Tennessee pastor apologizes for 'sexual incident' with teen

[Judi Lynn]

Source: CNN

By Eliott C. McLaughlin and AnneClaire Stapleton, CNN
Updated 7:45 PM ET, Wed January 10, 2018

(CNN)The Memphis, Tennessee, congregants broke into 25 seconds of applause after the pastor confessed to a 1998 "sexual incident" with a teenager and asked for their forgiveness.

Now 42, pastor Andy Savage of Highpoint Church was 22 at the time and a youth minister at Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church outside Houston, Texas, when the incident with Jules Woodson occurred.

"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," he said during Sunday's service. "I apologized and sought forgiveness from her, her parents, her discipleship group, the church staff, and the church leadership, who informed the congregation. ... I took every step to respond in a biblical way."

. . .

"Holy Spirit, would you take this prayer and right now as thousands of people are praying in agreement, in unison, would you touch Ms. Woodson's heart in a way that only you can and heal her of the pain that was caused from this sin 20 years ago?" Conlee said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/us/tennessee-pastor-sexual-incident-teen-apology-applause/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Yahoo+Search+Results

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01/10/2018 1:06 pm PST
Pastor receives standing ovation after admitting sexual incident with teen

By Andy Jechow, KXAN

AUSTIN -- (KXAN) -- A pastor at a Memphis megachurch admitted on Sunday to a “sexual incident” involving a high school senior 20 years ago near Houston.

An Austin church leader has now been accused of covering up the incident. Larry Cotton, a director of the Austin Stone Community Church, allegedly told the girl to stay quiet when she reported the assault while he was an associate pastor at The Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church in The Woodlands in 1998, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

More:
https://crimewatchdaily.com/2018/01/10/pastor-receives-standing-ovation-after-admitting-sexual-incident-with-teen/

[efhmc]

1. Goddess, these men are destrutive and slimy. Can we hear from

those girls/women not?

[rickford66]

2. I'll look into that Biblical way if I ever break the law.

[Farmer-Rick]

3. Christians applauding pedophiles

Seems to be a pattern here.

[Perseus]

29. Yes, to me that is the most outrageous thing in the story

Applauding a pedophile...you are correct...and then they criticize Woodstock 99'

[rurallib]

30. just utterly unbelievable they would applaud something like that

staggers my mind

[bluestarone]

31. + 1000000000000000000000

Soo fucking true

[workinclasszero]

36. Amazing ain't it?

[stonecutter357]

4. lol.

[dlk]

5. Religious Extremists From All Parts of the World Have 1 Thing in Common-Their Abuse of Women & Girls

Whether they are from Tennessee or anywhere else in the world, religious extremists and zealots always abuse women and girls, as if it's their right. They use their religion as a false excuse. Apologies don't really matter or change a thing.

[SergeStorms]

24. Boys and young men.....

aren't immune to their slimy advances either. This isn't completely a woman/girl phenomenon. How much hush money did the Catholic Church pay to keep the lid from popping wide open on their Priestly pedophiles? There are women predators as well, certainly not as many, but they're out there. Human beings are sexual creatures. They can deny that by whatever means they choose, but as long as a person has a sex drive, and 99.9% of us do, there will always exist those who feel they're entitled to dip their hands into the cookie jar. They're not entitled, and they're starting to learn that, most of them the hard way. To bad. Scum!

[lapfog_1]

6. final proof that there is no god.

if there was, this asshole would have been struck by lightning while asking his fleeced, er, flock to forgive him for molesting an underage girl.

[More_Cowbell]

11. Or while they applauded nt

[classof56]

13. +1000

nt

[Scurrilous]

7. LOL

If you want to go biblical with your 'response,' nothing beats Jimmy Swaggart.

[George II]

9. I'll never forget that...."I have sinned, now send me more money"!

[George II]

8. "Sexual incident"? How about calling it sexual abuse? And how is it so many southern rednecks....

...are named "Cotton"?

[House of Roberts]

19. Cotton was King.

.

[Rainbow Droid]

27. Cotton instantly reminds them of a better time. For them.

[classof56]

10. I'd remark about the position of his hands...

but that wouldn't be very nice of me, would it? Besides, pretty sure he'd be exaggerating.

This is one of many reasons I am an ex-Baptist and yes, an ex-christian. The frequency of these "incidents" makes me physically ill.

[pangaia]

12. "..... I regretfully had a sexual incident ..."

Like having a cup of coffee, eh asshole.

Arrest the fucker.

[cstanleytech]

17. If she was under 17 at the time they probably could because from what I read

there is no statute of limitations in Texas providing that the person was either under 17 or it was repeatedly happening and unfortunately in this case she was 17 at the time so he will probably be able to walk.

[Docreed2003]

14. Sigh...

So many southern “Christians”....will forever be duped by phrases like “praying for God’s healing” and “I thought we had both moved passed this”....this guy is disgusting. He took advantage of a young girl and no amount of his “witnessing” and preaching can change that fact. Fuck this guy!

[EllenlogRL]

15. what?

so they stood and applauded him for admitting this? Glad I am no longer a Christian.

[mercuryblues]

16. He also helped to cover up a child sex abuse scandal

During the acquisition of The church at Shillings Farm, to form the mega church.


Trigger warning. This explains the abuse that occurred, sometimes in graphic details.


http://thewartburgwatch.com/2016/11/09/testimonies-of-sexual-abuse-by-a-youth-worker-in-a-memphis-church/

[benld74]

18. Disgusting

[C Moon]

20. I don't think this will be the last we hear of this. What an arrogant ass.

[Devil Child]

21. I thought it was called statutory rape

not a "sexual incident.' But when it comes to Roy Moore types there is a different set of standards.

[orleans]

22. "in the church"????

IN THE CHURCH?????

what an asshole!

YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(and i'm far from being a churchgoer)

[snooper2]

34. we usually messed around behind the church before I realized religion was a farce and quit going

[orleans]

37. that's different.

[dalton99a]

23. Congregation to Pastor: "You fucked that kid? AWESOME! PRAISE GOD!"

[Skittles]

25. when will we hear from the others?

[The_jackalope]

26. Bet you didn't ask Kali for forgiveness...

Boy, are you in trouble now. She's a-comin' for ya - and she ain't happy!

[marble falls]

28. Two things: regret isn't an apology. Apology is only a first step, atonement is another.

[yellowcanine]

32. He and church leaders covered it up. He only made it public after it came out 20 yrs later.

How does that give him a pass? These people are despicable.

[mr_lebowski]

33. It kinda sounds like the people were cheering for the idea of healing the victim ...

Through prayer or whatever, not cheering the dude for comin' clean.

Just sayin' ...

[workinclasszero]

35. So I'm sure if some democratic politician was guilty of child molestation

these people would be applauding him or her as well?

Boy once the republicans backed Pedo Moore the floodgates were opened huh?

The lesson here is never leave your children alone with your friendly neighborhood pastor or any rep of the republican party IMO.