Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 11/7/2009

Question
When a male deacon is charged and found guilty of having sex with a young boy what is the duty of the church?  Should he be told to step down from his position?  What does the bible say concerning ths?
thank you

Answer
Hi Patsy,

Thank you for this troubling question.  I really hope that you are asking out of curiosity not out of experience, but I believe it is probably the latter.  Here are several things that should be done:

1.  If the deacon indeed had sex with a minor boy, first of all he should be turned in to the police.  God has placed government authorities over us in order to protect the innocent and punish the evil doers.  This man should be in jail, let alone in church.

Romans 13:1-5

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God:  the powers that be are ordained of God.  2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

2.  If he is not in jail, he should at least be removed from the membership of the church until he repents and brings works that demonstrate that repentance.  THe Corinthian church had a man living in an inscestous relationship, and Paul told them to remove fellowship from him.... let alone let him have a place of ministry.

1 Corinthians 5:1-13


It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,  4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:  8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?  13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

3.  A deacon is to be a spiritual leader and an example, an openly gay pedohile is not a good example at all.  He has no business even cleaning toilets in the church let alone being a deacon.

Acts 6:3-5
3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps.  I am very sorry for my late response.

In Christ
Pastor Don