Matt Chandler Returns to the Pulpit, Receives Standing Ovation + His Critics Go Nuts
Three months ago, it was announced that Lead Pastor Matt Chandler would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from preaching and teaching at The Village Church after it was revealed he was engaged in an inappropriate texting conversation with a woman not his wife, (the conversation, while not romantic or sexual, was described as “overly familiar” and involved “coarse and foolish jesting.”
Yesterday Chandler, who was earlier restored by the elder team, took to the stage and received an extended standing ovation, taking a few minutes to apologize to his congregants, telling them, “I’m sorry, I failed you…” while lamenting that his “foolishness” might have caused his congregants hardship and pain.
Chandler also explained that he’d spent the last few months undergoing “intensives,” which are extended counseling sessions delving into his personality, thoughts and motivations, and even had a neurological exam on account of not being able to recognize his error and wondering whether or not his brain cancer a decade ago where he had his frontal lobe removed might have something to do with it (This is a stretch). He told them:
“Of course I’m sick like I’m just- a couple of things. I very much know that the Christian life is a marathon and there are times in that run where you’re uphill in the snow and not sure if you’re gonna make it, and then there are other times you’re running downhill in the sun and it feels like nothing could ever hinder your love for Jesus and your bold witness.
And if in my foolishness I created any more weight on you, or made this any more difficult on you, please forgive me.
I said on the 28th that really the situation disoriented me, it scared me. I’m a man who’s very serious about his life and doctrine and that I didn’t see what I didn’t see really was disorienting to me. And I said I needed to understand that, it revealed some unhealth in me. And so the elders care plan involved a couple of intensives and I actually went even got a neurological exam. I don’t know if you were around for that, but I actually don’t have a right frontal lobe. I had a tumour taken out 13 years ago and radiation and all that, so we needed like, ‘hey, is there something wrong with my brain?’
And that’s the work I’ve been doing over the last three months. Some intensives with some experts and then is my brain okay. And I don’t I don’t have like here the eight takeaways…
Matt did not offer more details on what caused him to be suspended, but we covered that previously here:
In response to his restoration, social media is alight with criticism, with comments from survivor bloggers being emblematic of the greater whole.
We also got ridiculous videos , which are loaded with assumptions, conclusion jumping and gossipy innuendo.
We’ve had our share of issues with Chandler in the past. We’ve been on the record sayin that the leaky charismatic has been drifting for years, such as when he compared BLM leaders to prophets- saying that not participating in BLM Marches is ‘giving up our inheritance’, then denounced America as ‘demonic’, while saying that racism is theologically woven into our foundation and finally declared after January 6th that ‘everyone is complicit in the unrest and destruction of our nation’. These are all troubling and worthy of rebuke.
But this restoration? Nothing about the situation would indicate that it is not appropriate.
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Not knowing exactly what Chandler really did, it’s impossible to pass judgment, IMHO.
That being said, the Biblical standards for being a teacher are high, and ANY deliberate sinful acts disqualify one from that position.
What a farce. This whole episode was caused by a busybody woman sticking her nose into somebody else’s business. And the men in charge didn’t have the guts to tell her to sit down and shut up.
I think the people who are blowing this out of proportion need to get a grip like that woman in the video. He said some inappropriate things to a friend of his. While that’s not the right thing for a pastor to do, it’s not the unforgivable sin. It sounds like his church followed the church discipline model lined out for us in Matthew 18:15-20. I think a lot of people think pastors are super-human and are just unable to sin. That’s ridiculous and unrealistic. 1 Tim 3 outlines the qualifications for elder and deacon. Yes, they are to be all that. At the same time, 1 John 9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
I’m not Matt Chandler apologist, but I think people better look in the mirrors before casting the first stone on him. He made a mistake, but he didn’t sleep with someone, he didn’t groom someone, he didn’t do anything as far as we know beside some joking. And he was called on it went under church discipline.
I find it strange that the woman in the Twitter video is talking about how angry she is for the woman involved when the woman herself does not seem to see this incident as the huge deal it’s been made into.
And “there wasn’t transparency” churches are not obligated to air every piece of dirty laundry for us to see. In fact they should not disclose details while conducting an investigation. It seems like whenever something like this comes up anymore, the endgame is to prove the pastor is a predator and the woman is a victim rather than to find the truth.
Exactly this!
DUH. When a married woman goes too far with her Sr Pastor and is outed cold while still going too far with her Sr Pastor … and now she is in emergency damage control while trying to salvage her marriage and save face —- then yes, she is going to downplay it, way, way, way downplay it, OF COURSE!!! Wake up!!!
Village Church fairly recently hired their current Executive Pastor (Nick Crawford) from a liberal, egalitarian, non-denominational “church” in Jackson, MS (Fondren Church). Quit defending Matt Chandler and Village Church you pathetic fanboys. There’s liberal smoke billowing everywhere from that dumpster fire.