Reflections on 50 Years of Life & Ministry

[Gregory Matthews]

I must warn you that if you read my post on 50 year old (almost) life and ministry you will find that the positive  part in the beginning is followed by the negative.  If you are not prepared for that, do not read this.  NOTE:  This is simply a reflection on two (2) events and not on all of my life.

Recently a new member of CA sent me a private message and asked me some questions.  After I responded she told me that she had been raised from birth on stories from her mother and aunt about my wife and I.   So, as an adult, she had spent several years  searching the Internet for us.

In 1968. fresh out of the Seminary my wife and I were sent to a place where some people lived in 100 year-old log homes with dirt floors.  The entire county only had three (3) physicians--a surgeon, a GP and a GP  who specialized in OB/GYN along with his general practice.  The main GP had a case load of about 200 patients a day!  My medical care was provided by the GP who specialized in OB/GYN.

In that environment we became aquainted with two teen-age girls who came from a background that you would probably not believe.   For reasons of privacy, I am not going into detail.  But, we let them visit in our home on weekends and we got them into the Conference boarding academy.  Here they had to work very hard, but they graduated and we lost track of them, until I was contacted by this new CA member.

In that time and place the 8th grade was considered to be the end of normal schooling.   One who graduated form High School was one who achieved and was outside of the norm.

These two girls graduated from the SDA boarding academy, both have received advanced education beyond HS and  have been employed in positions that required advanced training.

In a conversation with one of them yesterday I asked about a SDA school teacher who taught in that area.  In 2012 he pled guilty to nine (9) counts of carnal knowledge and rape of a minor female.  He is now serving a 62 year sentence that began with his conviction at the age of 74.  He can not get out until 2053.  He is in for life.

I wanted some answers, so I accessed his criminal convictions and his prison records.  The nine counts to which he pled guilty began in 1966 and ended in 1977.  IOW, he was doing this at the very time my wife and I were living in the community.  All nine counts to which he pled guilty, I believe involved a daughter of his.   In talking to one of the now adult women that we gave a helping hand, it seems that he was only involved with this one daughter of his.

This has served to send me to thinking:  How much may be going on in the lives of people that we closely associate with of which we are not aware.  On that I leave you to also consider. . . .

[debbym]

yes, yes and yes....

 

[Gregory Matthews]

As part of my personality, legal issues interest me.  In this case  events moved rapidly:

1)  On February 7, 2012 the Grand Jury returned a True Bill.

2) On February 8, 2012, the defendant was arrested.

3) On February 14, 2012, he was arraigned and pled guilty to all nine (9) counts.

4) On May 8, 2012. he was sentenced to 62 years in prison.

5)  Due to his guilty plea, the total cost to the State was estimated to be $3,605, to try him and to sentence him.

As I reflect on this, I realize that it was an act of contrition for him to plead guilty and this kept his daughter from  further trauma that would have resulted from a trial.

Again, I am just stunned by the realization that while I was living there and relating to the person charged, I had no idea as to what was actually happening  in his home with his daughter.

How much, many times, we just do not know what is going on in  the lives of people that we know and relate  to.