WHAT CAN BE DONE?

In the Lifeway Research study of the biggest challenges facing 2,000 pastors, 61% checked the box for "Confessing and repenting from personal sin". 

In real numbers, that's 1,220 of those 2,000 pastors. Three pastors out of every five. 

I don't know how you read "confessing and repenting from personal sin" being a problem for a pastor, but in my mind, that equals "I have a secret that could ruin me if it ever got out". 

I can't think of one thing that would stunt a church's growth more thoroughly than to be governed by a pastor with a secret sin. Why? Because that pastor is never going to go hard on sin in any sermon. In fact, that pastor is going to struggle to emphasize sanctification through the Spirit's help at all when their own experience with sin is one of recurring failure. If you are a slave to some particular sin, every aspect of your faith and the veracity of the Bible itself is called into question. 

That is a preacher who is going to feel hypocritical every Sunday morning, mouthing the words "Hallelujah - I've been set free!"

But what can be done? Pastors are trained by experience not to be real and open with people in their own churches. How would a pastor go about confessing a sin? And to whom? Pastors are guarded for good reason. They are prone to being talked about and judged on a regular basis. 

Not to mention that confession of certain sins could well mean instant unemployment.

I hope you don't hear an ounce of judgment in my words here - I genuinely feel great empathy for pastors in general and those hiding secret sins in particular.

They have to long for freedom. And that freedom is possible, but not without confession and repentance. 

There's no easy answer here. My question is a real one: 

What can be done?