Porn Star-Turned-Pastor

Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; 1 Tim. 3:7
To be truthful, I’d always considered that passage to be in reference to his testimony, post salvation. I recognized that some commentaries and theologians extend this idea of his reputation “without” as pertaining to pre-salvation activities as well. I don’t find anything in the text that demands that interpretation. However, I will concede that there are many people that talk about a divorce being a disqualifying factor, even if it occurred before salvation, based upon similar logic to what you are employing. Once again, I disagree with that interpretation.


Does My Sexual Past Disqualify Me From Pastoring?-Piper
 
i think you guys are confusing the mission of an evangelist with the office of a pastor........ they are not the same..... i don;t know how others feel about it but i would fully support this guy working as an evangelist... serving in special ministries.... even working in the same ministry i work with... ...... or even working to help plant and establish churches....

but being a pastor of an established church - serving a community of christians full time in every way a christian lay person and his family would need to prepare as a servant of God... is a whole other kind of service....... any pastor could give up his church and become a full time evangelist..... ... but not all evangelists would be able to pastor a church and do it effectively....
Just curious, are you making this observation about an evangelist due to the role that Paul served?
 
i think you guys are confusing the mission of an evangelist with the office of a pastor........ they are not the same..... i don;t know how others feel about it but i would fully support this guy working as an evangelist... serving in special ministries.... even working in the same ministry i work with... ...... or even working to help plant and establish churches....

but being a pastor of an established church - serving a community of christians full time in every way a christian lay person and his family would need to prepare as a servant of God... is a whole other kind of service....... any pastor could give up his church and become a full time evangelist..... ... but not all evangelists would be able to pastor a church and do it effectively....
I agree. I think certain very conservative churches might still shy away from having him as a visiting evangelist, but I think many would welcome him with open arms.
 
I'm not talking about trust. I'm talking about the accessability of the pornographic material and how it may reflect on the church.

Maybe he could pastor in Uganda or the Congo, but here, should be limited to Sunday school or purity ministries.

Or, maybe, Christians shouldn't be looking for pornographic material.

Sounds like a bunch of Pharisees seeking out ways to be outraged.
 
Maybe he could pastor in Uganda or the Congo, but here, should be limited to Sunday school or purity ministries.
This is not a case of in flagrante delicto in which the man was presenting himself as a preacher while committing these debased deeds, à la Jimmy Swaggart. I see no reason he can’t be actively involved in ministry, and I don’t think it needs to be overseas or in a corner of the basement with the church’s smallest Sunday school class. I would not be comfortable with him as pastor but I’d welcome him as an evangelist in my church.
 
Being concerned about optics is why so many churches sweep sin under the rug and shuffle offenders off to other churches.
 
Just curious, are you making this observation about an evangelist due to the role that Paul served?
partly.... but not entirely... .paul was an apostle who saw Christ face to face.... .he also worked... taught...and wrote under inspiration... which sets him apart from both pastors and evangelists...... ... but so far the examples people are giving of how men could be saved from gross immoral sin and go on to serve in the ministry without a problem have described the work of evangelists.... . not necessarily pastors....
 
Well, it wouldn't be the Christians doing it, would it?

So we disqualify a guy from ministry because a bunch of hypocrites in the world might dig up dirt on him from before he was saved, and that he makes no attempt to hide from people?

Again, as I suggested earlier: Do you think that never occurred to his church?
 
It wouldn't be about digging up dirt, it would be about posting naked pictures of your pastor, and videos of his concupiscence and lasciviousness to mock and deride, especially if his ministry begins to impact the community.

The reproach of sexual sin is unlike any other. Most often, despite the sincere renouncement and repentance of the offender, that reproach never goes away.
 
To be truthful, I’d always considered that passage to be in reference to his testimony, post salvation. I recognized that some commentaries and theologians extend this idea of his reputation “without” as pertaining to pre-salvation activities as well. I don’t find anything in the text that demands that interpretation. However, I will concede that there are many people that talk about a divorce being a disqualifying factor, even if it occurred before salvation, based upon similar logic to what you are employing. Once again, I disagree with that interpretation.


Does My Sexual Past Disqualify Me From Pastoring?-Piper
We've discussed this kind of thing before.


Proven to whom? In other words, if one who has committed an egregious sin has lived in a manner sufficiently long enough to have proven to the community that, despite past failures, he is now qualified, then the matter is resolved. We look in vain for something like saying three hail marys to wipe one's record clean.
 
