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If I Had It To Do All Over Again

By Ben M. Kaufman

Like a derailed train, many Christian leaders follow Christ and are intent on serving Him faithfully, but they lose their ministries.

It doesn’t get any better than this, John thought. Just 7 weeks ago he had been elected pastor and now he was standing before this group of 225 wonderful people. It was his first Sunday at the church, and he knew already that he would like it here. The congregation had voted him in unanimously. They were all smiles, so glad to have their new pastor at the church. The board members who had interviewed him were rooting for him. They had recommended him to the congregation. His wife and family were on the second row praying for him. Everything was in place and perfect. That morning he preached his heart out and was rewarded with warm handshakes and generous compliments as people left the church. It was a dream come true.

Less than a year later John thought, I can’t wait to get out of here. John was once again standing before his church—his former church. It was his last Sunday. He wondered, What had gone wrong? Yes, he had replaced the bulky, wooden pulpit with a Plexiglas lectern. He had reformatted Sunday school. And the music was more modern. Those and a dozen other changes were needed, he thought. But the church was of a different opinion. At the last church meeting one member had concluded with the words, "Too many changes too fast." Pastor John was voted out. Just that fast. The dream had turned to a nightmare.

Derailment

The word derailment generates an image of a moving locomotive whose wheels lose their traction causing the train to disconnect from the tracks and keep it from arriving at its destination. Like a derailed train, many Christian leaders follow Christ and are intent on serving Him faithfully, but they lose their ministries.

Recently I read of a train that derailed as it rumbled through a rural area. The next day the front page of my newspaper showed damaged train cars straddling the bent railroad tracks and other cars cast aside in the snow-packed ditches. One person was killed and 96 injured. Investigators were considering the possibility that an internal defect in the track may have occurred when the steel for the rail was forged.

Just as a derailed train leaves a path of destruction, so derailed leaders find their path is strewn with disillusioned followers. Some derailed leaders have devastated entire congregations and ministries. And like the internal defects in the railroad track, many leaders have been derailed by the internal character defects that were never addressed.

Derailment may strike any leader. Some of the most tragic cases are those where the leader has been a strong leader for decades but loses out in his later years. Derailment touches pastors of both small and large churches, and leaders of both local and international ministries. Today the leader may be one who is dedicated and diligent, showing great promise. Next year he could be a leader without a ministry.

The hymn, "There’s Room at the Cross for You," has accompanied thousands of altar calls, touched millions of lives, and is considered one of the classic hymns in Christianity. Yet, one of the writers of this hymn lost her way.

Derailed leaders

Ira and Zelma Stanphill were young in the ministry when they sat at the piano and composed this hymn. Ira went on to write many gospel songs, but Zelma did not. Some time after she and Ira wrote this hymn, she left the ministry and began visiting nightclubs. Soon she left Ira and began singing in these clubs. Years later, after a late nightclub singing engagement, she was killed in a car accident. Nobody knows if she rededicated her life to God.¹

Derailment occurs too often. Consider the statement of Clinton and Stanley, two authors who have studied ministry derailment: "We continue to be amazed by the large number of those who start following Christ, serving Him in many fields, intent on faithfulness and fruitfulness, and yet do not finish well."² We all agree that too many have been thrown off track and lost their way. Even one derailed leader is too many.

"John, as you get ready to enter the ministry, I want to give you some advice." It was Paul Beck, speaking to his son-in-law John Bisagno, pastor of a large church. Beck continued, "Stay true to Jesus. Make sure you keep your heart close to Jesus every day. It’s a long way from here to where you’re going, and Satan’s in no hurry to get you."

Beck went on to remark that out of 10 who start out in full-time ministry in their early 20s, only 1 is still on track at retirement age. They have moral failures, lose out to liberal theology, get obsessed with making money, or simply get discouraged.

Bisagno was surprised at Beck’s assertions, but Beck continued. At the age of 20, he had written in his Bible the names of 24 peers who were committed preachers, trained for the ministry. "I am now 53 years old. From time to time as the years have gone by, I have turned to that page in my Bible and crossed out a name. I wrote down those 24 names when I was just 20 years of age. Thirty-three years later, there are only 3 names remaining of the original 24."³

Derailed Bible characters

A tragic biblical example of a derailed leader is Judas Iscariot. He was part of Christ’s inner circle, yet he betrayed his Lord and lost his way, finally committing suicide.

Another biblical character who derailed was Demas. In Philemon he is called one of Paul’s fellow workers. But 2 Timothy 4:10 states that Demas had forsaken Paul because "he loved this world" (NIV). Demas started well, but did not finish well. Fortunately, many biblical leaders who derailed for a time were able to get back on track. The most notable are David and Peter. Both are examples of the fact derailment need not be permanent.

Derailment factors

Derailment occurs when a leader wants to retain his or her present position and is demoted or dismissed. Derailment also occurs when a leader plateaus in his development, loses ministry focus, and flounders with little or no direction. The leader may keep his leadership position but loses his zeal, resolve, and love for Christ, plateauing at a disappointing level.

Recently I conducted interviews with a number of Christian leaders to determine the causes of derailment among their colleagues. I asked the leaders to call to mind a growing Christian leader and a derailed Christian leader and then evaluate them (the information was strictly anonymous; no names were mentioned).

Those interviewed were asked why the leader had derailed. Following are the factors mentioned most often.

The derailed leader:

• suffered from a lack of accountability.
• succumbed to bitterness.
• burned out.
• demonstrated a lack of character or integrity.
• did not deal with his or her doubts successfully.
• did not handle the expectations placed upon him or her.
• was unable to resolve conflict successfully.
• displayed poor interpersonal skills.
• lacked leadership aptitude or skill.
• had unresolved marriage issues.
• was overly ambitious.
• was filled with pride.
• stopped learning and growing.

Derailment results

I asked those interviewed another question: What happened to the derailed leader? Following are some of the results. The derailed leader:

• recuperated and went on to a different ministry.
• is working card tables in a gambling casino.
• has pastored a number of churches, but stays in each church 1 to 2 years, then moves on.
• left the ministry and became a bartender.
• was sued by the government.
• was unfaithful and left spouse.
• lost ministerial credentials.
• is in a different ministry today and was helped by others.
• is a successful pastor today.

Finishing well

God must grieve over derailed leaders because of the pain it brings to the leader and others. Derailment goes against God’s nature. He is a God of completion, taking pleasure in mature leaders and finished projects. He completed the creation of the world and said it was good. Jesus Christ cried out on the cross, "It is finished."

Paul declared, "I have finished the race. I have kept the faith."

God wants us to finish well. Satan does not. We must shut out the voice of Satan who loves to whisper in our ear, "You’re not going to make it. The challenges are too great." Our hope is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a historical fact and miracle that demonstrates that God’s power is sufficient to meet the challenge.

Endnotes

1. George O. Wood, A Psalm in Your Heart, Vol. 2 (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 1999), 179.
2. Paul D. Stanley and J. Robert Clinton, Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need To Succeed in Life (Colorado Springs, Colo.: Navpress, 1992), 214.
3. Steve Farrar, Finishing Strong (Sisters, Oreg.: Multnomah Books, 1995), 6.
4. Bill Hybels, Leadership Journal, (Summer 1999): 27.