The letter of Jude is consistent with the rest of Scripture in highlighting the importance of a Christian leader’s good character.
No Christian would be wise to accept as "shepherds" (v.12) of their soul anyone who is anything like the people Jude describes. But how does that work when our favourite preacher ministers online and belongs to a local church half-way round the world?
We might well ask searching questions of a potential preacher in our own church, for example: does he ever invite people into his home? Do the young women have reason to feel nervous around him? Is he gentle in his conduct during difficult meetings? Does his own wife respect him, fear him or despise him? What do the unbelievers around him make of him? But when a man ministers to us exclusively through his books, blogs, podcasts and online messages we have no way of knowing the answer to these questions.
Should you consider visiting a mission partner?
I used to be the senior minister at a church named after a Victorian missionary martyr - so I thought …