It wouldn't be about digging up dirt, it would be about posting naked pictures of your pastor, and videos of his concupiscence and lasciviousness to mock and deride, especially if his ministry begins to impact the community.

To quote Martin Luther on Galatians 1:3:

Let us equip ourselves against the accusations of Satan with this and similar passages of Holy Scripture. If he says, "Thou shalt be damned," you tell him: "No, for I fly to Christ who gave Himself for my sins. In accusing me of being a damnable sinner, you are cutting your own throat, Satan. You are reminding me of God's fatherly goodness toward me, that He so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. In calling me a sinner, Satan, you really comfort me above measure." With such heavenly cunning we are to meet the devil's craft and put from us the memory of sin.​

When Satan accuses you of sin, you remind him of Christ's forgiveness. Same thing when it's Satan's agents in the world--some of whom, apparently, profess Christianity themselves.

When Satan tempts me to despair​
And tells me of the guilt within,​
Upward I look and see him there,​
Who made an end of all my sin.​
Because the sinless Savior died,​
My sinful soul is counted free,​
For God the just is satisfied​
To look on him and pardon me.​

--Charitie Lees Smith, "Before the Throne of God Above"

And since Satan's agents appear to be concern trolls, trying to derail the work of the church under the pretext of "impact on the community," we could also quote Nehemiah 6:3: "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"
 
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So what is the limit on someone's past prior to following Christ before he is disqualified?
 
I have to say, I’m not sure I could attend a church with a pastor who was a former porn star, but maybe that’s a downfall on my part. What do y’all think?
2 Corinthians 5:17 tell us that if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation, that old things have passed away and ALL things have become new. Paul was a murderer and God used him to write 80 percent of the New Testament. I don't think I'd have a problem with going to his church depedant on what he preached and believed.
 
The verse @abcaines quoted should be our approach. After all, he got saved, dropped out of the porn industry, attended Liberty University, and now actively works against the porn industry and is a pastor. Still…I can’t help but think many Christians would struggle having him lead their congregation.
Then, IMHO, the problem would be with them, not him. Just saying, if the followers of Christ would have actively campaigned against Paul then we wouldn't have much of a New Testament. Let God do his work in the church and in people's lives.
 
To quote Martin Luther on Galatians 1:3:

Let us equip ourselves against the accusations of Satan with this and similar passages of Holy Scripture. If he says, "Thou shalt be damned," you tell him: "No, for I fly to Christ who gave Himself for my sins. In accusing me of being a damnable sinner, you are cutting your own throat, Satan. You are reminding me of God's fatherly goodness toward me, that He so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. In calling me a sinner, Satan, you really comfort me above measure." With such heavenly cunning we are to meet the devil's craft and put from us the memory of sin.​

When Satan accuses you of sin, you remind him of Christ's forgiveness. Same thing when it's Satan's agents in the world--some of whom, apparently, profess Christianity themselves.

When Satan tempts me to despair​
And tells me of the guilt within,​
Upward I look and see him there,​
Who made an end of all my sin.​
Because the sinless Savior died,​
My sinful soul is counted free,​
For God the just is satisfied​
To look on him and pardon me.​

--Charitie Lees Smith, "Before the Throne of God Above"

And since Satan's agents appear to be concern trolls, trying to derail the work of the church under the pretext of "impact on the community," we could also quote Nehemiah 6:3: "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"
I'm not saying he isn't saved.

But what's the first thing we heard about him?

As long as the material he is in is available, they're just asking for trouble. And that's where I'll leave it.
 
Then, IMHO, the problem would be with them, not him. Just saying, if the followers of Christ would have actively campaigned against Paul then we wouldn't have much of a New Testament. Let God do his work in the church and in people's lives.
Well, if he were called directly by Christ, stricken blind, and if Christ through direct revelation commanded another disciple to baptize him and pray for him, and if, when he did, scales fell from his eyes, and then began his missionary tours through direct revelation with signs and wonders following, and was being taught directly by Christ by direct revelation...

You may have had a point. And he wouldn't be a pastor, he would be an Apostle.
 
Well, if he were called directly by Christ, stricken blind, and if Christ through direct revelation commanded another disciple to baptize him and pray for him, and if, when he did, scales fell from his eyes, and then began his missionary tours through direct revelation with signs and wonders following, and was being taught directly by Christ by direct revelation...

You may have had a point. And he wouldn't be a pastor, he would be an Apostle.
More from that special pleader Paul…


Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13
 
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