I would like to bring this up as it is something that has followed me all my life. A dear friend in my youth, later a Baptist minister was caught in a sexual affair with a member of his congregation. I think he left the church -- or was asked to leave. A friend of mine, married to an Assemblies of God minister, found out her husband was being unfaithful to her. The whole thing was swept under the table (I know only through her sister). He was simply moved by the church elders to another congregation in a different part of the country, and I don't think anyone in his congregation knows. This makes me uncomfortable. I think truthfulness can heal a situation better than lies and deception. However, it has its own problems. As a young person I was attending some meetings at the Full Gospel church as they had a dynamic preacher. His congregation was small, and often the pastor took me home in his Volkswagen station wagon. Also present were always his wife, and a young woman with twins of about two years old. Then one night he stood up and said he had something to confess to the congregation. The twins belonging to the young woman were his children. The church disbanded immediately, and I never heard of him again. There were no elders -- he was simply running it with his wife.

I hope this isn't of topic, but I am trying to find out why so much of this happens in Protestant churches where marriage is allowed, and how it should be handled. I am not sure if these issues fall under the banner of the word "cult" except that Paul said, "Let the minister of the congregation be the husband of one wife." Presumably for this very reason. Personally I am open to the idea of divorce and remarriage, and even sex before marriage between two people who love each other and are committed to each other. What upsets me is when people go against what they are proclaiming they believe, and are telling their congregation members is the way they behave. We all make mistakes in life, but I am wanting to understand how sexuality can be handled in a church which proclaims one thing, while the minister practices another...

The above was just a "lead in" by the way. What I want to address is the position of the Roman Catholic Church. I have met some very fine Roman Catholic people by the way, including two priests whom I could call friends. But by its nature I believe that the Roman Catholic church qualifies as a cult for the following reasons (a) the clergy have to be celibate. But when we dam up our natural and healthy sexual parts, they will always come out in a perverted way. That is why (i) children and young women are often sexually molested by Catholic clergy, and most of the time it is covered up. This molestation causes physical and emotional problems in the victims, therefore this qualifies as endangerment. Since the bible teaches that the minister of the congregation be the husband of one wife, this is also un biblical. (b) Strong control is exerted over the members through the practice of confession. Vulnerable young people who may be homosexual or having sexual problems of any kind confess their "sins" weekly to a person they can't see. Since this person may be a child abuser, they get to know who the most vulnerable members of the congregation are, putting them at physical and emotional danger. (c) Like many cults, the threat of "ex-communication" is used to keep people in line, so people who want to leave are afraid to, because they believe that if they do, their souls will be lost.

sound so weird and bad

I think you are misreading the nature of sexuality. It does not conform to Bible or any other rules. To keep to rules , even secular ones , is a problem for many adults. This has not changed but has always been the case even in old testament Times. The Christian community is no different from the secular community ; their instincts and desires are the same.Pastors are no different from congregation members and denomination makes no difference.
In recent times we have learnt that sexual offences are committed across the board? We must never be deceived by the labels people are given or give themselves.
Mis behaviour between adults is in a totally different category from that with children and the law treats it as such.

Dear, dear Misty. Not sure if you will get this message, but just wanted to send you a note to let you know your question about sexual misbehavior is fully heard and shared by me, and want you to know it is a question that is worth asking and you are right to do so.

Just reading your account breaks my heart to think of the families hurt by the improprieties you referenced (both the immediate family, and the church families) and even to think about how it impacted you, Misty. There are no winners when we break our commitments, and fidelity is one of the strongest and most sacred commitments we can make. When we make it and then break it, there are no winners.

My hope is you have found answers for your questions from the Lord and that wounds caused by these actions have healed for you and those you knew at that time.

Blessings...