When a minister abuses someone sexually or spiritually (often expressed through control over the victim's actions and decisions), what happens to the soul of that minister? Almost everything written about abuse has to do with the victim—and rightly so. But what type of damage goes on inside the abuser’s soul? What brokenness ensues as he violates one of these "little ones," as Jesus would call them. Yes, I'm taking some liberty with the scripture and interpreting a "little one" (Matt. 18:6) as anyone under the spiritual authority of a leader. If the minister-offender could just understand the damage they are doing to the soul of their victim, and keep that at the front of their mind—it might stop them.
Once that leader decides that a well-deserved perk for how hard they serve God is something that will result in receiving a dopamine hit or a serotonin boost (in the brain) is the defiling, the emotional and sometimes physical raping of one of these little ones—a student, a congregant, a teen, a young mother—I have to believe, significant internal damage will come to his own soul. That's why we have so many repeat offenders. It gets easier to block out the conviction; you feel less guilty.
Seared Conscience
How many "good Germans" ended up killing Jews with the same amount of emotion that one uses to take out the trash? How many slave owners, who proudly claimed to be Christian, had no issue with raping their slaves? In the Rwandan genocide, much of the killing took place inside the church! When you enter into this kind of behavior, your soul becomes dull, and your appetite becomes justified. You become dark on the inside, and your conscience is seared. (1 Timothy 4:2) Regular folks scream, "How can they do that?" but for them it's normal—even deserved.
Repentance is Only the Beginning
That is why simple repentance is not enough. Yes, for forgiveness. But for wholeness, much more is needed. Deliverance is needed. Education is needed. Restitution is needed. Discipline and deep therapy are needed. Trained psychologists are needed. That is, only if the offender truly wants to be whole with God through Jesus. Often, “repentance” is merely a means to "restoration in ministry," where they can look for their next victim. This is why an offender must go through a multi-stage process before even considering the idea of restoration to ministry.
Diane Langberg writes about Robert Newson, who bought a 14-year slave, Celia, for one purpose. After giving him three children, he sought to rape her again, and she responded by accidentally killing him. She was hung for defending herself.
"What do you think Robert Newsom was doing to his own soul by owning humans as if they were chattel, raping at will, and destroying the life of an adolescent girl? What damage did he do to Celia? She was crushed, oppressed, raped, powerless, and voiceless. She was treated as a thing to be used by her master as he willed." [1]
You are supposed to be the protector!
When a minister is so deceived that he feels that his sexual urges towards someone under his authority must be satisfied—or even that they are pure—he's not understanding or appreciating the trauma that he is now introducing to the soul of his victim—someone that he is supposed to be protecting!
"A person is altered and shaped by chronic, complex trauma and oppression. The impact is mistrust, hopelessness, shame, and inferiority, with no sense of ability or choice. This person has no sense of self or identity (this is who I choose to be) and no integrity of the self. They are isolated, with no experience of love, no safety in relationships, and no sense of purpose except perhaps survival. Despair, hopelessness, and lack of purpose are predominant." [2]
What he might view as a bit of fun on the side can produce trauma that takes years to resolve—if it ever is resolved.
Throwing Paint on Picaso
Dr. Langberg likens it to defacing a great masterpiece like the Mona Lisa. Every person is created in the image of God—every person is God's masterpiece. When somebody takes one of those precious ones and abuses them, it is far worse than desecrating a great work of art. [3]
And so often, the perpetrator's sole focus is getting back in the pulpit. They claim that the kingdom needs them. Mike Bickle used to speak about how important it is to have God’s narrative on your life—which was really just a narrative that ignored sexual sin and abuse. Can you imagine a foster parent who has abused children going on a campaign to say that the anointing and calling to be a foster parent is irrevocable? Many of them sound like God is going to go out of business if they're not allowed to continue to preach.
The primary reason one would want to be a pastor is to love the sheep and help them grow. Once you take advantage of them for your own gain or lusts, that's kind of defacto disqualification. You're no longer a pastor or shepherd… But a wolf.
[1] Langberg, Diane. Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church (p. 110). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
[2] Ibid, 113.
[3] Ibid.
Just adding, that the photo would be more accurate as a wolf in "Shepherd's Clothing." So many wolves in sheep's clothing, who will say Lord, Lord...are in fact hireling pastors/shepherds.
Ezekiel 34
2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.