Pastors Must Be Careful With These 7 Kinds Of Women Outside Their Church!

Pastors are constantly faced with different kinds of temptations both in and outside the church. Today we are going to be focusing on what happens outside the church because without proper awareness it is possible to mess things up with any of the different categories of women listed below.

I am very aware that women Pastors too need to watch out for men, but my focus is mainly on the man for now knowing that statistically they are more prone to such errors than their female counterparts. Without doubt sometimes the predator is the man in the pulpit and the victim the unsuspecting one who comes to him seeking pastoral counsel and guidance.

That said, here is my list of seven “types” of women outside the pastor’s own immediate congregation of whom he must be careful.

1) The Facebook fantasy.

These are not called “social networks” for no reason. People meet, they connect, they find themselves attracted (as well as repelled), and once in a while, they develop fantasies about one person in particular.  I have known of marriages ending because two parties met on Facebook, decided to meet in some distant city, and soon two homes were in shambles.

2) The old classmate.

You go to a class reunion without your spouse, and you see her. She looks great–even better than she did in high school–and this time she shows interest in you. You eat it up.

3) Your first girlfriend.

You get reconnected in some way and old feelings bob to the surface and you quickly get stupid. You begin to wonder how life would have turned out had you and she stayed together. It all goes downhill from there.

4) A church member from an earlier pastorate.

You are back in that town for some occasion and bump into her. You and she have a history of sorts, since you have known her family for years. Careful now. If either of you is going through a difficult time and the other is vulnerable, you have all the ingredients for a disaster.

5) An admirer who appears in your life.

She watches your church’s telecast or she heard you speak on some occasion, and “you are simply amazing.” You gobble up the adoration.

6) A grieving widow.

A pastor once called my attention to how vulnerable young widows can be to an amorous comforter. I suspect he knew all too well what he was talking about since eventually he had to resign his church over comforting women other than his wife in ways other than how he should.

7) The counselee who comes to you from another church.

She didn’t want to confide in her pastor, so she came to you. She knows no one else in your church. She opens up to you.

Be careful Pastors!

By joemckeever