The Village Church announced Aug. 28 that lead pastor Matt Chandler will take a leave of absence from teaching and preaching following his admission to “inappropriate messaging” with a woman on Instagram.

Chandler admitted the messaging was “unguarded and unwise” though the messages were neither “romantic nor sexual” in nature, but the “frequency and familiarity” was not wise for someone in his position.

Chandler said the church’s elders determined his “inability to see this for what it was revealed something not right and unhealthy,” adding that The Village “cannot be a place that does not hold its pastors and elders accountable.”

Chandler agreed to the elders’ suggestion that he take the leave of absence and admitted to feeling “embarrassed and stupid.” He affirmed the leave of absence was both “disciplinary” and “developmentally caring” for his family and the church.

Chandler has pastored the 5,000-member church since 2002 and has served as president of Acts 29, one of the largest church-planting networks in North America, since 2012. In addition to Acts 29, The Village is also aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Chandler has made several appearances at SBC annual meetings and Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission events. Most recently, he was part of a late-night panel discussion hosted by 9Marks at the 2022 SBC annual meeting in Anaheim.