Pastors and Plagiarism—Sermon Prep or Sermon Theft?

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GUEST: JUSTIN PETERS, founder and preacher, Justin Peters MinistriesJust days after our recent program on the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting, which in part focused on the election of new president, pastor Ed Litton, and where he stands on various issues, it was revealed that Litton had for many years been plagiarizing sermons nearly word for word from immediate past SBC president, pastor JD Greear, and that Litton’s church had removed over 140 sermons from their website.The story is receiving widespread coverage, even in mainstream outlets such as the New York Times.The dictionary definition of plagiarism is "the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.” Biblically speaking, plagiarism is stealing and is an egregious sin, particularly for a pastor and preacher of God’s word. While Greear says he gave Litton permission to use his content, Litton never publicly credited Greear. That is blatant plagiarism.So far, Ed Litton has not resigned, and based on a recent interview, doesn’t seem inclined to do so. More troubling, there has not been a universal call from the SBC or Evangelical leaders for him to step down.Justin Peters, evangelist and preacher of Justin Peters Ministries, joins us this weekend to discuss what is being called “Sermongate”. For if Christian leaders are now able to skirt past plagiarism, where does that leave the reputation and influence of the body of Christ?