The state of Colorado has recently become a fascinating, if sometimes troubling, case study in the power of the pulpit. On one hand, we see the vital necessity of the Church as a moral compass in a secularizing culture; on the other, we are reminded of the fragile nature of pastoral trust and the dire need for institutional accountability.
By contrasting the stories of two Denver-area leaders, we can see a clear path forward: the Church must be bold enough to confront cultural evil, but humble enough to police its own ranks with transparency.
The Duty of Boldness: Brave Church and Cultural Truth
Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub of Brave Church represents the “good” that religion brings to a community—serving as a bedrock of absolute truth in a shifting landscape. As Colorado has moved from a conservative stronghold to a pioneer of progressive radicalism, Schwarzentraub argues that pastors can no longer hide behind the excuse of “staying out of politics.”
When the state legislates on issues like transgender ideology or parental rights, these are no longer mere “policy debates”—they are biblical battlegrounds.
- The Mission: Schwarzentraub notes that Denver has become a hub for secular hedonism. The Church’s role is to provide a “community of the found” in a city of “happy lost people.”
- The Mandate: “To stay silent on biblical issues is to be complicit with evil,” Schwarzentraub says. This is the Church at its best: providing moral clarity when the world is in chaos.
The Crisis of Trust: New Life and the Morris Fallout
However, the Church’s ability to speak truth to the world is entirely dependent on its internal integrity. This is where Brady Boyd’s story serves as a cautionary tale.
Boyd, the former head of New Life Church, was ousted not for a personal sexual sin, but for a failure of transparency. Elders found that he had misled the congregation regarding what he knew about Gateway Church founder Robert Morris’s horrific history of child abuse.
- Trust as Currency: The New Life Board of Elders correctly noted that “trust is the currency of leadership.” When Boyd inaccurately claimed he was unaware of the details of Morris’s past, that currency was spent.
- The “Revolving Door” Problem: Despite being asked to resign for misleading his flock, Boyd is already launching a new ministry nearby. This highlights a systemic issue: the ease with which leaders can “restart” without deep, external vetting or restorative oversight.
A New Standard: Vetting and Behavioral Placement
If the Church is to remain the “salt of the earth,” it must adopt a more rigorous approach to pastoral placement. We cannot simply rely on “trusted circles of friends” to vouch for a leader’s qualifications.
1. Independent Behavioral Research: Churches must move beyond standard background checks. Researching a pastor’s behavioral risks—including their history of transparency, financial management, and past associations—is not “un-Christian”; it is responsible stewardship. As the Boyd case shows, “deception by omission” can be just as damaging to a church as the original scandal.
2. Strategic Ministry Alignment: Not every “called” individual is suited for every role. If a leader has a history of broken trust or behavioral red flags, the Church should consider if their ministry belongs in a different sphere.
- Prison and Outreach Ministries: Rather than immediately returning to the senior pastorate of a traditional congregation, leaders with past failures might find a more appropriate path in chaplaincy or prison ministry. In these environments, they can provide genuine spiritual counsel to those seeking redemption while remaining under much stricter institutional oversight and “layered” accountability.
The Bottom Line
The world needs bold voices like Pastor Schwarzentraub to confront the “secular radicalism” of our day. But those voices lose their power if the institutions behind them are seen as protective shells for leaders who lack transparency.
To protect the flock and the Gospel, churches must prioritize accountability over comfort. By researching risks and placing leaders in roles that match their level of proven integrity, the Church can ensure that its light continues to shine—unfiltered and uncompromised.
