[richmwill]

I was told by a Pastor friend of mine that years ago Pentecostal churches strongly suggested marriage to their ordained Pastors, because the feeling was that if you were married, you wouldn’t fall into a sinful relationship with any female members of the congregation.

[aruanan]

because the feeling was that if you were married, you wouldn’t fall into a sinful relationship with any female members of the congregation.

Looks like they're overlooking the "if you're married sometimes you will fall into a sinful relationship with a female member of the congregation or the church secretary" side of things, or the "if you're unmarried sometimes you'll fall into a sinful relationship with a female member of the congregation."

[TheDingoAteMyBaby]

Ted Haggard, Eddie Long, Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, and that’s just what I can remember in my lifetime. It’s silly to think that marriage prevents immorality.

[madison10]

I was told by a Pastor friend of mine that years ago Pentecostal churches strongly suggested marriage to their ordained Pastors, because the feeling was that if you were married, you wouldn’t fall into a sinful relationship with any female members of the congregation.

...not that being married has been a deterrent to wandering eyes, although it helps somewhat.

Single pastors, youth pastors more so, have to put up with imaginative/dramatic young women (maybe young men, too) who create problems for the pastor. Finding an assistant postion shouldn't be as difficult, maybe in a university town. IMO, it just depends on the congregation.

[MayflowerMadam]

“...the feeling was that if you were married, you wouldn’t fall into a sinful relationship with any female members of the congregation.”

That’s probably the reasoning, but being married hasn’t stopped many ministers from messing around with women not their wives. And I’m not talking about the televangelist; it happens a lot in “regular” churches.