A very faithfull "sister" in my old congregation was beaten and very badly abused as were her children.
To keep a very long story very short, she moved out with kids to a place of safety, her husband was prohibited by the police and the courts from threatening, harming or going anywhere near her or the children.
A ministerial servant recieved a call from abusing husband, threatening to burn down the marital home and smash up all of her belongings that she had to leave behind in her haste to leave, if she were to take court action to remove him from the property (which she had every right to do)
Ministerial servant was joyous to be involved and be privvy to such scandalous information.
Abused sister was terrified and took the threats very seriously. She called the police and they indeed verified that he was in breach of his court order. With Abusing husbands' track record the police took the threats seriously too. In order to persue the matter they needed to speak to ministerial servant, naturally.
What do you suppose he did?...
I'll tell you.
He denied the threats were ever made. He played down the seriousness of the allegations and changed the story completely.
How do I know who to believe in all of this? I believe the sister because when she eventually gained entry to her former matrimonial home (with a police escort)!....right by the phone was a tape recorder and on the tape was all of the recent phonecalls that Abusive husband had made including the one with Ministerial servant. I heard that tape and in the conversation MS was heard giving out the location of the sister, which for obvious reasons was confidential.
Update, M.S still serves in same cong desparate to become an elder.
Sister no longer attends meetings, neither do the children.
Abusive husband (who was not baptised) no longer attends meetings.
