Matt Chandler reflects on 'grace and accountability' he experienced from church after controversy
Matt Chandler has opened up about what he learned about grace and accountability after being restored to the pulpit following a tumultuous period in 2022 in which he took a leave of absence from teaching and preaching at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas.
In August 2022, Chandler announced to The Village Church congregation, which he has led since 2002, that he had an inappropriate online relationship with a woman and would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from preaching and teaching.
Though the relationship was not sexual or romantic, Chandler said church elders deemed the messages exchanged over Instagram "unguarded and unwise" and "revealed something unhealthy in me."
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"We cannot be a church where anyone is above the scriptures and above the high heavenly call into Christ Jesus," Chandler said, adding he agreed with the elder's assessment. "The Word of God holds me to a certain standard. And I fell short."
He was restored to the pulpit a little over three months later following a "profound time of healing."
In an interview with The Christian Post, the 49-year-old husband and father-of-three reflected on that time and said that when he "stumbled," he was instantly met with grace and accountability from those around him.
"The thing about [2022], in particular, was that the kind of culture we had tried to build here — one of accountability and a higher standard for a person in public ministry — held strong," Chandler explained. "When I stumbled, I was met with both grace and accountability."
For Chandler — who has made messages on God's grace a hallmark of his ministry — the experience solidified the notion that grace is not an abstract concept but a tangible force that exists alongside the weight of accountability.
He credited his church's transparent handling of the controversy with allowing his congregation to witness the reality of both concepts in action; they saw firsthand, he said, that while grace offers forgiveness, there is often a price for missteps.
In the aftermath, Chandler observed that the church community became more willing to confess their struggles, taking proactive steps to address what he described as "little lions," or small issues that could grow into significant problems if left unchecked.
"What that produced in our congregation is another visible picture, that that grace is real, and that there is still, at times, a payment for stumbling that is costly in other areas," he said.
"We have seen since people are more apt to confess more quickly, … we have seen a tremendous amount of trust in the processes we have in place to deal with those kinds of things in the lives of people. And so that's been the fruit of that."
Reflecting on the unique pressures of pastoral ministry, Chandler, who also serves as executive director of the church-planting network Acts 29, spoke candidly about the loneliness and mental health challenges often faced by spiritual leaders.
Chandler previously served as president of Acts 29, replacing Mark Driscoll, who was later disqualified from leadership due to "ungodly and disqualifying behavior."
"I think I'm an outlier on this, but I've never bought into that a pastor can't be close friends with the guys that he does ministry with," he said.
Though acknowledging that stories of betrayal and sabotage from within the Church aren't uncommon, Chandler said that throughout his ministry, he's chosen to cultivate meaningful relationships with those around him.
"I've been involved at the highest level with church planning stuff, the number of stories of men being betrayed and sabotaged by other people in the church or other staff members in the church is a very real thing. I'm just not built, personality wise, to want to do this by myself."
At The Village Church — a Southern Baptist congregation — Chandler is one of three lead pastors. While his influence might be more visible due to his pulpit presence, he emphasized that he has no greater vote in decision-making.
"I have done life deeply with a group of five guys that are on staff with me," he said. "Two of those relationships are over 15 years going now, and the other ones are right at a decade. I have chosen to not give in to the, 'I'm going to carry this thing by myself.' I'm going to invite guys into my life."
For Chandler, this network of trust has been critical, particularly when it comes to the ups and downs of the ministry.
"I would encourage guys as best they can to create a strong circle of trust where they don't have to be the hero but can be human. And I say that because they are human," he advised.
The pastor recently released his first book since returning to the pulpit, The Overcomers, highlighting how Revelation can help Christians find their "identity and purpose in God's plan." He cautioned against creating a culture where pastors are seen as infallible.
"If you create a world where you're the Messiah, where you have all the answers, you're making an already difficult situation impossible," he stressed. "I would encourage any pastor … to begin to create, slowly but surely, a circle of trust for him that's deeply honest and vulnerable for the good of his own soul."
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
