Matt Chandler, the lead pastor of the Village Church, has returned to the pulpit following a leave of absence sparked by an “inappropriate” relationship online.
Chandler was greeted with an overwhelming applause as he walked onstage.
Opening his message, Chandler told the congregation, “I very much know that the Christian life’s a marathon. And there are times in that run when you’re uphill in the snow and not sure if you’re going to make it.”
He added, “There are other times you’re running downhill in the sun and it feels like nothing could ever hinder your love for Jesus and your bold witness.”
Appearing to struggle through tears, Chandler explained, “And if in my foolishness, I created anymore weight on you, or made this anymore difficult on you, please forgive me.”
Chandler said the experience was “disorienting” to him.
He went on to tell the crowd he got a neurological exam, adding, “I actually don’t have a right frontal lobe. I had a tumor taken out 13 years ago and radiation and all that … ‘Is there something wrong with my brain?'”
The pastor continued, “That’s the work I’ve been doing over the last three months, some intensives with some experts.”
Watch Chandler’s remarks below:
Matt Chandler was restored to the ministry with the obligatory standing ovation!
— Terri Green (@TerriGreenUSA) December 4, 2022
His emotions say, he’s not ready. pic.twitter.com/9xLXa7bWgq
Prior to Chandler’s return, the church sent an email to the congregation, the Christian Post reported.
“We have previously shared that Matt has been diligently working through a development plan that we laid out for him while on leave from the pulpit. We created this plan based on careful reading of the Scriptures, considerable time spent in prayer seeking the Lord’s wisdom, and with the input from other leaders in the church,” the email stated.
According the church, they asked “a lot” of Chandler, including “time spent in study and prayer, personal
reflection, and multiple intensives with trusted outside experts.”
The email continues, “Matt has completed everything asked of him with submissiveness, steadfastness, and humility, and we have received positive feedback from all involved. We have been encouraged by his posture throughout, and we remain so.”
It was reported in August that Chandler would be taking a leave of absence after an investigation declared messages he exchanged with a woman who is not his wife “inappropriate.”
