Andy Savage officially resigned from his role as teaching pastor at Highpoint Church in Memphis on Tuesday, March 20. You can read his full announcement letter on Highpoint’s website.
“Apologies are important, but more is required,” Savage said in the letter. “I know that stepping down once, or even a second time, still doesn’t make things right for Jules. But addressing my own acts of abuse this way acknowledges the importance of confronting abuse in our culture and in the Church at large.”
Last month, Savage told his congregation the story that launched an investigation at Highpoint as well as Savage’s leave of absence. In 1998, Savage was a 22-year-old youth pastor in Texas, and he sexually coerced a 17-year-old girl, Jules Woodson. When Woodson told another pastor about what happened, she said the church asked her to be silent. She was denied justice, and Savage left the Texas church after a few weeks. Twenty years later, #MeToo gave Woodson the courage to seek justice again, and she reached out to Savage. He did not respond to Woodson, but confessed the sin, calling it a “sexual incident,” to Highpoint, asking their forgiveness. The church responded with a standing ovation.
This story is heartbreaking for many reasons.
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A youth pastor abused his power -
A young girl was sexually assaulted -
A church attempted to cover-up a sinful crime -
Justice was…
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