Church/pastor scandals are hardly unique, and sadly seem to unfold in a similar way. When this story broke I guessed it wouldn't be long before additional claimants surfaced and leveled another round of allegations, just as I'm guessing the publicity generated by this outrage will likely spark similar allegations against other pastors in other churches in other parts of the country.
One more guess tells me that if the claims made against this pastor turn out to be true, his sexual sins will prove to be just the tiny tip of an iceberg concealing large scale financial wrong-doings, fraud, lies, cover-ups and greed ... because the revelation of one man's sins will cast light on his partners and associates who chose to ignore God's commandments and reap their own benefits from sinning right along beside him.
A headline in The New York Times hints that this "Scandal Threatens A Georgia Pastor's Empire." That pastor's empire, built on preaching a "Prosperity Gospel," may well crumble to dust whether or not the allegations turn out to be true.
Christ never taught that salvation depends upon his followers driving Bentleys, wearing Gucci sunglasses or living in million-dollar mini-castles.
Reading Scripture and comparing God's Word to what this man teaches, I wonder if God entrusted Christ's message of Grace, Forgiveness and the Cross to a celebrity pastor earning $3 million dollar annual compensation, who preaches a "Prosperity Gospel" and who arrogantly proclaimed "We're not just a church, we're an international corporation. I deal with the White House. I deal with presidents all over this world. I pastor a multi-million dollar congregation."
That pastor's empire might fail, but no matter what tomorrow's headlines reveal, God's kingdom will always prevail.
