Curtis slipped his sermon notes inside the pad folio on his desk and closed his eyes for a word of prayer.
“Father, as I prepare to deliver today’s message, I just want to thank You for giving me yet another opportunity to minister to such a wonderful congregation. Thank You for the words You have given me, and as I speak those words, I ask that You guide me completely from beginning to end. And then, Lord, thank You for my family. Thank You for my wife, my son, and both my daughters. I thank You for watching over them and for protecting them in every situation. These and many other blessings I ask in Your son’s, Jesus’s, name. Amen.”
Next, Curtis picked up his Bible and turned to the first scripture he would be reciting, and then there was a knock at his door.
“Come in?”
“You ready, Pastor?” Elder Jamison asked as he and Elder Dixon walked in.
“As ready as I’ll be. And hey, did you all have a check cut for Tolson?”
“Yes,” Elder Jamison said. “We cut it on Friday, but we can’t get him to answer his phone. Attorney Hallstrom has left messages and so have we, but he hasn’t returned any of them. So we don’t know what’s going on.”
“Then maybe what we should do is just go ahead and ask Attorney Hallstrom to send him the termination agreement by certified mail. Maybe he’ll sign it and we can get the check sent out afterward.”
Elder Dixon had other words of wisdom to speak.
“He made all that noise and now he’s got the nerve to be ignorin’ us? I say we void that check and pretend like Tolson never even existed. Then, if he wants to make somethin’ of it, let him.”
“But you know he made threats,” Elder Jamison reminded him.
“All that joker is doin’ is sellin’ a bunch of wolf tickets. I mean, what could he possibly have on any of us or the church as a whole? Nothin’.”
Curtis still hadn’t told Elder Jamison about Tabitha, but now that Elder Dixon was sounding so sure that there was absolutely no incriminating information Tolson could have, he knew it was time to tell them about his affair and the baby that had resulted from it.
“Men, please have a seat. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Both elders looked confused but also curious.
“There’s no easy way to say this, but about six years ago, I started seeing a woman named Tabitha Charles, and six months ago she had a baby.”
Elder Dixon raised his eyebrows in shock. Elder Jamison seemed numb.
“I wanted to tell you when it first happened but Charlotte and I agreed that it would be best if we said nothing at all.”
“So that was the woman who demanded to see you last Sunday?” Elder Jamison asked.
“Yes. And when you came to me about it, I wanted to tell you everything, but I was too ashamed.”
Elder Dixon said, “And you think Tolson has information about this?”
“I’m not sure. But just the idea that he’s threatening us was enough for me to tell you the one thing he might be referring to. I wanted you to be aware so there won’t be any surprises. I’m still going to ask that you not share this with anyone else, though.”
“Pastor, son, I don’t wanna judge you, but what were you thinking?”
“Elder Dixon, I really can’t say. Back then, I was so upset about all the problems Charlotte and I were having that the next thing I knew, I was seeing Tabitha and taking her on road trips with me.”
“I’m surprised she hasn’t told everyone she knows,” Elder Jamison commented.
“We had her sign an agreement, stating that she wouldn’t. And we also paid her money. And we’re still paying her monthly child support payments.”
“Well, I’m glad you told us,” Elder Jamison said. “Because this gives us a heads-up and a chance to start preparing damage control.”
“I agree,” said Elder Dixon. “And I know you might not want to do this, but I think it might be best if you went forward with tellin’ the congregation. You need to tell them and apologize. We’ll still have some angry folks here and there, but it’ll be worse if rumors start floatin’ around and they find out from other sources.”
“But it’s not just the church that I have to worry about. It’s also everyone nationwide. My readers and the thousands of people who have come to hear me speak in their respective cities.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but, Pastor, I have to admit, I tend to agree with Elder Dixon.”
Curtis wasn’t sure how to proceed. “I don’t know.”
“Well, let me ask you this,” Elder Dixon said. “Are you still seeing this woman?”
“No. I haven’t since she was three months pregnant.”
“Are you spending time with the baby?”
“No, but Tabitha is pressuring me more and more about doing that.”
“Uh-oh,” Elder Dixon said, and Elder Jamison sighed.
“I’m so sorry about all of this. I’m sorry for the sin I committed and sorry for causing such potential disgrace to the church.”
“What I think you need to do is talk to Charlotte and let her know what we’re advisin’ you to do,” Elder Dixon suggested. “Then we need to call another emergency elder board meeting, so you can tell them what’s goin’ on. Then next Sunday, you need to speak to the congregation directly.”
“Charlotte will never go for that. She’s already more outraged and humiliated than I’ve ever seen her, and I don’t have to tell you what it’s doing to our marriage. Especially now that Tabitha keeps trying to contact me.”
“I don’t see where you have any other choice,” Elder Dixon told him. “I know it’ll be hard, but if that woman was bold enough to show up here last week, it’s just a matter of time before she does something else.”
“She was definitely the persistent type,” Elder Jamison remembered. “I tried to tell her you weren’t available and she made it clear that she wasn’t taking no for an answer.”
