Think about the title for a moment: Porn Makes Me….Wonder How This Affects Church Staff. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have to wonder. You see, almost a decade ago I was an intern at the church I came to Christ at and we were sitting in a staff meeting in the office discussing the upcoming Christmas schedule. We dialogued for a solid hour or two and at its conclusion, went on our way as a team to make our efforts matter. The other intern and I got set up in a pastor’s office, turned on the monitor, and BAM! A barrage of porn came across the screen like a wet towel snapping you across the backside. We scurried for a minute attempting to shut down the browser, but all that did was lead to more junk. eventually, we just turned off the power; there was nothing else we could do. I remember just sitting there with the other intern wondering what on earth we should do. 

Here we have clear evidence that someone on the pastoral staff was viewing pornography, and we were just lowly interns. Do we confront them? Do I take him aside and ask him what on earth he was thinking, putting his family and career in jeopardy, not to mention his potential impact as a pastor? Do I go up-ladder and tell the lead pastor? Seriously, what is an intern to do? The thing is, it didn’t matter. Things were already settled in our formative brains. He was viewing pornography in his office and keeping his addiction a secret from the staff and his church. He lost me. He lost us. Respect was thrown out the window, as was the high value of his position. 

That’s the thing. I don’t have to wonder how porn affects a church staff. I knew from first-hand experience that it devastates church staff. It makes you question motives. It makes you second-guess other decisions they might make, like holding late night meetings and having off-site coffee with someone of the opposite gender. It calls into question everything about that person. 

  • 1 Corinthians 6:18, Flee from sexual immorality.
  • 1 Timothy 3:2, Now the overseer is to be above reproach.

The call upon a pastor is not to be taken lightly. The pastor has a heavy burden to live life as pure as can be. They should be the ones fleeing from pornography, not diving head first into it. They should be above reproach, not the ones whose actions are looked on with suspicion. Because of the actions of one staff member, an entire ministry was called into question. 

I pray that if you’re the one dealing with this issue, take it seriously and get some help immediately. Call someone. Confess. Install x3watch on your devices and get an accountability relationship started with someone you could trust. We are here for you. We love you and want to help you grow in your relationship with God and others. 

How has pornography addiction affected your church staff?