Some years ago I wrote an article for Christianity Today, with co-author R. Kent Hughes, on the problem of sexually fallen ministers in the modern church. We were later told that this piece was one of the top-five articles for reader response that year. We were not surprised. This problem will not go away. The events of this last two weeks prove our point again.

Some of the response to that article was quite positive but a great deal of it urged a more open response to "restoring wounded healers" to public service. We did not argue that under no circumstances should a minister ever be restored to their ministry but we tried to close the loopholes and thus rejected a great deal of bad thinking about the issue. We appealed for a long-term process that did not fast-track those who have been proven guilty to ministry.

Later, I was asked to write a book on fallen ministers for Moody Press. Kent Hughes wrote the foreword to that book. That book was then reprinted in 2000 with a new title: The Stain That Stays: The Church's Response to the Sexual Misconduct of its Leaders (Christian Focus: Scotland, 2000). If you are interested you can order this revised edition from our store at www.act3online.com. (It is not easily accessible in local stores.)

All of this became tragically relevant again with the public announcement of the moral failure of Rev. Ted Haggard, pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). Ted, a leading evangelist and a vocal opponent of gay marriage, initially denied the allegations made by a homosexual prostitute less than a week before the election. The man said he met with Haggard, over the course of three years, for sex and the purchase of methamphetamine, which itself is a criminal offense. Haggard initially admitted that he knew this man and had received a massage from him, as well as the methamphetamine. He said he then threw the drugs away. Upon further questioning Haggard admitted that more happened, while still denying the worst. Sadly, as in almost all similar cases, honesty only comes out in stages, underscoring a major problem with such sin. Haggard has even admitted, quite properly I am sure, that he is "a deceiver and a liar."

I believe that the very public moral collapse of Rev. Ted Haggard has a number of major implications for the evangelical movement in general. I doubt that we will discuss these implications, much less come to a serious understanding of them, over the course of the next few weeks. I want to address several.

First, Ted Haggard had become the public face of the "E" movement in America. Like it or not, this is how the world sees it. Haggard stood side-by-side with James Dobson and had become the go-to-guy for the media. He was also the man, who only a few years ago (2003), proclaimed: "This is Evangelicalism's Finest Hour" (Christianity Today, June, 2003). Said Haggard at the time, repeating the mantra of much of American evangelicalism:

This is one of the most exciting times for evangelicalism worldwide. Evangelical Churches are growing aggressively both in America and overseas. In the 1960s the dominant churches in most American cities were liberal churches. Now, the largest and strongest churches in most cities are evangelical.

We're better funded than ever before. We now have missionaries, printing facilities, Bible distribution efforts, and seminaries. There's a new megachurch opening in America every two weeks, and the vast majority are evangelical.

This is evangelicalism's finest hour. It is the time for evangelicalism to assert itself in the public debate of ideas. One of my passions is to ensure that evangelicalism is thoughtfully and effectively presented. NAE needs to facilitate the body of Christ in the communication of the gospel.

Later in this same interview Haggard added words that now must haunt those who read them. When he spoke these words his relationship with a male prostitute was likely going on, or at least it was about to begin. Said Haggard to Christianity Today: "I don't see dark clouds on the horizon anymore (for NAE). It's profitable, it's growing, and it's organized."

Is it me or do you see the hubris in much of evangelicalism? I do not believe Ted Haggard actually spoke out of character for evangelicalism, at least broadly speaking. This is how most of our leaders, at least those over fifty in age, actually see the present. One has to wonder if this personal failure, and the loss of many "moral issue" initiatives and endorsed candidates in the recent national elections, might lead a few of us to wake up to the real situation in our churches and leadership. We have adopted a public and private position that is filled with self-righteous triumphalism and it pervades almost everything we say and do.

God has made it abundantly clear that he hates pride (Proverbs 8:13) and that he will bring down those who lift themselves up (Isaiah 25:11). And the biblical wisdom tradition supports applying these kinds of thoughts both personally and corporately. The unbelieving king Nebuchadnezzar understood this quite well when he extolled God by saying, "He is able to bring low those who walk in pride" (Daniel 4:37b).

