Thoughts on Pastor Gary Lamb - Ron Edmondson

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(And addendum to this post has been added since the original. For more click HERE.)

I am so bummed tonight to have heard the news about Pastor Gary Lamb of Revolution Church in Georgia. I do not know Gary personally, only through Facebook, Twitter and his blog. I would never be one to put more burdens on a man already so broken, but I cannot get some thoughts off my mind tonight and my blog is one way I express myself. Since he addressed this in a very public way through his own blog (Read the account HERE), I thought I would share some of the things racing through my head. They may be good for all of us to consider.

I started reading Brennan Manning’s “The Furious Longing of God” today before I heard this news. On the first page of Manning’s writing he quotes Song of Solomon 7:10, “I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me”. The book is called “A love story for the brokenhearted”. I think Gary needs this book. I do too!
Gary, his family and his church, along with the other woman and her family, need our prayers at this time. Satan is smiling on this one, but Satan is a liar and a loser. God can and will have the final word. Let us pray He has His way in this situation for all parties concerned.
Whenever a pastor falls, those outside the church have another excuse to push away from truth. Some of this comes from the way the church treats its own. Now is not the time for judgment, now is the time for grace to abound.
People are going to begin dismissing everything Gary has said or will say because of this failure. Please don’t be one of those. His failure does not diminish any truth he spoke prior to today. If anything it makes the truth he spoke even more real. The fact is that Gary is not a perfect man. We knew that before we knew the news of the day. If God used him to make a difference in your life or others, be thankful God uses broken people, like you and me.
The failure of Gary did not begin with an affair with his assistant. Somewhere, sometime, Gary let his guard down. We must all work harder to make sure the proper boundaries are in our life. I have too many pastor friends who see nothing wrong with meeting with female staff members alone. You must NEVER, EVER, EVER do this. NEVER! Please pastors and other leaders, build accountability and boundaries into your life now, before it is too late. IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!
Many pastors I know need marriage counseling, but they are too proud or too afraid of what their church would think to get it. I hope this news encourages some to take that bold step.

I make this offer to pastors, I am a pastor and a former degreed Christian counselor, if I can help you talk through issues like this, if you are on a limb and need a confidential, non-judgmental friend, feel free to email me at ron.edmondson@gmail.com