Pastors use "touch not my anointed" phrase to get away with immorality - man writes; shares an experience

 "It doesn't really matter what you say I have done. God has called me here, and you can't stand in His way."

According to a friend of mine, these were the words a leader of a congregation used as he responded to a congregant who sought to challenge him on issues of deep concern—issues of sin.

It reminded me of something that happened while I was in Bible school. I had been attending a church on Long Island led by a dynamic preacher. Everyone loved his fiery teachings. He was truly anointed. 

However, I became concerned when, during a service, he physically attacked an usher. The usher had laid his hand on someone, and the wife of the pastor removed his hand, as he was there to usher, not to pray. The usher reacted angrily to the pastor's wife, and both he and the pastor had to be physically restrained.

I stopped going to this congregation. A few weeks later, some of my college buddies came back to the campus with glowing reports of Pastor Phil's (not his real name) latest message. "You've got to hear it, Ron!" they crowed.

I popped the cassette into my Walkman (it was 1986) and listened as Pastor Phil screamed at the people and blamed them for this and that. I did not sense anointing but human anger.

A few weeks later, I was told that Pastor Phil prophesied over a young lady in the church, just after he returned from a four-day prayer retreat, in which it was discovered he brought the very same young lady with him. Someone saw them return together, and Pastor Phil was confronted regarding his adulterous affair.

When the elders sat down with Phil and his wife for this confrontation, the very first words out of his wife's mouth were, "He is still anointed."

Most women would have hit him, yelled at him and called him a cheating jerk—yes, even believing women. But this wife's greater concern was for her husband's authority in the congregation—that it would not be forfeited. 

While this was an elder-led team, she had much freedom as the senior pastor's wife and loved being in that position.

In her mind, Phil was God's anointed, even if that anointing did not help him stay pure. It was as though she were saying, "David committed adultery, and he was still king. Who are these elders to remove us from power? We are God's anointed!"

The theory that leaders can only be removed by God comes from 1 Samuel 26:9-11, where David warns his trusted friend Abishai not to kill King Saul.

From this text, some leaders have derived a very dangerous doctrine regarding a senior leader and accountability.

According to this doctrine, the senior leader is understood as having a position like the ancient kings of Israel. He is "God's anointed"; therefore, he is not to be removed by any process of men—no matter what he does. He is beyond congregational discipline. 

While he may have elders or a board, they are advisers only, and all decisions are his to make. Within his sphere, he is the final authority (or, as I call it, dictator).

If he abuses people or they do not like his decisions, they have two choices. They can either submit to his leadership and entrust the situation to God, or they can quietly leave the community. 

In any case, they are to make no waves or protest in their leaving. Those who do are labeled rebellious troublemakers and often become the target of malicious rumors and gossip. 

In these circles, the authority of the senior leader is taught in very absolute terms. We are told, "Touch not God's anointed." 

I believe it is a destructive and devilish doctrine, and people should separate from those who teach it. 

If you find yourself in a place where you need to bring correction to a leader, do with a loving, humble heart. 

So let us be done with this abusive doctrine. It is rooted in pride and leads to abuse. May God raise up strong leaders who are secure enough to be accountable to their elders. 

If you find yourself in a situation where a senior leader refuses to be accountable because he is "God's anointed," my advice is to run! Find a congregation that has clear standards of morality for its leaders.

CN

*This 'touch not my anointed' doctrine has made many men of God feel they can do whatever they want and get away with it without anyone saying anything about it. Oh no! There is room for accountability. Even Paul rebuked Peter in Gal 2:11-17 when he (Peter) began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.

Angered by Peter's behavior, Paul opposed him saying,"You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?" 

That was Paul calling Peter to order in love. This was Peter who was with Jesus. Paul wasn't there during Jesus' earthly ministry. If it was today, someone will ask, "What effrontery did Paul have to correct Peter?" 

That's what we should do when we see our pastors going astray. Call them to order in love because we recognize they are also men and can fall.