Every year Christian denominations see a slow, but sad, trickle of ministers leave their ranks by premature resignation. They leave for a variety of reasons, but often because of marriage break-up, serious moral lapses (usually sexual), and severe disagreement over denominational (but not necessarily gospel) distinctives like baptism and the like. It is a waste, in both human and Christian terms. It is a waste, not only of three of four years intensive training at tertiary level, and ten years or so of practical ministry, but it also means starting again near the bottom of life, around age forty, with incredible heartache and pain amongst family, friends and congregation, and mud on the public face of the gospel.

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