Pastors who commit adultery should withdraw from the pulpit but only temporarily, according to most church leaders surveyed in a new poll.
LifeWay Research surveyed 1,000 Protestant pastors and found that just over a quarter (27%) believe that pastors should be permanently disqualifiied from public ministry if they commit adultery.
The rest believed that adulterous pastors should step away from the pulpit for a period of time only before making their return.
One in 10 say the pastors should be removed from public ministry for at least two years, while others (16%) think it should be at least a year. Seven per cent think at least five years is an appropriate length of time out of the public eye.
Close to a third (31%) said they were not sure of the length of time a pastor should be disqualified for.