Paraklesis
[‘encouragement’, ‘exhortation’, for life and ministry]
August 2025
Peter Adam
Dear friends,
One of the greatest demands of leadership is our moral identity. Leaders are subject to more pressures that others: and pressures bring to the surface our moral weakness. Leaders have more opportunities than others: and their opportunities carry with them dangerous possibilities. Leaders have stronger temptations than others: and the energy they use in ministry may reduce their energy to resist temptation. Leaders suffer more than others: they may suffer a dangerous consolation deficit and so fall into sin. Leaders have more power than others: they may unconsciously use their power for their own advantage. Leaders have more power to shape their lives and their ministries then others: their innate sinfulness may drag them to destruction.
A friend of mine often quotes these words: ‘Middle class people appoint ministers because of their gifts: working class people appoint ministers because of their character’, that is, the moral quality of their lives. Middle-class people often make the wrong choice, blinded by gifts. As I read in a secular book on leadership, ‘Leaders are appointed for their gifts, and sacked for their character’.
As we all know, it is easier to use our gifts and learn new skills than it is to grow our character. Yet that is the wonderful transformation into the image of Christ that God is working in all of us, as we daily confess our sins, put sin to death, crucify and deny our constant sinful temptations, resist the lies of Satan, live a new life every day in the power of Christ’s resurrection, and so find the fruit of the Spirit flourishing in our lives: ‘love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ [Galatians 5:22,23]. What a contrast to common leadership today: ‘anger, frustration, hatred, selfishness, manipulation, arrogance, lies, impatience, violence, and no self-control’.
People look for authenticity: for leaders who live the life they talk about.
Have you ever noticed the demands of moral character outlined by Paul when instructing Titus about people who should be considered for Christian leadership?
… blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it [Titus 1:6-9].
Here there are 13 moral virtues evident in the person’s life, and 3 particular ministry gifts!
Sinful leaders may be sinful in their leadership, their ministry, and also their private lives, their family lives. But sometimes the picture is more complicated.
John Cornwell wrote in his book on Hitler’s Pope, Pius XII, Cardinal Pacelli, ‘His is not a portrait of evil but of fatal moral dislocation – a separation of authority from Christian love.’[1]
There are other forms of dislocation.
Some may be sinful in their private and family lives, but function in their ministry with integrity and godliness. Others may be sinful in their leadership and ministry, but models of virtue and goodness in their private and family lives.
They are all equally disastrous! And they are a constant possibility for all of us. As Paul wrote, ‘If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! [1 Cor 10:12, NIV11].
Indeed! We may have resisted temptation until now, but who of us knows what more powerful temptations await us tomorrow? And our great and active enemy, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour [1 Pet 5:8]. Be constantly alert and attentive!
As a matter of fact, most leaders in the Bible who fail, do so not because of arrogant power, but because of weak compromise. Think of all those kings of God’s people in the Old Testament, who failed in spiritual and moral discernment and action, compromising themselves and their people by their inability to maintain the rigorous commitment to the LORD their God alone, allowing idolatry to take root among God’s people, to flourish, and then control them. So it is today: we choose our idols, and they choke us!
We can all think of significant, powerful, and effective Christian leaders who have publicly fallen into disrepute. But I can think of one leader of a small church, who believes that his is the only true church in Australia, who runs the church from his own bank account, makes all the decisions about church life, and excommunicates anyone who questions his authority.
As Vaughan Roberts often says, people in ministry are mostly undone by secret sins, because if their sins are made public, they lose their jobs.
But we cannot depend on successful secrecy. If you are nurturing a secret sin, repent, get help, and make yourself accountable now! You may now be overwhelmed by the success of your secret sin; you will soon be overwhelmed by the power of its addiction; and one day, in this life or the next, you will be overwhelmed with shame and guilt because of your sin.
People sometimes say to me, ‘It must be wonderful to be doing gospel ministry, because there are so few opportunities to sin!’ I always reply that doing this ministry opens up even more opportunities to sin, because of the power-responsibility of ministry, and because of the vulnerability of people in the emotional and spiritual aspects of their lives, and because some people trust us more than they should. I think that I am only still in ministry because of people who have prayed for me, and God’s amazing grace.
This is where wise polity, governance and management in Christian churches and ministries are crucial safeguards! If you are in ministry where you make all the decisions, you are accountable to no-one, if you handle the finances, and you get isolated so that no one knows what you are doing, and no one can challenge or correct you, then you are in great danger! [As are other people, and as is the church or ministry … ].
One question I sometimes ask at preaching Conferences, is ‘How long is it since you changed the way you live by something you read in the Bible? Two days? Two months? Two years? Two decades?’ How bizarre if we preach for change from the Bible to others, but don’t change and grow ourselves as we are instructed by the Bible!
Finally, I remember being immensely discouraged a long time ago by the moral failure of a great preacher. A friend of mine said, ‘If you are so discouraged by someone who fails, think how encouraged you must be by those who persevere.’ Very helpful. Since then, I have made it a habit to praise God for all the fellow-workers I know who are still persevering in godliness and good ministry! Thank you!
Gracious heavenly Father, please raise up godly people for gospel ministry and leadership. Please guard us every day from falling into sin. Please help us every day to repent and turn to you for forgiveness and cleansing by the blood of Jesus. Please protect us from the deceptions and pressures of our sinful nature, the deceptions and pressures of sin, and the deceptions and pressures of Satan. Please protect us and our ministries. Please give us people to challenge us, correct us, and rebuke us: and make us quick to welcome your words from their mouths. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
With warmest greetings in Christ,
Peter
Prayerfulness Book Launch
If you live in Melbourne or Victoria, here is an invitation to a Book Launch for no less than 8 books, including my Prayerfulness – Cultivating a Bible-enriched prayer life, published by Matthias Media.
Join us for an inspiring afternoon celebrating the launch of several significant new works in Christian theology, history, and publishing from Peter Adam, Rhys Bezzant, Paul Arnott, Tamie Davis, Barry Borneman, Michael Bird, Tim Patrick, and Brian Rosner. Books will be available for purchase on the day.
Thursday October 9, 2025, 2:30pm for refreshments. Formal start at 3pm. Ridley College – 170 The Avenue, Parkville.
If you live in the UK
You can buy Prayerfulness from https://uk.10ofthose.com
John Cornwell, Hitler’s Pope, xi. ↑