Woman Confronts Pastor of Molesting Her As a 16 y/o During Church Livestream, After He Lies about Details

An Indiana pastor who confessed an ‘adulterous’ affair he had 20 years ago during a church service yesterday was publicly confronted right afterward by the survivor of that assault, blasting him for the way he was spinning it and correcting the story.

John B Lowe II is the pastor of New Life Christian Church in Warsaw, IN. During the service, yesterday, which was live-streamed and whose page has since been deactivated, he confessed to the congregation that he committed 2 decades prior and asked for forgiveness, resulting in the congregation giving him a standing ovation, cheering his honesty and humbleness.

I have an announcement for you. It’s called a confession…that’s why I’m here today. To follow a biblical process of confession, repentance, and forgiveness. If God wants anything out of us, as we just heard, it’s to bring healing to all who are involved.

I committed adultery. It was nearly 20 years ago. It continued far too long. It involved one person and there’s been no other, nor any other situation of unbecoming conduct for the last 20 years. I will not use the Bible to defend, protect and deflect my past sin. I have no defense. I committed the adultery.

To say it plainly, I didn’t make a mistake. I didn’t have an issue. I didn’t have an affair. I didn’t make a misjudgment. I sinned. I need to say that and you deserve to hear it. I have been asked ‘why did I wait so long to deal with? Why hide it all these years?’

The answer? There is no good answer. I told myself for years silence served to protect everyone, the other person, that was closest to her from the hurt and from the public embarrassment. And I’d like to think that was true. But the truth is that silence was to protect myself as well.

While applying church discipline for sexual failure for repentance, confession, and restoration, I myself had not been disciplined for sexual misconduct. I will not use the Bible to defend myself or to beat you into scriptural submission. 20 years ago I repented. Now today for this fresh hurt I ask me to forgive me for the deep wound I have caused. I’ll make no excuse for my sin, the betrayal of dear friendship, trust and love is beyond my ability to express.

…to you, the church, I repent. For the adultery and my silence, please forgive me. In accordance with our church bylaws, I’m stepping aside, stepping down from ministry responsibilities, and have committed to the Lord and now to you that I will submit to the process recommendations of this board.

While this would ordinarily serve as a pretty good template for public confession, a woman in the crowd stood up and instantly confront the pastor, accusing him of minimizing his sin and lying about the details.

For 27 years I lived in a prison– it was not “20 years. ” I lived in a prison of lies and shame. For years I thought I was a horrible person, having suicidal thoughts, not realizing what had been truly done to me. That I was a victim. And I would still be in a prison if my brother- and many of you know him, Edgar Wolf- had not approached me just two weeks ago with what he had seen as a teenager that bothered him all these years.

His pastor in bed with his younger sister, a t-shirt and underwear on. People knew but were too afraid to come forward, and they have now. The lies and the manipulation have to stop. I was a prisoner and you kept me in your prison. I’m a prisoner no longer.

I was just 16 when you took my virginity on your office floor. Do you remember that? I know you do and I have plenty of other stories that I could bring to remembrance. You did things to my teenage body that had never and should have never been done. If you can’t admit the truth, you have to answer to God.

You are not the victim here. I tried to tell someone but all that was done was cover-up. No one ever came to me. No one ever helped me. No one ever got me counseling. I have wanted to talk to somebody all of these years and never have…. The church deserves to know the truth. This church has been built on lies, but no more. The lies need to stop.

Her husband joined her on stage and declared “It’s not just adultery. It’s another level when it’s a teenager” and that it went on for nine years. They grabbed her purity ring and threw them back at the pastor, explaining “she wore (it) while this man had sex with her, and she felt ashamed all these years wearing a covenant purity ring. She felt a lot of shame and guilt.”

Congregants in the crowd started shouting “if you did it you need to admit it!” and for a while it seemed as if the congregants might turn on the pastor, but then he assuaged them by saying “It was wrong… That’s just the way it is… It’s not all true, but that did happen, yes.” and “It’s been 20 years…I guess it doesn’t count for anything. We love them. I deeply hurt them. I deeply hurt you. I ask you to forgive me, and that’s all I can do.”

At which point someone shouted out “we love you pastor” the church embraced him and began laying hands on them.

That was not a legitimate confession- that was a self-serving false act of repentance designed to minimize his guilt and fallout. That the church so quickly went to his defense is an indictment against them, and that can’t be pointed out strongly enough.

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