In a recent survey, churchgoers expressed hope and sadness over leaders who left the faith.
In recent months and years, several high-profile Christian pastors and musicians have announced they no longer identify as Christian or believe in core doctrines of the faith.
These public pronouncements are met with a mix of emotions from churchgoers, according to a new survey.
LifeWay Research asked more than 1,000 Protestant churchgoers how they feel when a person well-known for their work in Christian ministry announces they no longer accept their previous faith.
More than 3 in 5 churchgoers say they hope the former ministry leaders come back to the Christian faith someday or are sad they’ve abandoned their faith.
Fewer than half say they feel concern for the ex-leaders’ eternal destiny or concern they may lead others astray.
Some question the validity of the leaders’ now-rejected faith. More than 1 in 6 churchgoers believe leaders who leave Christianity must never have really had Christian faith.
According to researcher, “The predominant reaction among churchgoers when they see a leader walk away from their faith is to maintain hope for them while grieving the decision they are making.”
Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research said, “A leader abandoning the faith may be a distressing situation, but it should also serve as a reminder for Christians to only put their trust in Jesus.”