WESTERN KY (1/31/12) - One area man and former pastor made a bold move as he admitted his fall to adultery and began seeking healing and restoration.
Ray Carroll is a certified athletic trainer at Muhlenberg County High School, as well as a speaker and blogger for www.fallenpastor.com. He is a regular contributor to Provoketive Magazine and has contributed an essay to The Practice of Love under his pseudonym Arthur Dimmesdale.
Although he is a Arkansas native, Ray Carroll and his wife, Allison live in Hopkinsville, with their daughters, Abigail, Katie and Leslie.
Ray Carroll told SurfKY reporters, "I used to be a pastor in Christian County until I fell into adultery over two years ago. Following my experience, I had the opportunity to write about it and the dangers of ministry failure in: 'Fallen Pastor: Finding Restoration in a Broken World.' I was amazed to find that 1,500 pastors a month leave the ministry due to conflict, burnout or moral failure. I interviewed eleven other fallen pastors to find out what led up to their ministry failure."
In his book, Carroll identifies common decisions and cultural issues, like isolation, the church as mistress, judgmentalism, and idolatry, that lead pastors to fall. Instead of attempting to justify his actions, Carroll seeks restoration, according to the Bible.
Ray stated, “I’ve witnessed firsthand the desolation left behind after a pastor falls. It can be prevented but it takes the willingness of the community of faith to come together and recognize the warning signs and issues. After my own fall, I spent a long time in shame, searching for answers until I finally found the compassion of Christ who had been with me all along. Christ invites us to take on compassion for those around us who fall.”
A book signing will be held at Rockford's Place, in Greenville, on February 3, from 5:00 - 6:00 PM.
To learn more about "Fallen Pastor: Finding Restoration in a Broken World," or to order a copy, click here.
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