Altars elevate religious leaders, making them more visible to their congregation. Consequently, they also make their flaws more visible. Preachers gain stature with their position, but their human flaws often surface under the strain of the calling, mirroring the theory of Danish philosopher and theologian Soren Kierkegaard. “People have an idea that the preacher is an actor on a stage and they are the critics, blaming or praising him,” he said. “What they don’t know is that they are the actors on the stage; he (the preacher) is merely the prompter standing in the wings, reminding them of their lost lines.”
Here are six men of the cloth who have reflected man’s fallible humanness through scandal.
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Creflo Dollar
Creflo Dollar, 50, founder of The World Changers Church International, an Atlanta mega-church boasting over 30,000 members, was arrested in June 2012 after allegations of domestic violence. His then-15-year-old daughter said Dollar choked her during an argument. Dollar has denied these claims publicly.
“The truth is, she was not choked, she was not punched,” he declared to his congregation. Dollar was fined $1,000 and required to take an anger management course.
