There are things that happen in this world that are hard to understand.
Take, for example, the tragic story of the Reverend Brent Dugan. Pastor of the Community Church of Brent Avon, PA, Reverend Dugan had served his congregation and community faithfully for over 19 years–until one cold November day in 2006.
After a lifetime struggle with temptations that were at odds with his values, Reverend Dugan fell into grievous sin in the eyes of the church. According to news reports, “he became close friends with a man who claimed to love him and with whom he had occasional sexual encounters.”
Cajoling him into leaving inappropriate messages on an answering machine, Dugan’s lover finally, and ultimately, betrayed him by coaxing him into a meeting at a local adult bookstore–where a Pennsylvania TV station secretly filmed him.
Armed with the scandalous story, the TV station began airing promo clips–complete with a photograph of Dugan–promising to reveal “illicit behavior” by a local clergyman.
Surrounded by tribulation, Dugan checked himself into a motel room where he wrote a detailed and heartfelt letter of apology. He then took his own life.
Informed that Reverend Dugan was missing and suicidal, television station executives agreed not to run the story. Dugan never got the message.
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