The arrest and prosecution of a pastor for being found in a “compromising position” with a 15-year-old girl in a community in St Elizabeth has brought into sharp relief, once again, the question of sexual impropriety in the Church. The larger church community is reeling from the moral indiscretions of one of its own.

In the midst of all this another child has had her future marred by an incident which her supposed juvenile innocence should not have made her a part of. Her situation is made worse by the national publicity that this matter has garnered.

As it turns out, the minister at the centre of the controversy is a prominent member of the Moravian Church. He will have his day in court and he is, of course, innocent until proven guilty, notwithstanding what seems obvious, that his guilt has already been pronounced by many members of the society. The fact that he was reportedly found at around 9:00 pm by the police with this child in a “compromising position” is enough for many to declare his guilt and call for the harshest punishment available.

While one can understand the outrage, we must not lose perspective. As a country governed by the rule of law we must allow the law to take its course. The minister in question will have his chance to defend himself; the prosecutors will make their case, and a jury of his peers will decide. But the outrage of the society is understandable, for we have had too many cases of our children being molested, and in some instances killed, by rapacious men. But I urge patience while the law deliberates.

What is of import is the damage that situations like these can do the integrity of the Church and efficacy of its mission to the world. In America, prominent ministers who have fallen into disgrace because they have preyed upon members of their congregation have done a lot of damage to the mission of the Church. For example, in the Roman Catholic Church, the paedophile scandal among priests reached an alarming proportion to the extent that it had to be a matter of serious investigation by the Vatican itself.

How the Church treats with these matters is of utmost importance with regard to how the society will view it. Not only must the offenders be removed from active duty when discovered, but there should be internal mechanisms of discipline which demonstrate, without a shadow of doubt, that such behaviour is reprehensible and will not be accepted or condoned. This is especially so in situations where there is strong public interest, which invariably means someone has been discovered and exposed.

It must be borne in mind that when pastors behave unseemly it is not just the offender that has been disfigured but also the victim of the offence. The Roman Catholic Church did not seem to appreciate the veracity of this position. Many times priests were simply transferred to other parishes, where they continued their depravity. In some instances, it was only after the victim summoned the bravery to talk about his or her ordeal that any kind of compensation or counselling was proffered.

One will watch to see what kind of ministry is offered to the 15-year-old girl and her family by the Moravian Church. It is an established fact that it is one of their own that was discovered with this minor in a “compromising position” at the dead of night. It is not unusual for the Church to coalesce around its own and issue moral platitudes that he who is without sin should cast the first stone. But there are other vulnerable parties involved and, true to its mission of mercy and compassion, note must be taken of those who may be suffering mental pain as a result of the alleged actions of one of its agents.

But one can understand the Church wanting to see the outcome of the trial, perhaps, before acting, so as not to be seen as ‘tampering’ with the case or trying to frustrate the judicial process.

In the end, it is not sufficient that institutional discipline can be all that is required when ministers fall. Ministers must understand that they are people with great power. I was confronted with this reality one day when a little girl at church saw me in my white, flowing cassock and, pointing to me said to her mother: “Mommy, there is God.” I realised then, more than ever, how precious these little minds are, and how much I have to exercise a duty of care to them to ensure, in my ministry to them, that their trusting innocence should never be disfigured. Just as they were precious to Jesus when his disciples tried to inhibit their mothers from reaching out to him, so must they be to us who seek to minister to their welfare.

So a minister, whether male or female, must do everything in their power to protect them. Although, as St Paul said to the Corinthians, we are mere earthen vessels to whom God has entrusted the good news of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:7), there is a reason why people look up to us as pastors and call us “reverend”. The cognate form of the word is “revere”, which means to hold in high esteem and regard. Congregants give us a great deal of power over their lives. We know secrets about people that many people will never know. Indeed, often we carry the burden of people on our hearts; for often we are the only ones that they feel comfortable with to allow more than a peep into the windows of their lives.

Therefore, we must do everything in our power to preserve what God has entrusted to us. It is not enough to say we are humans and subject to fall. It is too easy to find refuge in our human nature and use it to excuse egregious behaviour. Every action that we engage in is promoted by thoughts that were long indulged before the action or behaviour occurred. If a woman in the congregation tickles our fancy there is a great deal of deliberation that precedes making a move to get her in bed. There is, therefore, time to think about one’s actions and what could be their possible consequences, especially the unintended ones.

It is important, then, that pastors must engage in strategies of self-policing of their own lives. Yes, the grace and love of God does not change because we fall. But as Paul bewailed, should we continue to sin because grace abounds (Romans 6:1)? In the course of ministry all kinds of thoughts will come to us; all kinds of enticements and seductions — not necessarily sexual — will be placed in our way, but there is time to reconsider, to step back, and to talk to a friend or fellow trusted pastor about where we are. Help is available. But, for heaven’s sake pastors, leave the children alone!

Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest and social commentator. Send comments to the Observer orstead6655@aol.com.