Do not get me wrong. I am not suggesting that Ted Haggard is to be singled out, removed, and then all will go well. I am suggesting what I actually wrote ten years ago—that there are many leaders like Ted Haggard who have not yet been exposed. Until the church faces its own lying, deceiving and immoral track record we will not know mercy flowing into our churches in power and grace. It is actually a "severe mercy" that Ted was brought down in this way. There is hope for him personally to repent and still order his life in profoundly Christian ways. I pray for those who will counsel him but given the public way these same men have taught on these subjects I have deep concerns.

But my greater concern is about the covered-up sins that lie below the surface of our leadership and movement. And what about this "finest hour" talk? It should make us weep for the cause of the gospel instead of simply moving Ted Haggard aside so we could go to work on finding his replacement as quickly as possible.

This sin, and the evangelical response to it, underscores how high-risk some political ventures are and how ill equipped many evangelicals are to navigate these treacherous waters. More than one fine person has been corrupted by power. As Lord Acton said, "Power corrupts." The greater the power, the graver the danger.

Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental relations for the NAE in Washington, reflects this very problem when he said last week: "Most people—I'm not sure everyone—separates this tragedy from NAE; they consider it a tragedy of a man, a pastor and not an NAE scandal—that's good news." And the well-known pastor Leith Anderson, who for the second time has become the interim president of the struggling NAE, said the same: "Internally, I think most evangelicals will not tie what happened with Ted Haggard to NAE." I sincerely wonder if this is true. I frankly do make such a connection to the abuse of power and ministry that I have seen in the NAE. (NAE has a long and contorted history and often seems unsure as to what its role seems to be in the new century. I would say the same for several similar evangelical groups but I have likely offended enough people to simply leave it there.) Given the community witness and public stance of the church I think the world does have a hard time making the kind of internal distinction that Cizik and Anderson argue for.

Gordon MacDonald, writing in Leadership (online) this week, questions if NAE really has a promising future. I am no prophet but I have honestly felt that it did not have a meaningful future since the late 1980s. (Only a lot of time would allow me to explain this but I formed my opinion by trying to get into an active role in NAE when I was in my 30s in age.) I believe younger Christians want something that speaks less for the Republican Party and a handful of wedge issues. They want to be identified much more by their loyalty to Jesus and his kingdom. My concern is that this younger Christian movement will be pulled too far to the left by a few strong voices that presently influence it. (For instance, we can all rightly affirm the biblical priority of care for the poor without capitulating to the social welfare posture that the left has offered as a federal solution since the 1960s. As an example, we know empirically that public education will not solve its huge problems with more money raised through higher taxes. Government, I would argue, has a role to play in such matters, but not the central role. I hope this discussion will prove to be fruitful in Christian public policy thought among the young but time will tell.)

Second, the moral failure of Ted Haggard underscores our deep love for big churches and public importance; i.e., our role in the public square, a role that clearly has been diminished since 2004. And even in those churches that decry all involvement in the public square, opting for a Christian practice that stays safely limited to the private realm of the heart, we see the same arrogance by connecting church size (or books sold, conferences packed out, etc.) to importance. We love our bigness and we herald it far and wide, arguing that it proves that we have God's blessing on our work.

We should rather ask: "What has our size got to do with our importance." The message the NAE should give to the world is one that declares a state of repentance and collective mourning. NAE could have said that it would not even begin a search for a president for the time being. The church in America could be marvelously refreshed by God without the NAE or without its public evangelical presence in Washington. And the church could be restored without one more megachurch, or one more important megachurch pastor telling us what the way ahead should be. (Do not misunderstand me; there are some very good megachurch pastors who do not fall into this trap.)

Something about all of this seems so wrong, so lame. I just don't think we get it. A friend says that our movement is "in a state of denial." Only the grace of God can awaken us from this slumber. Unless he does awaken us we will be of no spiritual consequence before long. If you want a picture of where this all goes look at the mainline denominations, which now face spiritual and institutional implosion. Only as long ago as the 1950s these churches and groups were the still at the center of Christian faith and practice in America.

Gordon MacDonald, whose moral failure several decades ago is well-known, stated a number of my concerns well.

It seems to me that when people become leaders of outsized organizations and movements, when they become famous and their opinions are constantly sought by the media, we ought to begin to become cautious. The very drive that propels some leaders toward extraordinary levels of achievement is a drive that often keeps expanding even after reasonable goals and objectives have been achieved.

