Posted on 01/10/2018 7:02:19 AM PST by Gamecock
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WATN) - Across the country, people are sounding off after megachurch pastor Andy Savage confessed to having a sexual incident with a 17-year-old girl while he was her youth pastor in Texas 20 years ago.
Savage, a teaching pastor at the popular Highpoint Church, admitted Friday that he "regretfully had a sexual incident with a female high school senior in the church."
On Sunday, he addressed members of the congregation. Taking to the stage, he could be seen in a YouTube video addressing the crowd, reading from a prepared statement.
"As a college student on staff at a church in Texas more than 20 years ago, I regretfully had a sexual incident with a female high school senior in the church. I apologized and sought forgiveness from her, her parents, her discipleship group, the church staff, and the church leadership, who informed the congregation. In agreement with wise counsel, I took every step to respond in a biblical way," Savage said.
Jules Woodson, the then-high school senior from the incident, described in detail to The Wartburg Watch, how Savage coerced her into performing oral sex on him while along a dirt road in Texas. She says he was supposed to have taken her straight home to her mother's house.
"He turned onto a dirt road and continued to drive. There were trees all around. I could not see the main road anymore, from which he turned," wrote Woodson. "I asked what was back here. He told me they were building a church. I thought, maybe that's what this was about, maybe he has some secret to tell me, like perhaps he was moving to another church. We reached a dead end and he turned the truck around before putting it in park. We were stopped, and he turned the headlights off."
That was when she says he asked her to perform oral sex on him. After about five minutes, she said Savage reacted in shock at the action.
"I remember him pleading, while he was on his knees with his hands up on his head, 'Oh my god, oh my god. What have I done? Oh my god, I'm so sorry. You can't tell anyone Jules, please. You have to take this to the grave with you.' He said that several times," Woodson said.
Since Savage's admission to the congregation on Sunday, the fallout has been swift.
His upcoming book, The Ridiculously Good Marriage, slated for release in July was pulled by its publisher.
In a statement on Twitter, the publisher said Tuesday, "Bethany House and Baker Publishing Group have canceled publication of the Andy Savage book The Ridiculously Good Marriage. It may remain on various retail websites for a short time until those sites update."
On Sunday, Highpoint Church Pastor Chris Conlee told the congregation he stands by Savage.
"I support him in great confidence," said Conlee.
Memphis activists say that move by the lead pastor is disheartening. Close to 1,000 people, including lawyer Betsy Weintraub, have signed an online petition calling for Savage's resignation.
"One of the consequences of sexually assaulting someone is that you can't be a pastor," said Betsy Weintraub. "Why would a church let him remain in that position? Bring him into the congregation, love him, forgive him, but don't put him in a position of authority in front of the church."
WATN reached out to Highpoint Church requesting an on-camera interview, asking if Savage would resign.
In a follow-up email, Administrative Pastor Jim Pritchard said, "Thank you for your request. There will be additional information from Andy and the church soon, but nothing more at this time."
A church sexual abuse survivor told WATN a number of people are watching how Highpoint Church responds in the coming days.
"The standard in our scriptures is a man of good character, and 20 years ago and Savage disqualified himself," said Kenny Stubblefield.
Stubblefield and others say they've signed the petition to send a message to church leaders.
"My prayer for Memphis is that people become more intellectually aware about who they put their trust in," said Stubblefield. "to see them stand up and applaud was sad to me, but it also confirmed in me how important this work is."
Stubblefield says he's committed to raising awareness about sexual assault and abuse in churches.
“These days, parents are afraid to ask for transportation for their child to anywhere. “
Not around here. People here are always trying to pawn their kids off on someone else.
It wouldn’t have been David and Bathsheba grade adultery. But yet adultery. That term embraces sex sin in general.
He let the devil have his way...
I’m really disappointed in the lack of forgiveness in so many on this site, frankly. He was a college kid with typical raging hormones and even stopped himself AT THE TIME. I doubt there are many men, if everything they did were known, who could lead a congregation these days.
The only way this 20 year old story would matter to me is if he was STILL DOING IT.
Period.
So are we forgiving or not ?
I’ve lost track.
“Confess your sins one to another.” So goes the bible advice.
Somewhere between coldly brushing it off and literally crucifying the man must lie wisdom.
The idea is to forgive but not excuse. Is he wiser for the experience and what followed? Let’s take enough time to be sure.
In our troop, we transport kids often and all over. But, we also do it under highly controlled conditions.
