The Lessons We Can Learning from Our Own and Others' Failings

By Robin G. Jordan

It does not reflect well on Christians when a pastor exercises poor judgment in making a decision and then refuses to take responsibility for having made a reckless decision. One such decision is the decision of Rev. Todd Bell of Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford, Maine. Bell officiated at a wedding that was attended by members of his church and at which the number of guests exceeded Maine’s 50-person limit for indoor events. Many of those who attended the wedding and the reception afterwards reportedly did not wear face masks or socially-distance from each other. The wedding would become a super-spreader event. Eighty-seven COVID-19 cases have been traced to the wedding. Seven people died. None of those who died attended the wedding.

Rather than admitting that he exercised poor judgment, the Rev. Bell defends his unwise decision. He dismisses the effectiveness of wearing a face mask in reducing COVID-19 transmission risks. The Rev. Bell’s church, Calvary Baptist Church, discourages attendees from wearing face masks. The church’s school, Sanford Christian Academy, also does not require its students or staff to wear face masks.

The Rev. Bell claims that in his decision-making and subsequent actions he is “ruled by Jesus Christ.” When the Rev. Bell’s decisions and actions are measured against Jesus’ teaching as recorded in the Bible, this claim does not hold up. This is evident from reading the Gospels. Jesus taught that we should treat others as we would wish to be treated; that we should love our enemies as well as our neighbors; that we should show kindness and compassion toward others, including those who may hate and despise us; and that we should show the same kind of sacrificial love toward each other that Jesus himself has shown toward us. One does not see this kind of love and good-will toward others in the Rev. Bell’s decisions and actions.

Readers may be wondering why I chose to write this article, drawing attention to the Rev. Bell’s poor judgment and the consequences of his ill-conceived decision. Simply put, we can learn an important lesson from them. The Rev. Bell is not the only pastor evidencing poor judgment in the midst of a serious pandemic. However, the consequences of his reckless decision are well-documented as well as the extent of his poor judgment.

Pastors, I realize, are faced with all kinds of pressures from their congregations. These pressures may influence the decisions that they make. They are also fallible human beings like the rest of us and have a tremendous capacity for self-deception as we do.

At the same time pastors are called to teach what Jesus himself taught and to be an example of his teaching for their congregations. If they claim that Jesus is the ruler of their lives, they must show in every way, both in their words and their actions, that he is indeed the ruler of lives. It is not enough for them to say that he rules their lives and then think and act in ways that are inconsistent with what he taught and the example that he set.

Officiating at a wedding whose number of guests exceed Maine’s limit for indoor gatherings, and permitting guests not to wear face masks or social-distance from each other is not showing the kind of compassion that Jesus himself showed and which he expects from his disciples. Neither is dismissing the effectiveness of wearing face masks and supporting a church and church school’s policy against wearing face masks. Face masks may not provide us with total protection but they significantly reduce COVID-19 transmission risks. Such actions are ill-considered and give little or no thought to the possible consequences. They raise serious questions about the judgement of the pastor in question and his ability to lead a church safely in the midst of a serious pandemic. If we are honest with ourselves, they also raise questions about ourselves when we do the same thing.

One of the snares into which pastors are apt to fall is pridefulness. We are unwilling to admit making a mistake when we make one, putting our pride first and fearing any loss of respect from others. Yet in failing to acknowledge our mistakes and to learn from them, in insisting that we have done no wrong, and those who are drawing our wrongdoings to our attention are themselves in the wrong, we are not only losing others’ respect for us but are contributing to a wider loss of respect for Christians.

One of the reasons that young people are becoming “dones,” giving up on Christianity, is that the churches that they attended did not live according to the teaching and example of Jesus. One of the reasons that those who are not Christians give for not becoming a Christian themselves when they are surveyed is that the Christians whom they know do not live according to Jesus’ teaching and example. 

Pastors who insist that they are right no matter what and do not admit their mistakes, much less correct them, are one of the reasons that Christianity is not faring as well in the United States as it might. They are poor examples of what following Jesus is all about. So too often are the congregations in their care.