A great deal depends upon the nature of the accusation. Many accusations are vague or insignificant and should be ignored. For example, it is extremely difficult to respond to someone who says, "You don't have a pastor's heart." What exactly is a pastor's heart? How do you know when someone has one? Usually statements like these are code for "I don't like your personality." Unfortunately, we can't make someone like us and must often simply absorb criticism like this. It is a mistake to respond to every accusation that comes your way, even when it is wrong.

However, some accusations cannot be ignored. They have the potential to severely damage reputation and hinder ministry. What makes these accusations so serious is that they do not need to be substantiated in order to ruin a pastor's ministry. Unfortunately, accusations spread faster than news of vindication. For many people innuendo is accepted as fact. A leader who is publically accused of ...