Is the next generation prepared to avoid ministry scandals? (iStockphoto)
The recent sentencing of Dr. Yonggi Cho of South Korea is a reminder that we need a fresh commitment to integrity.
I
was devastated to learn last week that South Korean megachurch pastor
David Yonggi Cho was found guilty of embezzling $12 million in church
funds. I was aware that the famous hero of faith was struggling with
problems at his massive congregation, Yoido Full Gospel Church, which is
in Seoul. Cho’s 56-year effort to build what is now the world’s largest
church made him one of the most respected spiritual fathers in the Pentecostal movement.
Some
American leaders knew that Cho’s problems were linked to his son Cho
Hee-jun, who was also convicted and sentenced to three years in prison
for his role in an elaborate stock scheme that involved millions of
dollars of church money. Hee-jun was immediately jailed. Thankfully, the
elder Cho will not have to serve his prison sentence (it was
suspended), but he will have to pay a $4.7 million fine.
I
still respect Dr. Cho. A former Buddhist, he had a dramatic conversion
to Jesus and was used by the Holy Spirit to bring the gospel to a nation
that for centuries was closed to Christianity. Cho remains a legend.
But the events of last week serve to remind us that even the greatest
spiritual giants have feet of clay, and even the biggest ministries can
fall into scandal if principles of integrity are not practiced.
This
seems the best time to offer the simple reminders below. Today a new
generation of megachurch pastors and ministry leaders has emerged, and
this generation may not be aware that a few wrong moves could put them
in the middle of the next big ministry scandal. If you are a leader,
please post these rules in your board room, in your CEO’s office and in
your ministry’s employee manual. If you are not in leadership, please
pray that these rules are followed at your church, no matter how big it
is:
1. Never build a cult of personality. The
top reason ministries fail is that the organization starts revolving
around a person instead of Christ. I don’t care how gifted or anointed
the leader is—if he (or she) allows others to put him on a pedestal or
if he climbs there himself, a fall is coming. Paul told the Corinthians,
“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11, NASB). Paul didn’t build his
ministry on himself. In addition, he shared the spotlight with his
successor, Timothy, and his other team members. If a leader can’t share
power, he is headed toward disaster.
2. Develop a culture of openness. Healthy
ministries encourage staff members and church members to give input.
I’ve found that in ministries that experienced scandal, employees
constantly felt intimidated, controlled or even threatened. Did you know
that the wordoccult comes from a Latin word that means
“secret” or “covered up”? Ministries that engage in cover-up or secrecy
are not managing their work in a Christian manner.
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3. Insist on financial transparency. Churches
and ministries are funded by donors, and donors have a God-given right
to know that their funds are being used properly. Ministry leaders also
have a God-given stewardship, and they must acknowledge that the funds
given to them are not for personal gain. All financial transactions of a
ministry should be scrutinized by designated leaders (including an
outside accountant) to prevent corruption.
4. Don’t build a family dynasty. There
is nothing in the Bible that says a Christian leader is supposed to
turn his ministry over to his family. And nepotism is often the cause of
financial scandal. If a leader stacks his board or church staff with
family members, they will be tempted to make financial decisions that
benefit themselves. And in many cases, parents who employ their children
find it difficult to bring correction when there are serious offenses.
5. Beware of creating a greed monster. In
today’s megachurches, huge amounts of money begin to roll in on
Sundays—and if leaders are not careful, this kind of success can
eventually destroy them. We must remember that God entrusts us with
these funds in order to engage in the work of ministry, not to provide
leaders with mansions, luxury vehicles, bodyguards, private jets,
shopping allowances and second or third homes. When you feed greed, it
will always come back to bite you. I personally believe that pastors and
ministry leaders should voluntarily put a cap on their salaries instead
of insisting on being treated like corporate bigshots.
6. Never tolerate a spirit of entitlement. Financial
blessing can affect people in dramatically different ways. One person
can humbly receive it, thank God for it and live in constant
gratefulness and humility. The next person can accept the blessing and
then begin to think they deserve royal treatment. This spirit of
entitlement can invade a church or ministry subtly at first, until
leaders begin to make demands. I once knew a preacher who asked to be
driven from her hotel to the conference in a limousine—yet the distance
was less than one block! This insane behavior should be confronted, not
coddled.
Paul
told his spiritual son Timothy that church leaders must be “free from
the love of money” (1 Tim. 3:3) in order to assume that responsibility.
We would do well to revisit that mandate today. Instead of tarnishing
ourselves with another scandal, let’s show the world that we can handle
money properly.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of the Mordecai Project(themordecaiproject.org
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