Make Pastors Honest Again

*This is a response to John Cooper’s, “Make Pastors Uncool Again.”

Make Pastors Honest Again.

Pastor's shouldn't be dishonest. Yeah I said it. A dishonest person succumbs to undue pressures from a system build in Jesus' name but is far from His heart. A system that exalts keeping the cup clean on the outside, all the while the inside is full of the same crap as the rest of us. This system has does a grave disservice to the humanity of scripture and the great men of faith (Hebrews 11), who were drunkards, adulterers, liers, murderers and questioning their faith YET had a soft and humble heart before God.

I don't believe the issues that present the modern church have anything to do with "cool" or "uncool" - that seems irrelevant and based on outward appearance. God has never and will never, judge anyone based on the outward. He doesn't care if you wear skinny jeans or wranglers from Walmart. The style of your hair never crosses his mind. The glasses you choose to wear, the oversized t-shirt or button-up are no where on His radar.

We need to stop placing such unrealistic and absurd expectations on clergy. Stop focusing on what words they use, where they shop and wether or not they use lights in their services. We need to initiate a culture within Christianity that is honest, open, accepting and forgiving at all times. God is not searching the earth for uncool pastors, He's looking for someone who is humble enough to admit his addiction to porn, his desire to rule with a false power and his doubts about the faith.

Play time is over. Pastors need to lay down the "perfect" masks, the ridiculous air of "better than" and refuse to give in to the cultural pressures from the church to be something that is humanly impossible. It takes a real man or woman to admit their faults, their addictions and the stark reality that they are just like you and me. In short, it's time to make pastors honest again.

Let's pray, support and make it easy for our leaders to come clean. We are the solution to creating an atmosphere of love, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Much love to Carl Letnz and his family. Our prayers are with you.