Ministry News

Trinity Chapel Founder Falls

Details: Published on Tuesday, 16 December 2008 13:06

Jim Bolin, founding and senior pastor of Trinity Chapel in Powder Springs, Ga., has stepped down from his position due to "inappropriate consensual sexual conduct with an adult woman." Members of the charismatic-Pentecostal church, which claims a congregation of 7,000 people, were informed on Sunday during an emotional, 90-minute service in which church officials explained the immediate future plans of the church while remaining vague in describing Bolin's falling.

Donald M. Walker, the state administrative bishop for the Church of God (Cleveland), tearfully read a letter from Bolin that began: "I have sinned against God." In his writing, the founding pastor took "full responsibility and blame" for his actions but provided no additional details. "Today you see what a wrong choice has caused," Bolin wrote. "Please learn from this."

The 56-year-old Bolin has agreed to remain inactive in ministry throughout a two-year restoration process overseen by Church of God officials. In his place, Bolin's 32-year-old son, Jason, who is the church's executive pastor, will serve as senior pastor.

"I think the church will be stronger than ever," said one member of the congregation, which gave several standing ovations to show its support for Walker and Jason Bolin, and its forgiveness of the founding pastor. "Jim Bolin was my hero. But he is also human and I forgive him. It's been a tough week, but it's over. There's a new week ahead." [ajc.com, 12/14/08]

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Comments

0 #13 S.Law 2009-10-06 19:12

He founded the church and led it. As a leader, he has a responsibility to those he leads, to lead properly. Moral failure is not just between him & his wife but also God. Because he is a leader, the church gets involved. If he is just a plain Joe, the church doesn't have to get intervene, just counsel. A teacher guilty of child molestation cannot claim that it is only between them and the parents of the child - they have violated the trust of their job. Moral, financial or other failure is a violation of the high standard a pastor needs to have to lead.

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-1 #12 colorful grace 2009-08-02 08:40

Quoting Jeff:

I sometimes wonder if we make too "big" a deal of these moral failings. A 2-year restoration process for having an affair? What exactly are they attempting to "restore?" Isn't it really just a private, painful matter between Bolin and his wife?

It just seems a bit too "showy" to stand in front of your congregation and have a "90 min" service.

Those people had the right to know what was going on and needed to hear who was going to be leading them forward. I personally think that the pastor and his wife have and still are dealing with this matter even though it happened months ago. As for what is being restored-the person and the family.

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0 #11 colorful grace 2009-08-02 08:35

Quoting Carol Brown:

It behoves leaders to remember that because they are at the forefront of the battle they become prime target of enemy forces; hence the need for greater accountability, having their backs covered constantly in prayer and having proper checks and balances in place. Confessing our faults and praying one for the other exposes our struggles and puts the enemy who loves darkness to flight.

Yes you are correct! We do need to cover our leaders! All of them from senior pastors to youth/childrens ministry workers. These people are on the front line of the battle and I think far too often we take forgranted the place in which they serve. We get comfortable with them and don't cover them. Pray for your leaders-chior members included! They aren't just cute song singers-they're warriors!

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0 #10 colorful grace 2009-08-02 08:32

Quoting Brian Roden:

Someone doesn't just wake up one day and decide to have an affair. Falling prey to sexual temptation only happens when other areas of spiritual devotion have been neglected for a period of time. It takes time to spiritually downgrade one's life ("Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns says it well), so likewise building back up to a level of spiritual strength necessary for leadership also takes time. Forgiveness is instantaneous when we repent. But trust must be earned anew.

while you are correct in that no one decides in one day to have an affair, but seems to me there was two people involved, why do we not hold them as accountable as we do this pastor? If and I do mean if he was negecting other areas in his life, isn't God still big enough to handle that?

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0 #9 colorful grace 2009-08-02 08:15

Quoting Ginny S.:

It always amazes me how church congregations can stand and give an ovation for something like this. It sounds like another "greasy grace" thing. When are God's people going to stand up and call sin "sin" and not say, "he's only human"?

NO! that is the furthest thing from the truth!! If I remember correctly we did call his "sin" sin but in the same breath yes he is human-just like you and I. Just because your "sin" or my "sin" hasn't been made public and posted on websites everywhere for every one to read and judge doesn't mean that we are not still human, guess what we still mess up and until Jesus comes back we probably will! Geasy grace....not quite-its called Love Acceptance and Forgiveness something that the body of Christ shold learn as a whole. Love them where they are, accept them (but hold them accountable) and forgive them-get up and move on from where you messed up. its as simple as that.

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0 #8 colorful grace 2009-08-02 08:06

I think that you are only getting part of the story. Was it an unfortunate event that happened within the church, yes but what the media stories are not relaying is how much attack the family itself has been under health wise-both the Pastor and his wife have been dealing with some major and life threating health issues- things like this can take a toll on any family-this time it just so hapened to be a pastor's family. So before we are too quick to judge and point fingers perhaps you should take all the facts into account..

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0 #7 Soblessed 2009-07-22 01:40

It's amazing to me the amount of valuable energy, time, money, and precious resources are spent on discussing a
leader's immorality. Souls are dying everyday. Hearts are broken, people are hurting. The gospel is the message of good news. Perhaps we should spend more time sharing that! Let us pray one for the other.

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+2 #6 michael w. smith 2009-05-08 00:06

Sexual misconduct among ministers is very common in almost all church denominations in the United States and esp. among TV ministries. The root cause of the problem is Satan and unclean spirits. Unclean spirits of sexual perversion get into the bodies of ministers and cause them to develop hypersexual desires and lead them into all kinds of sexual sin: adultery, homosexuality, children out of wedlock, etc. I am a Christian counselor in Phoenix, Arizona and I see many ministers delivered from sexual addictions and have seen dozens of marriages and ministeries saved. Remove the unclean spirits and the person is able to overcome their internal iniquity and their sinful behavioral pattern. www.hardcorechristianity.com. They can be healed and restored. Bro. Mike

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0 #5 Carol Brown 2009-04-02 13:37

It behoves leaders to remember that because they are at the forefront of the battle they become prime target of enemy forces; hence the need for greater accountability, having their backs covered constantly in prayer and having proper checks and balances in place. Confessing our faults and praying one for the other exposes our struggles and puts the enemy who loves darkness to flight.

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0 #4 Carol Brown 2009-04-02 13:29

Let us remember what James 3:1 says - "Not many (of you) should become teachers my brethren, for you know that we (teachers) will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity (than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation)". This is the sum total of what is happening to church leaders who align themselves with spirits of immorality or any other spirits of darkness; and I not say this to condemn beause Scripture warns us to be careful how we stand lest we fall.

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