But will he be able to survive a scandal of this magnitude? Previously he was able to keep his messes on a local DL level. This has hit the news nation wide. I seriously can’t fathom members overlooking his ungodly behavior. He can’t manage his own life, let alone speak into those of his flock. If SR survives its a cult, not a Church.
I am going to make a different bet than at
@SteveP (though I think his bet is well informed).
Surviving scandal, whether it is a wayward pastor, a "re-created" politician, a shady businessman etc. was easier to do in the pre internet / mass social media names. Local TV news and newspaper reports of the scandal could be brief and not in depth. A certain number of people neither read the newspapers, nor watched TV news.
Thus, with brief and often general negative news, wayward Pastor types had an easier time going into spin control, then re-booting, re-imaging and driving on.
But with mass social media, scandal stories do not "go away". Nor is the news general. Rather, disturbing details are also readily available: Met 'M' as
a minor at his
parish- then married her- she the commits suicide, divorced from mother
of five, the existence of an "church"
airplane, investments in a
bar etc.
None of the above are "show stoppers" when viewed individually. But the totality? I just dont think he can maintain a critical mass of attendees. As a result, my bet is that he is sunk.