PASTORAL ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE LIGHT OF THE RZIM SCANDAL

Crowds pursued Him. People searched out Jesus even when He tried to get away. Thousands gathered on hillsides and shoresides overlooking the Sea of Galilee to hear Him preach. They could not get enough of His messages. Jesus talked their language – the language of the average man. His messages made spiritual ideas practical and popular … until they didn’t! Jesus dove deeper into spiritual truth. He delved into difficult theological concepts using sometimes mysterious language. The words became harder to understand and accept, so they left Him. It turned out that many disciples were not disciples. They were merely followers who were not interested in learning the words that came from God (John 6:59-66).

The presidential debate debacle graphically illustrates how divided we are as a nation. The rancor and animosity of Democrats and Republicans are rapidly reaching destructive levels in America. Partisan politics now infect our communities and even our churches. The Body of Christ is dividing over political allegiances, and some pastors are jumping into the fight on social media. Brothers, these things should not be! How should we respond as pastors?

We are seeing a renewed emphasis in the church on making disciples who make disciples. The evangelical church is devoting time, money, and energy to developing resources for discipleship through conferences, workshops, books, and courses. This resurgent interest in making disciples is refreshing, given the fact that Christ left us with only one command in His great commission – make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28:19). The mission of the church is singular. All our activities should support our disciple-making mission.