Best is multiple adults and kids. Acceptable is multiple kids with one adult.
Haven’t had any parents balk at us taking care of their kids. We do anything from day trips to weeklong camps.
Personally, after following the facts strictly from this article, if he were my pastor I would not only consider it irrelevant, I would possibly see where he may have grown in ways that other didn’t or didn’t feel they needed to. Paul supported having Christians killed. David was a murderer.
They both got better. Looks like this guy did too.
I’d want to ask more than a “possibly” if the history of the sin and its consequences didn’t unambiguously look like a repentance.
In such a case, he can and should be forgiven, but, he has disqualified himself for ministry.
Here’s what Scripture says in I Timothy 3.
Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
Above reproach is the key here. Had he done this in a non-ministry situation, he’s not disqualified. However, he was a youth pastor, thus he’s in a ministry position of leadership thus DQ’d.
And ma’am I’m not being unkind. Just realistic. From troubling a young woman he might best go to helping troubled young women. Whether directly or by helping men keep from troubling them. David penned psalms that documented his agonizing walk back to grace, psalms that have spoken to millions.
The same judgment as the devil could hypothetically mean to go to hell, but that might not apply here. It might mean simply be not to be wanted (in that role). Other roles are still possible. It’s a matter of being charitable to the rest of the church.
First, check my tag line. I’m using my wife’s account. :)
I believe the woman involved in this mentioned this guy also had an “agonizing” moment at the time.
Of course, this guy isn’t an all-powerful king like david but is in a position where he could help other women. I see his actions 20 years ago as just what boys that age usually do, especially in the culture at that and this time. Heck, I graduated high school in 1972 and I took more than one girl out in the woods in the back seat of my car. But I was like him. I had a line that I didn’t cross and it got pretty scary, depending on the girl. I think most men don’t have that same line nowadays.
And her being under-age? Ffffth! That is an arbitrary 21st century U.S. centric thing. He was young too. Basically we’re talking about two consenting hormone inspired young people.
WAIT! Are you saying his church isn’t going to hush this up and shift him to another church to protect itself??
I agree with you there. He can have other positions, just not that of elder, deacon, pastor etc. Scripture is clear on that, age and hormone’s notwithstanding.
Had he just been a guy, it would be a non-issue. Had he not been a Christian yet, non-issue. Youth pastor? Issue.
Why does a Jew have a dog in this fight? Seems odd to me.
Moses would be shocked to know he had used the wrong term for illicit intercourse by a married or betrothed woman to someone other then her husband.
In the new testament adultery was expanded to include either a married man or wife.
Fornication is what unmarried people do.
The judgement by some that this guy is disqualified is based on man’s rules not Gods. This happened 20 years ago and he followed biblical process for restoration. God is all about restoring people not condeming them.
I disagree.
"Jules Woodson, the then-high school senior from the incident, described in detail to The Wartburg Watch, how Savage coerced her into performing oral sex on him while along a dirt road in Texas. She says he was supposed to have taken her straight home to her mother's house."
We can forgive.
He is still disqualified.
Agreed.
However our forgiveness does not shield the man from legal reprecussions. The Wartburg Watch pointed out that the State of Texas (where the incident took place) does not have a statute of limitations for this particular offence. The guy is still subject to being charged under Texas Law.
Aside from that, clergy are mandated reporters of real or suspected abuse in Texas and under Federal Law.
George W. Bush as Governor of Texas forgave Karla Faye Tucker, but still signed her execution order.
i am often reminded that the Westminster Confession of Faith (OPC Version linked here) addresses the matter of the civil magistrate and states in paragraph 4 that we are subject to civil authorities, in accordance with Romans 13.
So yeah, forgiven, but still subject to civil investigation.
Not only this, but the Confession also recognises the limitations of the Church, and Jesus' command to Give therefore to Caesar the things which are Caesar's and give unto God those things which are God's --Matthew 22:21 1599 Geneva Bible-- Specifically, in this case, the church is NOT empowered to do criminal investigations. That is a prerogative of Caesar. This matter should have been reported to the local magistrate when it happened. The church had no business dealing with it. Even a church discipline issue would have been moot once the criminal investigation had been completed.
He is still disqualified.
Absolutely. Once violating the requirements for ministers of the gospel, that person is forever disqualified from holding such a position ever again. Actions have consequences as much as our society today --even "Christian" society-- does not wish to admit that.
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