A Nashville pastor has been indefinitely suspended by the Nashville Presbytery, a regional governing body for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), due to creating a toxic work culture.
Scott Sauls, the senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church, was suspended after members of the Nashville Presbytery, which is made up of pastors, teaching elders and ruling elders from local churches, examined Sauls' case.
"On Friday, May 12, Nashville Presbytery met and voted to indefinitely suspend Scott Sauls from ministry. The presbytery also appointed a committee for Scott's care and shepherding and sent a letter to Christ Presbyterian Church notifying the church of its actions," the PCA's official magazine, byFaith, tweeted on Monday.
Amid this decision, the presbytery clarified "that there has been no alcohol or substance abuse, theft, violence, broken marriage vows, or anything related to pornography or sexual sin" in Sauls' case.
The presbytery emphasized that there has been no alcohol or substance abuse, theft, violence, broken marriage vows, or anything related to pornography or sexual sin.
— byFaith Online (@PCAByFaith) May 16, 2023
According to The Christian Post, He will remain the senior pastor at Christ Presbyterian, but he cannot take on any ministry-related responsibilities for the foreseeable future.
Christ Presbyterian and the Nashville Presbytery previously placed Sauls on an indefinite leave of absence from his pastoral position at Christ Presbyterian due to his leadership conduct.
The investigation, The Christian Post reports, was launched after a group of former church staff members sent a letter expressing their concerns about Sauls' conduct.
"I verbalized insensitive and hurtful criticism of others' work. I've used social media and the pulpit to quiet dissenting viewpoints. I've manipulated facts to support paths that I desire," Sauls said in a video confession to church members on May 7.
In the past, Sauls served as the lead and preaching pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City alongside Pastor Tim Keller. He also planted and pastored churches in Kansas City and St. Louis.
Sauls has authored six books, most of which focus on the topics of joy, shame, anxiety and depression.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Ehrlif
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
