00:00In the news or perhaps on Facebook or some other social media outlet back in 2023 it was in November of 2023
00:08one of our staff members who served in our Spanish ministry was arrested.
00:13It happened I think on a Saturday night and on Sunday morning I was sitting in my office
00:17about 6.30, 7 o'clock that morning and I got a text from Matt Wilmington
00:22who had gotten a text from someone who saw it in the news, online, I guess on social media
00:28and sent him a story about what happened with this individual who served on our staff
00:34that he had been arrested the night before.
00:37I found out about it right before I came to preach.
00:39We didn't have any details. We didn't know the situation.
00:41We didn't know anything that was going on.
00:43That afternoon I met with the deacons and I shared with them that we had a staff member
00:48who was arrested for stalking and burglary or breaking and entering
00:52and that we'd seen that only in the news, the only information we had that came from that story.
00:57So I shared it with the deacons that day and I told the deacons that afternoon, that Sunday afternoon
01:01that the next day when our team had the opportunity of meeting with him
01:06that certainly his position would be terminated immediately
01:10but what would not terminate is that we as a church would continue to minister to him
01:15and to his family and to the other parties, the victim.
01:18We would minister to all of them because that's what the church is supposed to do.
01:22And so the next afternoon or maybe two afternoons later when he was actually released from jail
01:28one of our pastors went and met with him and shared with him in that moment that your job ends now.
01:34You're no longer employed by Thomas Lowe but certainly we want to do what we can to minister to you
01:39and minister to your family. It's a tragic situation.
01:42What really it is is just it was a stupid decision made by a human
01:47In other words, it was just sin. It's all there was.
01:51And sin breaks everything that it touches.
01:54And so that's what happened that afternoon. So his job was terminated.
01:58A few days after that, one of our pastors talked with the victim in the situation
02:03the other party in the situation and offered to her our prayers, number one
02:08offered to her assistance, any assistance that we could give
02:11offered counseling if she so chose to take advantage of that at no charge
02:16and she made it very clear like if I need something, if I need, you know, I'll certainly reach out
02:21I know how to do that. I'll give you guys a call.
02:23And so that's what took place in those days that following that situation.
02:28The following Sunday after, of course, all the news had come out
02:31all the story of all the details that was taking place.
02:34We went into our Spanish congregation and Louis de Gaulle and Matt Wilmington
02:40and our Spanish pastor sung.
02:42All three of them stood before the Spanish congregation and share with them.
02:46Of course, they already knew because it had been in the newspaper.
02:48But still they shared with them at that point what we knew because all we knew came from the media.
02:54Shared with them. They prayed.
02:56They told them that he, of course, was no longer on our staff.
03:00But then we know that you might just see the family around this church
03:03because again, a church is a place for broken people.
03:06And we want to continue to minister to them.
03:09We also shared that we administer to and we're offering ministry to the other individuals as well.
03:14Now, in the last year, what, five months or so?
03:18I've not spoken about this issue in this room or anywhere.
03:21There's a reason for that.
03:23I've not spoken about it and no one on our team has spoken about it
03:26because it was an ongoing legal case.
03:29And in an ongoing legal case, not even police officers will speak to it.
03:33Not the attorneys will speak to it.
03:34Because obviously there's ramifications for everything you say on every level.
03:38And so we've not spoken about it because it was an ongoing case.
03:41Last week, he went to trial and was adjudicated.
03:44He was found guilty on all charges.
03:47And so today I'm able to stand up and share with you what we did all through this journey.
03:51What we've done all through this whole situation, which has been a tragic situation.
03:55And by the way, understand that in a situation like this, no one wins.
04:00So the family doesn't win.
04:03That staff member who's now been convicted, he doesn't win.
04:07The other party, the victim, the lady, she doesn't win.
04:11The church doesn't win.
04:12And ultimately the body of Christ doesn't win.
04:14And that's what sin does.
04:16When sin comes in, it doesn't just affect one person.
04:19It affects all of us.
04:20And so that's where we are.
04:22Now, I will say this and I will say this clearly to you.
04:26Everything that we have done from the moment that we found out about it,
04:30that Sunday of 2023, everything that we have done,
04:34we have done with one purpose in mind, to make sure we act with integrity
04:38and that we do things biblically.
04:40When our staff member talked with the victim in this situation,
04:43on that first phone call days after it took place,
04:46it was shared with her that we certainly love him,
04:50that our staff member who was arrested, we love him,
04:53we're praying for him and it breaks our heart what happened,
04:56but we love God and his word more.
04:59And he shared with her, make sure that you cooperate fully with the police,
05:03make sure you tell them everything they need to know.
05:06Why?
05:07Because it is more important that we do things biblically and with integrity
05:10than it is to try to hide things.
05:12We're not going to hide anything.
05:13We have acted with integrity.
05:14We've acted biblically.
05:15We've done everything we possibly could with the information we had
05:18and the timing that we had.
05:19We've done everything we can to honor Christ through all of this,
05:22even as difficult as this is.
05:24And I will say this, in this church, in our staff,
05:27we will always act biblically and we will always respond in every situation,
05:32no matter how tragic it might be, to try to reflect the love of Christ first,
05:37but also to reflect the integrity that Christ expects from us
05:41as followers of Christ and certainly leaders in the church,
05:44that we want to make sure we act with integrity in every situation.
05:47And I make that commitment to you.
05:49That is how we will always respond.
05:51It is how we will always act.
05:52It is what we will always do because we do not represent
05:55Thomas Road Baptist Church.
05:56We represent Christ.
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