The Church in Crisis

Every institution is vulnerable to scandal. The church is expected to be different, however. No matter how unrealistic this expectation, people are arguably stunned when allegations of misconduct emerge in the church, especially by popular pastors. As church congregations erupt and public perception shifts toward skepticism in the wake of public scandal ranging from sexual offenses to financial mishandling, the church faces a crisis of faith. Followers must decide if they will retain devotion to embattled pastors they once esteemed while cleaving to the message of faith they still advocate. They are faced with who and what to believe, questioning their leaders, ministries, themselves, and even their beliefs. In the end, who is wounded most in these situations: the first family, the followers or the faith? What’s the motivation for those who stay or decide to leave the faith? Bishop Prophet H. Walker of the True Light Pentecostal Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina, will be on the show to discuss this issue. Bishop Walker helped to organize a rally in Atlanta, Georgia, to demand that Bishop Eddie Long resign from his post immediately at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.