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Former Pastor Perry Noble Opens Up about Alcohol Abuse

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  • Updated Oct 20, 2016

Perry Noble, the former pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina, recently updated his supporters on his process of rehabilitation after he was fired over alcohol abuse.

A statement from NewSpring’s board at the time said:

"Perry's posture towards his marriage, increased reliance on alcohol and other behaviors, were of continual concern. Due to this, the Executive Pastors confronted Perry and went through the steps of dealing with sin in the church as outlined in Matthew 18. Because Perry chose not to properly address these ongoing issues and didn't take the necessary steps toward correcting them, he is no longer qualified, as outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and the church's bylaws, to continue as a pastor at NewSpring Church."

According to Relevant, Noble has since sought help from a counselor and has learned from his counseling sessions that his failure to open himself up to his own Christian community contributed to the pressure he felt which led to his alcohol addiction.

“I chose isolation over community. I was a hypocrite—I preached, ‘you can't do life alone’ and then went out and lived the opposite …Isolation is where self pity dominated my thinking, thus justifying my abuse of alcohol.”

“Isolation is where self-doubt dominated my emotions, causing me to believe I just could not carry the weight anymore, and alcohol was necessary for me to make it through another day,” he continued. “I chose isolation—all the while knowing that a strong community of people who really loved me would rally around me and walk with me through the valley I was in.”

Noble also said that he and his wife are working on restoring their marriage. He urged other couples who are struggling not to give up hope.

“Let me beg married couples...please don't cease fighting for your marriage by investing your time and attention into other things. Maybe it's not alcohol, maybe it's a hobby, or porn, or friendships...or even your kids. Take it from me - the temporary feeling of relief is not worth the long term pain of the consequences,” he said.

 

Publication date: October 20, 2016