Curtis looked away from both of them. He’d been in trouble many times before but this was the most shameful he’d ever felt. Probably because this was the first time he’d gotten caught in a scandal after he had truly changed for the better. He wasn’t the sinful man he used to be, and he was working hard to remain the good person he’d become. But whether he agreed with the elders or not, he knew they were right. He knew it was time to talk to Charlotte and move forward with revealing all that they’d been hiding.
“I’ll talk to her after service.”
“Good,” Elder Dixon said. “You’re doin’ the right thing, and just so you know, I’m behind you all the way. We all make mistakes but, Pastor, I hope you’ve learned a valuable lesson. I hope you’ve learned that these harlots out here don’t mean you any good and that they’re not hardly worth messin’ with.”
“I have learned. And that’s why I’ve been faithful to Charlotte ever since.”
Elder Jamison stood up. “Let’s talk after service, and then I’ll contact the rest of the board this evening to get them in here tomorrow morning. And it goes without saying that I’m behind you as well.”
“I appreciate that. I appreciate both of you.”
Curtis picked up his Bible and notes and the three of them headed over to the sanctuary. When they entered, praise and worship service was in full progress. The Spirit was moving in an amazing way and Curtis was glad to know that God was still blessing his congregation, in spite of the terrible thing he’d done.
After Curtis stepped up to the pulpit, he shook hands with the young associate minister standing there and then set his possessions on the glass podium. Next, he reached behind his back and under his blazer, flipping on his microphone switch.
“When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing there will be,” he sang, joining in as the lead singer. It was one of the older songs they sang from time to time, but Curtis always loved hearing it, especially today when heaven was the one place he wished he could be. He wasn’t ready to die, but he didn’t know if that would be any worse than what he would have to face in the coming days. Confessing everything to everyone would be a task of a lifetime, but he knew there were no other options available.
When the members settled into their seats Curtis began his pastoral observations.
“Isn’t God good?”
“Amen,” most everyone responded.
“He’s the best of the best, but sometimes we don’t always appreciate that. Sometimes we don’t do what He tells us to do and we go against His Word. Then, of course, when we do that, there are always going to be serious consequences to pay. And sometimes, they are so serious we don’t know how we’ll ever live them down.”
“Say that,” a woman agreed.
“Speak today,” one of the elder gentlemen of the church offered.
“But the good news is,” Curtis continued, “God is a forgiving God. He’s the only one we can count on to forgive us, even when others don’t.”
Curtis glanced at Charlotte but he could tell she basically couldn’t care less about what he was saying.
“I know I’ve found myself in a great many situations over the years, many that I’m not proud of, but God still allowed me a chance to turn my life around. He allowed me a chance to make things right with Him along with everyone that I hurt. So I’m thankful today. Thankful to know Him, love Him, and have unwavering faith in Him.”
Curtis spoke a few more words and then took his seat. The male chorus rendered a couple of selections, the associate minister led altar prayer, and Curtis preached his sermon, which was entitled “Forgiving and Forgetting.”
When he finished, he stepped back down from the pulpit.
“The doors of the church are open, and I ask you to come right now. Whether you’re coming to Christ for the very first time or you’re simply looking for a new church home, we welcome you with open arms.”
Curtis watched two young men leave their seats and head toward him.
The congregation applauded and Curtis smiled. “Praise God. This is what we want to see.”
But his smile disappeared completely when he saw Tabitha entering the sanctuary with Curtina in a baby carrier and walking down the center aisle. Curtis couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and when he looked over at Charlotte he saw absolute fury written across her face and thought he would pass out.
The congregation applauded the same as they did for every soul that wanted to be saved and of course they had no clue that this particular woman and child had a connection to their pastor. But now Curtis wondered if he should go ahead and tell his congregation everything since there was a chance Tabitha was planning to beat him to it.
Although the more he played possible scenarios back and forth and back and forth again, he decided that he couldn’t. He knew what Elder Dixon and Elder Jamison had suggested but he was willing to take his chances.
He decided he would depend on prayer instead. He did so because he had nothing else going for him at the moment.
Curtis asked the two young men who’d come forward to stand again. When they did, Curtis announced that they were candidates for baptism and the church applauded and yelled many words of praise.
When they were seated, Curtis asked Tabitha to stand. But before he could say anything, she reached for the mike. And that’s when Curtis knew his cover was blown.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning,” everyone responded.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for allowing me to be here this morning.”
“Amen,” a group of people said.
“I also want to thank Him for loving me no matter what. Because, you see, I committed a horrible sin. I slept with a married man and ended up getting pregnant. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know what a blessing my baby is, but I still know that I didn’t have her in the way God would have wanted me to. I was wrong and so was the man I had a five-year affair with. And to make bad matters worse, this man wasted no time dumping me when I was barely in my first trimester. He dumped me almost as soon as I told him and then quickly reconciled with his wife. And I have to tell you, I’ve never been more hurt in my entire life. I was so hurt that on many nights, I cried myself to sleep and there were days when I contemplated committing suicide. But thank God, He kept me from it. He kept me in His care and He continued to love me just the same. So today I’m here to repent and to ask God to forgive me.”