Third, talk about the restoration of Ted Haggard sounds so much like what we heard in the 1990s. We even have a high profile committee of "big names" to help Ted. Don't misunderstand. I hope they can help him. He obviously needs serious counseling that is both psychological and biblical. But why must we circle the wagons and act like we have our act together? Why do we always seem to recruit these kinds of public people to come to our rescue? There are surely unknown, humble, professional and capable people in Colorado Springs who could truly help this man. This almost smacks of another "Clinton recovery team" and the people leading this team were some of the huge critics of Clinton's team. Are we so ingrown that we can find no other way to help Ted Haggard?

Fourth, the Haggard episode underscores a profound theological problem in our churches and movement. As a good friend has noted, you can read Ted's resignation/apology letter and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is never mentioned, not once. Further, you can read these public confessions again and again and see no mention of the damage this sin has brought upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Do these folks not believe that the Holy Spirit has actually been grieved by these sins? And do those who come to the rescue in these matters not see this? To read their words you have to wonder. One notes that there is a "deafening silence" about the Lord of Glory and this is "endemic throughout the whole evangelical movement." This is not new my friends. I keep saying this week-after-week but it has been true for nearly a generation. The "Christological vacuum" that exists in our institutions and churches is beyond question to all those who still have eyes to see it. Calvin was right to say that our central sin remains, namely idolatry.

Fifth, we need to name sin for what it is. Supporters of Ted Haggard, and evangelicals in general, refer to things like this as a "moral indiscretion." At least Ted Haggard called it "sexual immorality." But church members and supporters can give evangelicalism, and in turn Christianity, a bad name when they speak of "instant forgiveness" and offer what appears, even to unbelievers, as "cheap grace."

Much more could have been added to Ted Haggard's confession but I do not wish to pile on when the man confesses his deep need for real help. What I long to see, however, is complete honesty. What truly breaks my heart for Ted Haggard is the damage this brings upon his family for the rest of their earthly lives. As harsh as it sounds death would have made all their lives much easier, as I argue in my book, The Stain That Stays. Make no mistake about this—this sin reaches all over the world and those in his family will suffer more than any of us can possibly imagine. This leads me to my final point.

We must take care of our own souls lest we too fall. Paul puts this well: "So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12, NRSV). We often say this rather glibly but we must mean it and teach ourselves this basic truth day-by-day in a process of spiritual formation that few evangelicals take seriously. (The soft underside of our movement is its lack of deep spiritual formation rooted in Christian tradition and practice.) The number of Christian leaders in Ted Haggard's situation is much higher than any of us knows. I believe that we see only the tip of an iceberg in this public revelation. Had Ted Haggard not been such a public political figure his accuser would likely never have made these sins known as he did. Surveys and studies have again and again made the point that sexual sin is rampant in our leadership, at least since the late 1980s.

The kinds of things that get evangelical leaders into trouble are no different than those things that get all kinds of people into trouble. It is just that the power of leadership exacerbates these problems. Paul adds, in 1 Corinthians 10:13a, "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone." The sins of leaders can be sexual but they can also be financial, as well as the abuse of power or even the promotion of a huge ego. The attitudes and the sins that go with these problems are often hidden deeply in the subconscious of the Christian. They tempt all of us but some Christians allow them to grow and develop, lacking self-knowledge joined with real humility. A person challenges us and we fight back. An issue troubles us deeply and we take a public stance, equating our own personal position with God's truth. In our conscious mind we are standing against particular sins, even preaching about them. But in our subconscious mental process we can tolerate these same sins in ourselves since they are linked to our stand for righteousness and truth. Wallace Hamilton got this right when he wrote, "Within each of us there is a herd of wild horses all wanting to run loose." We have to wage a deep and lifelong war, by the Spirit's power, against these "wild horses" or we will fall. Many leaders do not succeed in this struggle and the results bring harm to many.

Where is our true strength? Paul concludes, "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it" (10:13b). Sin flourishes in an atmosphere of lies. Tell yourself the truth about your sin and then flee to God who alone can cause you to stand in Jesus Christ. And pray that evangelicals will be awakened to their need for Christ sooner than later. We need nothing less than the re-conversion of the church.