they daily cultivate godly character, maintain a consistent quiet time with God, have solid relationships with trustworthy and godly mentors who speak truth into their lives and ministries, and focus their lives not first on ministry, but on GOD.
El Shaddai (God Almighty),
Thank you, God, for the invitation to be your children and to serve in your Kingdom. Thank you for the many men and women you call to be leaders—providing example, teaching, encouragement, and direction to the body of Christ. We know that without vision people perish, and without godly leadership people become corrupted. Today, we pray specifically for church leaders, asking that they would not be tempted beyond what they can bear and so fall into moral failure.
We pray for protection over their minds, hearts, spirits, and lives. May they daily put on the full armor of God, which is able to repel and extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy. Guard their hearts and focus so that their ministries flow out of deep relationship with you, rather than pride, self-centeredness, coveting, or the pursuit of power or influence.
May they be leaders who faithfully tend their relationship with you through prayer, Bible study, worship, service, and fellowship with strong believers. May they remain grounded in your calling to character even before the calling to ministry. Help them intentionally cultivate relationships with godly mentors who challenge them to maintain pure hearts and godly character.
We pray that they would not succumb to sexual sin of any kind, including infidelity, inappropriate relationships, homosexuality, or pornography addiction. We also pray against lying, financial crimes, compromise, and distortion of your Truth. Keep them faithful, humble, and obedient as they lead your people in your ways.
May they be blameless, faithful, pure, upright, holy, and disciplined. May they hold fast to the full trustworthy message you have given us, encouraging sound doctrine, and being gentle, respectable, and above reproach. We pray you will shepherded them with upright hearts and guide them with your skillful hand.
We pray all this for the glory of the powerful name of Jesus, and for the strengthening of your Church. AMEN.
Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (Ephesians 6:16 NKJV)
An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (Titus 1:6-9 NIV)
With upright heart he shepherded them
and guided them with his skillful hand. (Psalm 78:72 ESV)
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)