The Christian Post reports that Matt Chandler – senior pastor of The Village Church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area – has agreed to a decision by the church elders to take a leave of absence from teaching and preaching.
The church leaders, according to CP, explained that while Chandler's Instagram messages were not romantic or sexual in nature, they "crossed a line" and used language they felt didn't model behavior expected from him. In a video statement, the elders explained:
"We are strong proponents of brothers and sisters in Christ being friends, but there are boundaries around what's appropriate in these kinds of friendships. A pastoral role requires a greater awareness of those boundaries."
Speaking to his congregation on Sunday (August 28), Chandler said he didn't think he had done anything wrong in his messages with the woman; and that both his wife and the woman's husband knew of the social media messages.
Still, Chandler and the elders agreed that his behavior "was a sign of unhealth in his life and that the best course of action" would be for him to take a leave of absence for an unspecified length of time. The popular pastor told his congregation he was grateful for the accountability, and he asked for their forgiveness.
