Tennessee pastor resigns after 'sexual incident' with minor
A Tennessee megachurch pastor has resigned his position two months after admitting to sexual misconduct with a minor 20 years ago. It's a striking turnaround from the original evangelical response to Andy Savage's admissions in January, which included a standing ovation after he confessed to the incident during a Sunday sermon.
This week, Savage offered an unqualified apology for his behavior. "When Jules cried out for justice," Savage said Tuesday, "I carelessly turned the topic to my own story of moral change...I now believe it's appropriate for me to resign from my staff position at Highpoint Church and step away from ministry in order to do everything I can to right the wrongs of the past."
After unsuccessfully trying to reach Savage by email, Woodson posted a full account of her story on an abuse survivors' blog. According to Woodson's account, Woodson socialized with Savage and others one night in 1998, Savage offered to drive her home. Woodson remembered Savage drove past her house, promising her a surprise - which she took to mean something innocuous, like ice cream. "I remember feeling special and excited, as in my mind, he obviously wanted to spend more time with me before taking me home," Woodson writes.
Then he pulled into an isolated dirt road. Woodson writes:
He turned the headlights off. Suddenly, Andy unzipped his jeans and pulled out his . He asked me to suck it. I was scared and embarrassed, but I did it. I remember feeling that this must mean that Andy loved me. He then asked me to unbutton my shirt. I did. He started touching me over my bra and then lifted my bra up and began touching my breasts.
After what I believe to have been about 5 minutes of this going on, he suddenly stopped, got out of the truck and ran around the back and to my side before falling to his knees. ... Now I was terrified and ashamed. I remember him pleading, while he was on his knees with his hands up on his head, 'Oh my god, oh my god. What have I done? Oh my god, I'm so sorry. You can't tell anyone Jules, please.'
https://www.vox.com/2018/1/17/16880278/andy-savage-sexual-misconduct-youth-pastor-evangelicals