The congregation roared with approval and the majority stood on their feet. They were happy to know a sinner had found the courage to confess her wrongdoings.
“I’m also asking each of you to forgive me and to accept my daughter and me as new members. Actually, I attended service here a few times some years ago, but when I took up with the father of my child, I stopped coming and never officially joined. But now I want to serve God and I want to do it at Deliverance Outreach.”
Amens resonated throughout the building, but when they quieted down, Lana stood and walked forward. “Sweetheart, whomever this man is you’re talking about, the father of your child, you just let God handle him. This man will get what’s coming to him. Make no mistake about it. He’ll either do right by that baby of yours or like Pastor Black was just preaching earlier, this man will have some truly terrible consequences to pay. So, yes, honey, we welcome you and this beautiful little doll you have,” Lana said, pulling the baby from the carrier and holding her so everyone could see her.
The women in the church acted as though the baby was their own, smiling and making sounds that said they thought Curtina was the cutest baby they’d seen in a while. Curtis had a mind to see what Charlotte’s reaction was, but he didn’t have the nerve to look her way. He did, however, look toward the back and saw Tracy and he couldn’t have felt more ashamed. They’d never had a lot of discussion with Tracy about Tabitha, but because Tracy had been with them for years, Curtis and Charlotte had decided they might as well inform her about Tabitha and his little girl.
“Yes, we welcome both of you,” Curtis finally said when Lana continued holding the baby in one arm and placing her other around Tabitha.
After that, Curtis gave the shortest benediction imaginable and rushed out of the sanctuary. Normally, he hung around greeting members, but not today. Today, he ran to safety.
Charlotte stormed into Curtis’s office and slammed the door behind her. Elder Jamison and Elder Dixon had gotten there ahead of her, and Curtis was glad they had. Although, from the way she was staring at him, he wasn’t sure their being there was going to change anything she had to say.
“So do they know?” she asked, referring to the two elders.
“Yes, I told them before service.”
“Did you know she was coming here?”
“No. I had no idea. I was just as shocked as you are.”
“Well, this is it. I want you to call the police so we can get a restraining order in place.”
“I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. Because if we push Tabitha too far, she really will tell everything she knows. And Elder Dixon and Elder Jamison have suggested I tell the board and congregation before they hear about this elsewhere.”
“That’s right,” Elder Jamison said. “I know the road ahead is going to be tough for your entire family, but we have to handle this as soon as possible. What Pastor needs to do is speak to the board and then have his publicist prepare a press release for the national media. He’s been out of the limelight for a little while, but he’s still known everywhere throughout this country and we don’t want him to lose his reading audience. We definitely don’t want him to lose the support of all the churches that bring him in to speak for them.”
Charlotte said nothing.
So Elder Dixon spoke instead. “Charlotte, I know you must be hurtin’ but this really is the best way. We have to take care of this before it gets blown way out of proportion.”
“I hate this,” she said. “I always wondered why Tabitha was lying low and hadn’t said a word to anybody, but now I know it was because she was always planning to do something like this. She walked in here like she owned the place, and, Curtis, you sat back like some scared little child and let her.”
“Baby, I’m sorry….”
“Don’t. Please don’t say that again. You’ve said that repeatedly, and I just don’t want to hear any more of your apologies. I just can’t take it.”
“So, Pastor, what time do you want me to schedule the board meeting?”
“I think we should hold off on that and think this through. Because if Tabitha had truly wanted to reveal everything, she would have done it this afternoon.”
“So what are you saying?” Charlotte wanted to know.
“That maybe I just need to talk to her. Maybe if we can work out something with the baby, she’ll be satisfied and that will be the end of it.”
“You mean like you agreeing to go see them?”
The elders looked at each other and then at Curtis, who remained silent.
“Is that what you’re thinking? Because if you are, then you may as well forget it.”
“What else can I do?”
“I’ve already made myself clear, and I’m not saying another word about it,” Charlotte exclaimed and left the office.
“I’m telling you, Pastor,” Elder Jamison said. “We need to call another emergency meeting so we can get this out in the open.”
“Let’s just wait to see what happens. I know it’s a risk, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Elder Dixon disagreed. “It’s a mistake, Pastor.”
“I appreciate your concern but I have to tell you, I’m just not ready for the world to know I was sleeping around on my wife and then got some other woman pregnant. I know eventually I probably won’t have a choice, but I need time to prepare for all the scrutiny and criticism you know I’ll have to deal with.”
“It’s your call,” Elder Jamison said. “And we’ll be here when you need us.”
“Call anytime,” Elder Dixon told him. “Day or night.”
“Thanks for everything. Thanks for standing by me.”
The elders left and Curtis walked over to his window. People were still getting into their cars and leaving the parking lot. He watched for a few minutes and then he saw Tabitha walking toward her vehicle. He watched and then he saw her gaze up at him. She looked at him for only a split second and then sat the baby in the car. When she had her locked in, she walked around to the driver’s side and glanced in his direction again. This time, though, she stared for almost an entire minute and then got inside and drove away.
Curtis stood watching until Tabitha and Curtina were no longer in sight.