When Leaders Fall

President’s Perspective
Oh no—not again!

That was my reaction, one I imagine was shared by many, when I heard about another prominent evangelical leader who confessed last week to an eight-year affair with an unnamed woman. Obviously this leader’s family is devastated, and his legacy is tarnished, perhaps beyond repair.

This happens far too often in the church. This confession is just the latest in a long string of similar messages in recent years. Pastors, writers, ministry leaders, musicians—the list is way too long.

Obviously no one is immune to temptation, and being a prominent and well-known figure probably makes the struggles that everyone faces even more challenging. But even if we can understand the pressures and vulnerabilities leaders face, that does not excuse the sin—or make its consequences any easier to bear. This sort of thing has real ramifications not just for the people involved but for the church at large. Reputations are damaged, families are broken, and faith can be strained, sometimes beyond the breaking point. These kinds of incidents also give ammunition to those who rightly point out that Christians are sinful but wrongly claim that Christianity is unreliable because of Christian hypocrisy.

So how are we to respond?

I think the first thing we should do is pray. Pray for the people and families affected. Pray for organizations struggling to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of announcements like this. Pray for those who looked up to these leaders and are now struggling with broken trust. And pray that the leaders in your own life will be strong enough to overcome the temptation that Scripture makes clear is inevitable for all of us.

Another good thing to do is take stock of your own relationships. Is there anything in your life that could be a seed that might one day sprout into sin? None of us should ever think that we are immune. James 1:14-15 warns, “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.” And 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.”

At the same time, we need to remember that none of us is beyond redemption. Jesus died for sinners, and sin is a universal human condition. The amazing message of the gospel is that whatever temptations we may give in to, God will forgive us if we ask him to. As 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Of course, forgiveness does not erase outcomes or restore trust overnight or necessarily qualify someone for continued leadership. But it does mean that no sinner is beyond the reach of God’s mercy.

When a leader falls, we may experience grief, shock, or anger. All of these are understandable and appropriate reactions. What isn’t appropriate is despair or fatalism. It isn’t true that every Christian leader is hiding some terrible sin, and it isn’t true that there’s no hope for the church in moments like these. No one is beyond reproach, and no one is immune to temptation. We all sin. We all need grace. And we all need safeguards in our lives to protect us from succumbing to our sinful desires that, if acted upon, can cause so much devastation. But Jesus was clear that the church will prevail against hell itself. Yes, it is led by broken people, you and I among them. But God is sovereign and will not allow the failures of his people—even prominent leaders—to destroy his mission.

So let’s pray for sinners and those who have been sinned against. Let’s make sure we each have accountability in our own lives to ensure we don’t follow a similar path. Let’s ensure that our churches and ministry organizations are honest about their cultures and structures that can isolate leaders or discourage transparency. And let’s pray that the Lord of the church will use even these terrible moments for his own glory in the end.

The church does not stand or fall with any one leader or institution. It stands because Christ stands. And he is not shaken, even when leaders fall.

Here’s what’s happening.

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Prayers for Iran
In late December, protests that started with shopkeepers in Tehran’s bazaars upset about soaring inflation and the plummeting rial quickly morphed into broader anti-government unrest. Mass protests, sometimes involving millions of people, broke out in Iran’s capital and spread throughout the country with demonstrations reported in all 31 provinces. Iranian unhappiness with the government’s theocratic control is nothing new; there have been major protests in 1999, 2009, 2017, and 2022. But this time the protesters are demanding systemic change and the toppling of the mullahs’ regime rather than targeted reforms, and the government’s response has been particularly harsh. Internet communication in Iran has been shut down, more than 10,000 people have been detained, and according to some reports, hundreds and even thousands of people have been killed. I reached out to some of our partners who are working in Iran or with Iranians outside the country and asked for updates and how we can pray. One partner wrote, “We have not been able to connect with our family in Iran because the internet has been shut down for several days, and many members of our church are deeply worried about their children and loved ones.” Another responded, “The end of this regime is unquestionably near. What is in balance now is how will they depart? How many more will be killed?” As for prayer, a different partner said, “Please pray for freedom and justice for the 90 million people of Iran that have been oppressed by this regime for almost 50 years.” Another wrote, “Please pray specifically for our organization’s leaders to lead well while they journey with their own emotions during this time.” And one church leader wrote, “We truly believe God is at work in the midst of all this. We are very grateful for your prayers—for protection, wisdom, and peace, and for God’s purposes to be accomplished in Iran.”

