When a preacher is disgraced, having been disqualified from ministry, that is supposed to be the end of it according to their doctrines based on Scripture. Yet, there are many who continue in ministry, simply changing churches. Here are just some—predominantly prominent ones—of the publicly reported cases involving major scandals (moral failure, abuse allegations, financial issues, etc.):
- Jim Bakker
- Tammy Faye Bakker
- Todd Bentley
- Mike Bickle
- Shawn Bolz
- Michael Brown
- Joshua Ryan Butler
- Juanita Bynum
- Tony Evans
- Jerry Falwell Jr.
- Ted Haggard
- J.D. Hall
- Bob Hartley
- Bill Gothard
- Brian Houston
- Frank Houston
- Bill Hybels
- Rick Joyner
- Carl Lentz
- Steven Lawson
- James MacDonald
- C.J. Mahaney
- John-Paul Miller
- Reginald Wayne Miller
- Robert Morris
- Perry Noble
- Chris Rosebrough
- Jimmy Swaggart
- Tullian Tchividjian
- Ravi Zacharias
Of the dozens of prominent and not-so-prominent cases we know of that have made it into the light, how many hundreds of cases are still hidden in the shadows? This list could be expanded to include people like Phil Johnson, for verbal, spiritual, or emotional abuse (not just sexual or physical abuse), or even people like John MacArthur and Matt Chandler, for protecting abusers and villifying the victims.