SATURDAY STORY - AUGUST 7TH, 2021

 SATURDAY STORY - AUGUST 7, 2021

Comment - this may be difficult.  A modern Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

*****

Justin Andrews could play almost every instrument,  an accomplished pianist, composing music for fun, and loved being a music teacher.  After the long search process, the Sioux Falls School District hired him to be their new Patrick Henry Middle School, choir director.  Within two years, the choir program at Patrick Henry received recognition for its excellence and quality.

Christ Lutheran Church, near Patrick Henry, had hired Justin as an organist and when their choir director left for an academic position at Augustana College, Justin took over as choir director.  He loved adding good music to the Christ Lutheran liturgy.  

All the mothers at Christ Lutheran Church tried to pair their unmarried daughters up with Justin.  But, he politely refused.  

*****

He started a kid’s choir in his second year at Christ Lutheran.  The kids had white robes with red bows.  The kids sang for worship once every other month, and the congregation grew when they sang mostly with grandparents wanting to hear their precious grandchildren singing. 

*****

Even Justin couldn’t quite rationalize the next steps.  He gave private music lessons for free as part of his position at Christ Lutheran. And, he found a great soloist in Molly Schneider.  With freckles, pigtails, and an amazing smile, Molly brightened everybody’s day.  And, captured Justin’s heart and imagination.  

It began with praise for her singing, then a little kiss on her cheek when she came to her lesson, and ultimately Justin coerced Molly into sexual acts with him.  

Molly idolized her choir teacher and mentor, and Justin got sexual satisfaction from her. 

As Molly and her family moved, Justin found another young lady he groomed to take her place, Emma Ertle.  

*****

As happens, Emma shared this darkest secret with her mother, her mother quietly watched to verify that Justin did molest her daughter.  One Saturday afternoon, Mom snuck into the church, and threw open a door to a rehearsal room, and found Justin with his pants down and Emma on her knees in front of him.  She popped a quick picture of him and started a video.

Justin apologized and tried to run out of the room.  Susan Ertle blocked his way and confronted him as she continued her iPhone video.  

“I’m so sorry”, he panted as he pulled up his underwear and pants.  

“That’s not good enough” replied Susan Ertle.  “What were you doing?  That didn’t look like a music lesson”. 

*****

Susan let him out of the practice room and hugged her daughter.  Together they walked to the church rectory across the street and got Reverand Alan Sloan.  Susan showed him the picture and then emailed it to him.  

*****

Now, Reverend Alan Sloan had to act.  He had taken classes that included sexual abuse in his seminary training.  Should he confront Justin Andrews?  Justin really made the choir and worship services come alive with his music.  Many in the congregation said they were at Christ Lutheran because of the worship and music. He knew he had to be compassionate, forgiving and yet keep the morality at a high level.  

Yes, Jesus forgave the woman taken in adultery - would forgiving Justin be wrong? Could Emma and Susan forgive Justin?  

And had Justin abused other girls or children?  Reverend Sloan remembered that Justin and Molly Schneider had been close.  

And, Reverend Sloan remembered some of the teachings - cheating on a spouse could be forgiven, but it would need to be monitored.  But, child molesting frequently occurred again.

*****

Reverend Sloan called Justin Andrews.  After “Hello”, he didn’t want to get into a discussion so said “Susan Ertel stopped by.  I am going to have to pray on this.  I will be the church praying fervently and I invite you to come and pray in the church.” <and immediately hung up>.  

Reverend Sloan didn’t have anything on his agenda until the 9:00 Service tomorrow.  He remembered James 5:16b “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  But, the first part of James 5:16 is “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. He went to the sanctuary and prayed.  Lutherans don’t have kneelers, but he took a pad off a chair in the choir corral and got on his knees.  

In three minutes, Justin Andrews came in.  He wanted to talk, but Reverend Sloan didn’t want to talk.  He threw him another pad to kneel on.  The two of them prayed.  

Reverend Sloan prayed on his knees frequently, but not so Justin Andrews.  Soon, Justin moved to a sitting position on a pew but still seemed to seek God’s face.  

After about twenty minutes, Reverend Sloan felt God’s presence and just sat on a pew as well for a few more minutes.  Quietly and reverently he turned to Justin Andrews and said “Justin, we are all sinners.  I am a pastor, and I am a shepherd.  I have part of my flock that has been abused, and I have part of my flock that did the abuse.  I want God’s will in this.”

He paused and continued “I will have to turn this over to civil authorities.  It is my legal responsibility, but before I do that, I need to tend to my choir directing sheep. Lutherans do have a confessional rite similar to the Catholic confessional.  If you want to use that rite, I’d be glad to hear, and if you don’t want to confess today, I understand.”, then another pause.  “Justin, I have loved and appreciate you.  I can not judge and condemn you.  I sense that you might need a “come to Jesus’ experience rather than my human wrath.” 

He stopped speaking and waited for Justin to respond.  He didn’t want to force Justin into confession, it needed to be a willing act on his part.  

The invitation sat in the sanctuary for about three minutes that seemed more like three hours.  

Justin said in a small voice, “Yes, let’s talk or confess”.

Reverend Sloan led the two of them to the sacristy - where the ministers dressed for the service.  There were two chairs and Reverend Sloan directed Justin to one of them while he took the other.  