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A Mission Pioneer Goes Home
Margaret “Peggy” Fletcher, cofounder of international mission agency Pioneers, died on January 4, 2026. She was 92. After dedicating her life to Christ in 1961, Peggy traveled the world with her husband, Ted, who was a businessman at that time, cultivating a vision to take the gospel to the nations in new and accelerated ways. Working toward the fulfillment of that goal, Peggy and Ted started a mission organization in their home in 1971 and sent their first missionary to Nigeria in 1979. Over the decades, Pioneers has been instrumental in identifying and engaging Unreached People Groups with the message of Christ and in facilitating Church Planting Movements across the globe. Today, Pioneers has more than 3,000 members working in over 100 countries. The impact on world mission that this remarkable woman and her husband had cannot be overstated. She was also a good friend to many, including THF chair Becky Wilson (who served with Pioneers in Asia for many years and now works on staff with Pioneers-USA). Becky wrote, “Peggy was a wonderfully faithful woman who devoted herself to her family and the nations.” A celebration of life service is planned for January 30. Please join us in thanking the Lord for Peggy’s life and legacy and praying for her family and the entire Pioneers organization as they mourn her loss while celebrating that she is now with Jesus.

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Researching a Generation
Fuller Youth Institute is a THF partner dedicated to helping leaders who work with young people minister effectively to reach a new generation for Christ. When FYI was started nearly 20 years ago, they were training youth pastors who were working with Millennials. Two decades later, those formerly young people are parents sending their own kids to school and church and youth groups, and there’s a new generation that needs the gospel. In 2024, Tyndale House Foundation gave a grant to FYI to help fund a new research project they were kicking off to determine the needs and opportunities facing Gen Alpha, the generation of kids born after 2010. There’s been a ton of research into Millennials and Gen-Z, but no one really knew much about Gen Alpha yet. But thanks to FYI, that’s about to change. Over the past year, FYI researchers have talked to nearly 3,000 Gen Alpha teens in their effort to learn about this generation’s needs, fears, and hopes. The full report will be out later this month, but FYI has already shared some of their findings. One of the most interesting and significant data points is that most young people seem open to faith. That may be surprising, given everything we’ve heard about this being the least religious generation in history, but it may be time to change the narrative. Please pray for FYI’s leaders and researchers as they finish up their important report, and pray for Gen Alpha young people all over the world to be increasingly open to hearing about—and developing a relationship with—Jesus Christ.

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Translating Youth Culture
Speaking of Gen Alpha, does it seem like it’s increasingly impossible to keep up with the latest trends, jargon, or cultural shifts embraced by young people? Parents and grandparents having a tough time understanding or relating to the kids in their lives is nothing new, but the world is changing faster than ever, and adapting to it can feel hopeless. Back in 1960, Paul Lynde and Dick Van Dyke sang in the musical Bye Bye Birdie, “Kids! I don’t know what’s wrong with these kids today. Kids! Who can understand anything they say?” Still rings true. Luckily for all of us who have young people in our lives, there’s a THF partner that is on a mission to help adults and kids not only understand each other but communicate about the most important issues of life, culture, relationships, and faith. That partner is Axis, and since the organization’s founding in 2007, it has been helping parents make meaningful connections with their teens. Axis has just released three important resources that I’m happy to commend to any THF Weekly Briefing readers who care about kids. One is brand new—the Axis Guide to 2026. It’s a guide for navigating and asking good questions about the things young people are going to be thinking about and influenced by in the year ahead. The other two are updated versions of the Axis Emoji Translator and the Axis Guide to Teen Slang. All three are funny, engaging, and genuinely useful for Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials living and doing ministry in what is increasingly a Gen-Z and Gen Alpha world. Gen Alpha is going to be the biggest generation in history! If you want to learn how to communicate with them, Axis can help.

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That’s it for this week’s briefing. Please send any questions, comments, and NLT postseason analysis and predictions to [email protected]. Do you enjoy reading the THF Weekly Briefing? Make sure you’re subscribed to the email distribution list to get access to this resource the same day it’s published each week, and feel free to share it with others who may be interested. Thanks for continuing to pray for and support our partners around the world.

Jeremy Taylor
President | Tyndale House Foundation

The THF Weekly Briefing provides information about significant events happening in the wide universe of Tyndale House Foundation partner organizations as well as an occasional peek behind the scenes of THF’s operations. It is available to anyone who’s interested in learning more about Tyndale’s philanthropic commitments, partners, and operations. Was this email forwarded to you? Contact [email protected] to be added to (or removed from) the distribution list.