The biggest religious scandal in modern American history was about to make headlines. Unfortunately for the Total Truth Association, an umbrella organization for several dozen ministries around the globe, one of its newest members and brightest stars was smack dab in the middle of the controversy.  Reverend Nathaniel “Nate” Thicke, senior pastor of the Gospel Truth Church in Palestine, Texas, had been caught on tape. And he hadn’t been preaching the gospel.

            King Brook, the interim president of Total Truth, paced his well-appointed church office as he talked on the phone. “We’ve got people threatening lawsuits, and several churches have vowed to pull their membership if we don’t take decisive action— immediately. There’s even talk of a federal investigation.”

            “Federal investigation?” Derrick Montgomery asked. Derrick was a founding board member of Total Truth and King’s best friend. “Why?”

            “Because some are saying the woman on the tape is under age and that he may have crossed state lines to…be with her.”

            “No,” Derrick answered. “She’s legal. Barely, but she is.”

            “How do you know?” 

            “Trust me, I know. I’ll fill you in when we meet in Texas.”

            King continued pacing. “Man, how in the hell could he have been so stupid as to sleep with jailbait, and then allow himself be videotaped in the act? Especially right before he was to headline at our convention? His irresponsible actions have put the entire organization in the spotlight, and our reputation, maybe even our non-profit status in serious jeopardy.”

Derrick knew how “stupid” could happen, and he knew King did too. A man often did foolish things when he let the wrong head make decisions. Still, Derrick understood his friend’s frustration. Especially since King had reluctantly accepted the interim president position only after Derrick had pleaded with him to do so, and was therefore the unfortunate spokesperson at this auspicious time.

Total Truth’s membership consisted of a variety of churches that had split from their traditional Baptist, Methodist and Pentecostal roots, and adopted a less restrictive, more inclusive non-denominational position. Members under the organization’s auspices recognized and practiced miracle healing, speaking in tongues, the prosperity message and also more progressive spiritual practices  such as the law of attraction, mantras, affirmations, meditation, and a controversial stance on homosexual tolerance within their congregations.

 The sitting president had resigned unexpectedly following a death in the family and Derrick, knee-deep in an interfaith rebuilding effort that had him spending considerable time in Darfur, South Africa, had asked King to pinch hit. King was busy too. His church was in the middle of a major community development project, his television ministry was flourishing, and he’d been president before, when the association was in its infancy. But Derrick assured King the position would be perfunctory: a couple conference calls, maybe a meeting or two, nothing more. And only for three months, until elections were held at the July convention.  King had been two days away from passing the presidential baton on to a successor. And then the tape played... 

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