Isaac Hunter is the latest pastor to step down from the pulpit over a moral failure. Hunter, the lead pastor at Summit Church in Orlando, Fla., resigned after admitting to having an affair with a former church staffer.
One of the fastest-growing churches in central Florida, Summit Church announced a “moral failing” that made it “impossible for him to continue in ministry.”
Hunter, 35, is the son of Joel Hunter, a spiritual advisor to President Obama. The younger Hunter is a husband and father of three.
“If you are wondering what to do, please pray for the Hunter family during this time, help to protect the space around them, and avoid gossip as much as humanly possible,” wrote John Parker, who is now serving as lead pastor of the church.
“On a personal note,” Parker added, “I am hurting—for my friend, for the pain he has caused others and himself, for our staff, for the church, and even for myself. In midst of the hurt, I am so grateful for this community. God has done so much good in this place, and my great hope is that He will continue to have Summit Church be a place where lost and hurting people find hope and love.”
Some Summit Church members did not think Hunter needed to resign.
The Orlando Sentinel reported Angela Griner, an adult daughter of an evangelical minister, as saying she hoped her generation could accept a talented leader who was nonetheless flawed. “We should stop denying our inability to be superhuman and simply be thankful for the gifts we can give one another in spite of our limitations.”
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