Here is the thing. There are some jobs where you can make certain mistakes, apologize, and just keep doing them. Being a Christian pastor is not one of them:
According to the woman, Simmons came over to discuss starting a business and providing less fortunate kids with clothes and shoes,” but they ended up in bed together. The woman told police she and Simmons began “establishing a relationship” last October.
After the husband interrupted the tryst, he yelled “I’m gonna kill him” and ran to the master bedroom for his handgun; Simmons fled the apartment naked and hid behind a nearby fence.
The wife then called the police and her husband left with Simmons’ clothes, wallet and car keys, which he threatened to drop off at the church. He also threatened to expose Simmons on Facebook.
The wife told police her husband never threatened her and she declined to press charges. Simmons also declined to press charges. State Attorney Jack Campbell, “citing the interests of all involved,” decided against prosecution.
After phone negotiations with police, the husband arranged to return Simmons’ belongings. The husband turned over the handgun to NAACP Tallahassee Branch President Dale Landry.
“My prayers to the families involved and the church and our community,“ said Landry. “May God guide all our hearts and minds as we move through this period.”
Simmons, who has led the independent church since 2005, said he won’t quit.
“What I want from God, I have already received – that’s his forgiveness, ” Simmons said in his address. “What I am asking of our members is your prayers and your forgiveness.”
In response, the congregation stood and applauded for several minutes.
No, you don’t forgive and applaud for a charlatan like this. If the man hasn’t resigned, he clearly hasn’t repented. One of the primary banes of the modern Churchian pseudo-church is easy, repentance-free, consequence-free forgiveness.
I would not hesitate to leave a church that hesitated to fire a pastor guilty of adultery. There is virtually no chance that this guy isn’t going to do the same damn thing again at the earliest opportunity. He’s obviously a con artist; I particularly enjoyed the lame cover story of “providing less fortunate kids with clothes and shoes”.
Nobody is perfect. But nobody has to be a leader either. And if you can’t keep yourself off the women in the congregation, then you can’t be a Christian leader. Period.