When I was in my adolescent years, I had a friend who shared the same faith I did -- Jehovah’s Witness.

One afternoon, while his parents left him in the custody of a church elder, he was molested. Even at age 12 I considered it demented that the response of the church was to lean on biblical reasoning that “unless two or more witnesses” could testify to the offense, the accused cannot be disciplined unless by admission.

Scripture was further used to suggest that the victim’s parents not go to court or the public with this matter, for brothers in Christ should not take “spiritual” matters to the court.

I had long forgotten that incident, until recently.

More than a week ago, I watched a young man surprised by an Atlanta camera crew tell his version of your pain. He talked without an iPad, without words written by an attorney. The pain and hurt on his face and in his voice were obviously –an Academy-award-winning performance if his words were untrue.

It caused me to remember all too well the incident of pastoral deceit I mentioned earlier.

I have since become a pastor myself, answering God’s call to care for His flock. The enormity of the call to ministry is daunting, because we understand implicitly that our acceptance of God’s call means that we must adjust our bar higher than the expectations of a penal code.

We understand that we answer to a much greater and more specific spiritual code.

Therefore, when I heard your Sunday morning reply to the world, I was shocked that you were led not by the power of the Holy Spirit and the God of truth that I worship daily, but instead recited a statement by a team of lawyers. I was disappointed that you allowed your congregation to see their leader, a man appointed by God, cower to what you allow them to think are untruths.

You never told them the allegations are untrue. One thing is certain: Our God is not a God of ambiguity.

In the name of Jesus, I ask that you stop playing legal games with this matter. Even a not-guilty verdict cannot undo what can potentially happen if you wait that long to give a reply.

Whatever the truth is, tell it. I could care less if you are gay or have homosexual tendencies. No man is infallible. However, because of my spiritual ethics, I will not allow for a member of my clerical fraternity to create victims, whether it be by pedophilia, domestic violence or child abuse.

This is the code all believers hold, but it is especially the code we pastors should emulate. I am praying for you and your accusers. However, my prayer is that when truth is revealed, your church has not entrusted their relationship with God in your hands.

I pray that this matter does not give non-believers another reason to not worship. I pray that, if you are innocent as you have alluded to, that you somehow find the courage to act with the authority and divine leadership God has entrusted to you. I pray that if you are innocent, that you show the world how Christ has taught us to love our enemy. I pray these “vicious liars” come to a complete relationship with God, as they expected would happen while under your care.

To Him who is able to keep us from falling, and present us before His glorious presence without fault, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and dominion, now and forever more.
***
Rev. John B. Hicks, Associate Pastor, First Fellowship Ministries, and President of Synergy Farms International Charlotte, North Carolina
 

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