Megachurch pastor steps down after sending 'unwise' Instagram messages to woman

A megachurch pastor has stepped down after being confronted with a series of social media exchanges with a woman who was not his wife.

Matt Chandler, the lead pastor at The Village Church in Texas, told his congregants on Sunday (28 August) that he’d be leaving the church.

In his announcement, Chandler insisted that the messages weren’t ‘romantic or sexual’ but said that the ‘frequency and familiarity’ of their Instagram exchanges was ‘unbefitting’ given his position.

Chandler also confessed his social media messages included ‘crude jokes’ and said that church elders found the exchanges to be ‘unguarded and unwise’.

YouTube/The Village Church

According to the Dallas Morning News, Chandler’s church elders also found that the Instagram exchanges ‘revealed something unhealthy in him’.

In his address, Chandler said: “We cannot be a church where anyone is above the Scriptures and above the high heavenly call into Christ Jesus. The Word of God holds me to a certain standard. And I fell short.”

Offering his account of what happened, Chandler said he was approached by a woman at the church several months ago, who expressed their concern over messages Chandler had sent her friend.

Chandler explained that his wife was aware of the messages, and found the woman’s claims that his exchanges were inappropriate ‘disorientating’. 

He decided to seek the guidance of the church’s board, which expressed concern over the ‘frequency and familiarity’ of Chandler’s messages. 

In a written statement, the church said it had hired an independent law firm to review not only Chandler’s messages on social media, but also his email and mobile. 

Lawyers found Chandler had violated the church’s social media policy for employees.

UNILAD has approached The Village Church for comment. 

The news of Chandler's resignation comes the same month it emerged that the the Southern Baptist Convention - of which Chandler's church is a member - is being investigated over clergy sexual abuse. 

Trong Nguyen/Alamy Stock Photo

On 12 August, leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention confirmed several of its major entities were under investigation by the US Department of Justice.

According to The Guardian, the Southern Baptist Convention said in a statement: “This is an ongoing investigation and we are not commenting on our discussions with DOJ.”

It continued: “Individually and collectively each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation.

“While we continue to grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders across the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future.”

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