Reverend Sloan took out a card and gave it to Justin.  “Justin, this is a sacred rite.  I am excused from sharing what happens in this room at this time - it is between you and God, and I am the mediator.  I will expect you to go to the police and confess there as well.  And, yes, you will probably lose your teaching position and your music ministry here at Christ Lutheran.  You may need to pay for counseling for Emma and Molly and for anybody else you have abused sexually.  As your pastor and as your friend, the more you don’t share, what is left will become like cancer eating out your soul.  This is NOT  between you and me, but between you and God.  Let me bring in some scripture from 1 John “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”  

I will NOT judge you - I too am a sinner and I too go through a similar confessional activity periodically.  

So, I am representing God here.  You can be open and honest about your activities - or you can hide your activities.  I won’t really know, but God will know.  I don’t want to make God out as a difficult judge - God’s ways are not our ways. 

Life got difficult for Justin for the next hour.  Deep inside, Justin lived as a good and honest man. And, deep inside, he knew he had really screwed up.  Fortunately, he hadn’t molested any students from his school, and only Emma and Molly at Christ Lutheran Church.  He knew that he had to go to the local police authorities and to the local school authorities and also tell them what he had done.  He knew he would most likely be fired from the middle school position and from the church music position.  He knew he would be thrown into a financial crisis if he did not have work.  He also knew that his name would go on a list of sexual molesters online and he would have to report any misconduct.  He might have to have an ankle bracelet that would report on his location and activities, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.  

Did he have any pornography on his computer or phone?  (He didn’t)  

Did he have magazines or other media with pornography? (He didn’t)

He broke down and cried several times.  He called out to God for forgiveness.

Using the Lutheran Rite for Confession, Reverend Sloan gave Justin absolution.

But, after absolution, they continued to speak - this time as pastor to friend/employee.  

Pastor Sloan started, “Justin, I will take your situation (without additional details) to the Church Board this week.  I’d like you to play for services tomorrow as if nothing has happened.  I would like to arrange two meetings with you and the two girls and their families.  That will be tough - the parents might rather kill you than talk with you.  I can arrange to talk to Molly and her family by Zoom.  I will be there to conduct the meeting.  

“On Monday, I think you will need to contact the Human Resources of the Sioux Falls School District.  You might need a lawyer.  I’d recommend Aaron Peterson of our congregation.  He might even dismiss his fees for you.   I  think Aaron and Artiss sing in your adult choir.  You will have a lot of tough moments in the next few weeks.  If you hide this people will not forgive you, if you come out with it, people will be more understanding.  I personally believe that there is more pornography out there and it does become like cancer.  I’d like you to talk with me before services tomorrow.

*****

On Sunday morning, Justin Andrews and Reverend Sloan did meet before services.  

Justin asked “Reverend Sloan, I know this is going to get out.  After each service, could you call on me to make a general confession to the congregation, and resign from my position.  As they say, honesty is the best policy”. 

Reverend Sloan agreed, and after each of the two services, and before the benediction, he called on Justin Andrews.  

Justin did confess to the congregation and said he would be leaving his position after today’s service.  Some hope seemed to spring up after the first service when Susan, Greg, and Emma Ertel came up to Reverend Sloan after all the others had left.  

Greg (Emmas’s dad) said “When Susan and Emma came home yesterday, I dug through my closet and got my gun.  Yes, I seriously thought I to ridding the world of a terrible person who abused my daughter.  We had a serious time of prayer last night and Emma suggested we wait on it until today’s service.  I believe Mr. Andrew’s confession at the end of the service sounded genuine and, with God’s grace we are working towards forgiveness.” 

At the end of the second service, again Justin confessed.  Aaron and Artiss Peterson came up to Reverend Sloan after the service.  

Aaron said “Justin called us late afternoon yesterday, probably right after you had talked.  He came over last night and we talked over dinner and into the evening.  Yes, he did wrong, but yes, I believe he did genuinely confess and wants to have a ‘redo’ on his life.  I’m going with him to his meeting tomorrow with the Human Resources Director as his counselor.  “

*****

In the week after this incident, Justin got fired from his job.  

He returned to his hometown of Mitchell South Dakota and worked at Cabello’s Outdoor Store after he got a plea bargain with the Minnehaha County district attorney to go through an intense psychological analysis, wear an ankle bracelet, and be on probation for ten years.  He also had an accountability partner, Paul Novotny from Mitchell, who is part of the Stephen Ministry of First Lutheran Church in Mitchell and they would meet weekly.  If Paul suspected that Justin did not come clean, and was not being honest or accountable, he could pull the plug and have Justin sent to prison.  (Paul’s day job was as a judge on the seventh court located in Mitchell). 

*****

That was twelve years ago.  Justin also wrote music on the side, one of which got picked up by Toby Keith and became a hit song.  He married and now has two daughters 6 and 4 years old - who he would defend to death if a sexual abuser attacked them!!!

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Molly Schneider, Emma Erkel did receive counseling and seem to be okay and well adjusted.  Justin has been promoted at Cabellos, and he teaches musician composition for Augustana in Sioux Falls, and has been a guest musician for Christ Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls several times, with his best friend, Alan Sloan.

*******

From what I have read, sexual abuse can be hard to stop.  (and, yes, Pollyanna Karen made this come out well).  It can be like an addiction - like alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, and going “cold turkey” may not work out.  But, change is possible, honest before God will make a difference, and being accountable helps you stay on the right path!!

LOVE WINS!!!

Karen