There are specific qualifications for being an overseer of a church, i.e. pastor, elder and leader that the Apostle Paul laid out in 1 Timothy 3:1-5, Titus 1:5-9, James 3:1 and Matthew 18: 15-17. Perry Noble does not meet the criteria. In July 2016 the leaders of NewSpring, the church Noble pastored, removed him from the pulpit because of his “personal behavior, which included alcohol, and marital issues.” Noble is fully aware of the scriptural guidelines for overseers; still he has decided to start a new church. Carla Field of WYFF US has the story:
Former megachurch pastor Perry Noble is not being given a second chance by the church he founded, so he is giving himself a second chance with a new church, despite church leaders saying he no longer meets Biblical standards to be a pastor.
Noble, the former pastor of NewSpring church, filed paperwork July 14 with the South Carolina Secretary of State to incorporate Second Chance Church. The filing shows the request as made by a nonprofit in good standing.
Noble founded NewSpring more than 20 years ago after holding services in a living room, according to the NewSpring website. The church grew to 17 campuses with more than 30,000 members.