Subtle Spiritual Abuse IX As Jeremy's Ministry Petered Out

Pete won the battle as Jeremy stayed and preached at the funeral, with a lot of grace I may add. However, clearly the war was lost. After they had to give up their trip to the Caribbean, Ann was really, really pissed . . . her words not mine. After all, she had never drank from the Evangelicalism cool aid bowl. She voiced her raw anger easily . . . at least within the confines of their home. "Pete is such a jerk. Any of the elders could have led that funereal! Just as easily, any of the elders could have led one marriage enrichment workshop for the pastor so he could have done it." Pete wasn't wise enough to realize that when you loose a man's woman . . . you loose the man. Well not in all cases.

Jeremy actually tried to defend Pete, at least to his wife. "Annie, you know that Pete has a great zeal for this ministry and I think he can't see past that. His passion is to serve God to the bitter end. You know he really believed that this choice was in tune with God's will."

"Really? I think I know the man better than you do. He can't stand to see you steal any of his attention and it had nothing to do with God's so-called will."

Jeremy carried an authentic brand of humility, the type that is easily bred in the red-clay roads and corrugated metal huts of Kenya. The thoughts of Pete, the superman of ministry, being jealous of him, just didn't make any sense.

But Ann was even cold towards Angie, and that wasn't fair. Angie had nothing to do with it and in fact had a lot more common with the youth pastor and his wife than her own husband.