I received a response to my email and hoped the meetings of church leaders and teachers would start a productive church dialogue. I discovered my naivety during the April 8th meeting. Stay tuned for the rest of the story.
“I wrestled mentally with the knowledge and glaring inconsistencies before me. Two days after my message to the FCCF elders, Brandon was sentenced. I wasn’t alone. The pressure from congregant questions resulted in the elders calling meetings for the teachers and ministry leaders. I received a response from Elder #4 on April 1, explaining the plan for the elders and leadership to discuss recent events and what they meant to the church. The first meeting was reserved for Sunday school teachers of minors. It was held at the church on April 1, the day after Brandon’s sentencing. Easter came and went on April 5. Many of the people in the pews who made it to church only for Easter and Christmas services had no clue about the underlying turmoil about to explode within the church and across local news. The second meeting for the ministry leaders and adult class teachers occurred on April 8.” (Taylor, Joy S., A View from the Pews — The Inside Story of a Broken Church, 2022, Lily of the Valley Publishing, Santa Claus IN, p. 77.)
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