HH, Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div
What is the danger of gossiping
about your pastor and his family?
Handle real issues biblically
If your pastor sins against you or you are made aware of a questionable situation involving your pastor, the Bible lays out instructions for how to handle this: “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” (Matthew 18:15–17).
Instead of asking other people about the issue, and therefore spreading the story, go straight to your pastor and talk to him about it. Most likely there was a misunderstanding, or there was more to the situation than you knew. Whether that is the case or not, it is not wrong to lovingly express your concern to your pastor. The key is to express the concern with a genuine heart of love and to do so directly to your pastor rather than gossip about the issue.
It is also important to remember that most pastors have a circle of mature Christians in their lives to hold them accountable. In many cases, it is not the responsibility or the place of a congregation member to confront his pastor because the pastor has people in place in his life to rebuke him when he needs to be. If you aren’t sure whether your pastor has this type of support group, ask him about it.
