I recently saw a photo that alarmed me. Several men were participating in a panel discussion at a major conference, and I realized that almost all of them had either died or been disqualified from leadership—two very different ways for a ministry to come to an end. It was sobering to consider both the fleeting nature of life and the many ways that men can sin and necessitate their removal from public ministry.
I am often asked variations of this question: What do we do with books written by fallen pastors? Sadly, it needs to be answered more frequently than we’d like—we look at our bookcases and wonder what to do with the books by pastors we once admired but who have since been disqualified from ministry. It’s possible that their books or other forms of teaching helped us, shaped us, or even made us who we are. Yet now we wonder whether they could be as good as we remembered, or whether they could now actually lead us astray.
Let me lay out some of the ways I have thought this through.
First, I don’t think all of us will respond to this question in the same way, and I don’t think we need to. It is not a matter of clear right and wrong as much as a matter of wisdom and conscience. In the absence of definitive biblical guidance, you may feel a freedom where I do not, or vice versa. That’s okay, and neither of us has the need or right to pass judgment on the other.
A second factor is this: immorality does not negate truth. What was true when the pastor had a good reputation is true even after he has destroyed his reputation. His book does not transform from orthodox to heretical simply because he committed an act of immorality. What was true before is true now, what was brilliant before is brilliant now, what was mediocre or muddled before remains mediocre or muddled now. The leader’s actions have no effect on the objective truth or error of his material.
However, though immorality does not negate truth, it does negate the credibility and qualifications of the author. When it comes to Christian leaders, our concern must be for character more than ability or any other quality. This means that if an author or teacher sins in a grievous way, we can rightly understand that he has undermined his entire public ministry and given us legitimate reason to avoid it in the future. No Christian leader is unaware of the stakes when he takes on a position of leadership or signs a contract to write a book.
No Christian leader is unaware of the stakes when he takes on a position of leadership or signs a contract to write a book.
And then there is this: it is possible that the author’s poor character was present in his books and other teaching, even if it went unnoticed at the time. Hence, we are wise to consider whether his teaching may have been tainted in ways we did not spot before we knew of his sin. This probably means that we should be especially careful when it comes to subjects that were related to his downfall. If he committed adultery, we should be wary about what he wrote about marriage, or if he was found to be an abuser, we should be cautious when reading what he wrote about leadership. We often look back and realize that an author was justifying his sin in his writing, covering it up, or otherwise avoiding the Holy Spirit’s conviction. Sometimes it’s not what he said that matters, but what he didn’t say.
Here is another factor to consider: a book is closely associated with its author. To recommend a book is usually to tacitly recommend the person who wrote it. In the case of an author who has fallen into disqualifying sin, others have usually been caught up in his fall, and have often been damaged by his actions. To recommend a book by an abusive pastor may be unkind to those he has abused and may subtly cast doubt on the judgment of his local church. To recommend a book by an adulterous pastor may be unkind to his wife and family members who have been grievously hurt by his actions. To keep a distance from his material may be a way to love others.
And then there is the reality that to purchase a book is to give money to its author. Though authors usually receive only a small portion of a book’s purchase price, there is still a financial transaction between the author and reader. In this way, purchasing a book by a fallen pastor is a means of offering him monetary support.
As we put this all together, then, I would encourage you to consider the factors I have laid out and others that come to mind, trust that God delights to give you wisdom, then carefully heed your conscience and make your decision.
As for me, I find it difficult to read books by authors who have disgraced and disqualified themselves. Depending on the kind of immorality they displayed, I may even get rid of their books. We of all generations are blessed to have access to a multitude of good material, and there is no author so gifted that he alone has the ability to teach a doctrine, guide his readers in an area of Christian living, or speak to a current issue. I see little reason, then, to read books written by leaders who have made a shipwreck of their lives and ministries.
Here are a couple of notes. First, I wrote an article on this subject over 10 years ago, and this is an updated adaptation of it. Second, I wanted to include a paragraph about the role of the local church, but I could not think of any instances in which a fallen leader has remained within his local church and, therefore, in which his (former) church remained involved in a process of discipline or restoration. Ideally, I think we should take many of our cues from an individual’s church, but realistically, that’s not often possible.
