Jerry Falwell Jr. takes leave of absence

[jimbogumbo]

And he's out: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/24/us/jerry-falwell-jr-resigns-liberty-university/index.html

[kaysixteen]

As an evangelical, I can only hope Junior drops into a black hole and is never publicly heard from again.  The Scriptures obviously do speak of repentance leading to restoration of one's relationship with God, but they really, properly interpreted, also teach that those having fallen into this sort of sin forfeit their church offices forever, though many evangelicals do not seem to realize this, a problem especially stark in the realm of parachurch ministries and independent churches, where no outside force is able to tell the offender, supposedly 'reformed' that he actually cannot reclaim authority in 'his' ministry.

[nebo113]

And he's out: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/24/us/jerry-falwell-jr-resigns-liberty-university/index.html

Except maybe.   Apparently, they're bickering over filthy lucre.

[nebo113]

As an evangelical, I can only hope Junior drops into a black hole and is never publicly heard from again.  The Scriptures obviously do speak of repentance leading to restoration of one's relationship with God, but they really, properly interpreted, also teach that those having fallen into this sort of sin forfeit their church offices forever, though many evangelicals do not seem to realize this, a problem especially stark in the realm of parachurch ministries and independent churches, where no outside force is able to tell the offender, supposedly 'reformed' that he actually cannot reclaim authority in 'his' ministry.

Would you provide the scripture reference?  Not doubting you.  Just want to puzzle through what you are saying.  Thanks.

[apl68]

It's like he has been going through a second adolescence.  Maybe President Trump rubbed off on him? 

I still think getting chummy with the likes of President Trump is a big part of what went wrong with him (and others).  Bad influences really do mess up people who ought to know better.

[writingprof]

As an evangelical, I can only hope Junior drops into a black hole and is never publicly heard from again.  The Scriptures obviously do speak of repentance leading to restoration of one's relationship with God, but they really, properly interpreted, also teach that those having fallen into this sort of sin forfeit their church offices forever, though many evangelicals do not seem to realize this, a problem especially stark in the realm of parachurch ministries and independent churches, where no outside force is able to tell the offender, supposedly 'reformed' that he actually cannot reclaim authority in 'his' ministry.

Would you provide the scripture reference?  Not doubting you.  Just want to puzzle through what you are saying.  Thanks.

1 John 1:9. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 Timothy 3:1-7. "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil."

[apl68]

As an evangelical, I can only hope Junior drops into a black hole and is never publicly heard from again.  The Scriptures obviously do speak of repentance leading to restoration of one's relationship with God, but they really, properly interpreted, also teach that those having fallen into this sort of sin forfeit their church offices forever, though many evangelicals do not seem to realize this, a problem especially stark in the realm of parachurch ministries and independent churches, where no outside force is able to tell the offender, supposedly 'reformed' that he actually cannot reclaim authority in 'his' ministry.

Would you provide the scripture reference?  Not doubting you.  Just want to puzzle through what you are saying.  Thanks.

1 John 1:9. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 Timothy 3:1-7. "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil."

I think this is probably what kay had in mind.  It doesn't exactly say in so many words that a person in ministry who has ever messed up can never serve in ministry again.  But it does suggest that a leader in ministry who has altogether wrecked his reputation and has brought disgrace upon his ministry, his Christian community, and the name of the God he professes to serve would not be a good choice for a ministry leadership position in the future, even if he shows strong evidence of being penitent.

[spork]

It's like he has been going through a second adolescence.  Maybe President Trump rubbed off on him? 

I still think getting chummy with the likes of President Trump is a big part of what went wrong with him (and others).  Bad influences really do mess up people who ought to know better.

This has been going on for years if not decades. Jerry Junior uses the university as an ATM to fund all sorts of shady business ventures, including those with his sex partner pool boys, personal trainers, etc.

[writingprof]

This has been going on for years if not decades. Jerry Junior uses the university as an ATM to fund all sorts of shady business ventures, including those with his sex partner pool boys, personal trainers, etc.

No doubt his name would have surfaced in Jeffrey Epstein's confessions had not Democrats murdered the wicked man to protect . . .  oh, never mind. My heart's not in it.

[kaysixteen]

Writingprof did cite the I Timothy passage I was thinking on, and there are parallel passages, as well as similar themes, in other NT epistles.   Clearly, sexual scandal is a deal-breaker for continued possession of a church office, and those churches that fudge on this (as I suggested most of these are independent ones, as well as parachurch ministries, that have no one to tell them 'no') often get what they deserve.   Financial scandal and badly running one's family life are more or less the same issue.

[nebo113]

Apparently, Jerry exited stage left with $10.5 million....

[San Joaquin]

As bad as that looks, it was probably much less costly in the long run to simply pay him and shut the door.

[Diogenes]

My hypothesis is that his heart was never really in it to following in his father's footsteps, that he was always was just a rich party boy, and now with a golden parachute he can go live his ideal self as said rich party boy in the Mediterranean somewhere unencumbered by the restrictive morality he was supposed to peddle.

Aside from the blatant hypocrisy between his behavior and what Liberty requires and teaches of their students/staff/faculty, what really gets my goat is while there's clear evidence he was happily participating in this love triangle, and that it was likely more his idea than hers at first, he tried to claim she cheated on him! Throws her under the bus to try and save himself!

[apl68]

My hypothesis is that his heart was never really in it to following in his father's footsteps, that he was always was just a rich party boy, and now with a golden parachute he can go live his ideal self as said rich party boy in the Mediterranean somewhere unencumbered by the restrictive morality he was supposed to peddle.

Entirely possible.  The ministry is supposed to be a personal calling, not a family business.  Pushing somebody with no calling into the ministry is a good recipe for disaster.  The junior Falwell's behavior makes it sound like he never really grew up, let alone cultivated any spiritual maturity.

My grandfather was a minister who had two sons (Dad and, eventually, his youngest brother) who followed him into the ministry, but neither was ever pressured to do so.  And since they were rural bi-vocational pastors it's not like they were drawn by good salaries or golden parachutes!

[kaysixteen]

You are probably giving Falwell, Sr., too much credit.  His son was already probably around 40 (I do not know exactly), when dad died and he inherited the school.   Falwell Sr wanted Jr to  get it, and did not probably investigate exactly what Jr's character was, before bequeathing it to him.  And Sr's handpicked board of trustees gave Jr the thing.  Now Jr may well never have really wanted to be a Christian school pres, certainly may well never have felt that he had any sort of spiritual calling, but he obviously did want to run a very lucrative 'family business', and until very recently, he was doing exactly that, with his own handpicked trustees (indeed, at least one such trustee, having come to criticize Jr's financial improprieties a year or so ago, was forced out).   Obviously it is good that the current trustees belatedly saw enough of the light to finally defenestrate him, but the golden parachute is outrageous.   It may well be that, had the trustees held the line and tried to not give him anything, they would have lost more in a subsequent litigation (ultimate payoff plus attorney's fees, etc.), but it probably would have been worth the financial risk, in order to make a public statement, which would specifically have included telling tuition-paying evangelical students and parents that the school would not reward the sleaze and slime of Falwell, by using such tuition moneys to pay off said sleazy slimeball.