Photo Credits: Blue Diamond Gallery
According to The Village Church (TVC) website, they are “a people, the body of Christ, sinners saved by grace. That’s right. Our church is full of imperfect people, and that should make you feel all the more welcome.” That part of their description became the truth last week when Andy Landrum, a church member and volunteer, “self-disclosed a hidden sin.” Upon Andy’s confession, The Village Church promptly contacted Child Protective Services and the Fort Worth Police Department. His current and former places of employment have been notified, along with the one victim within TVC who is being ministered to by the staff and pastors from the Fort Worth campus.
Andy Landrum, a member and volunteer of The Village Church Fort Worth, self-disclosed a hidden sin that required his disqualification and removal from any volunteer ministry and involvement within The Village Church and any of its campuses.
The week of October 6th, Andy had several meetings with elders and pastors of TVC Fort Worth. He revealed that he has attempted and acted on sexual sins and criminal acts of voyeurism at his former place of employment, as well as with one individual who attends The Village Church Fort Worth.
As the No Eden Elsewhere reports on Sunday October 13, 2019, according to a member who was present, the parents were informed that a children’s & youth volunteer by the name of Andy Landrum confessed on October 9, 2019 to ‘having some inappropriate sexual contact with a child and also having tried to videotape children at his place of employment (a school).’ According to Mr. Landrum, no incidents occurred at The Village Church. The church immediately contacted CPS & the authorities.
That’s not the first case of sexual assault in this church. An 18-year-old woman, who says she was sexually assaulted years ago while attending a summer camp run by The Village Church in Texas, is now suing the megachurch for more than $1 million. According to the lawsuit, the unnamed plaintiff was 11 when she was molested by TVC employee, Matthew Tonne. The problem is that the church’s pastor, Matt Chandler, never told the congregation about those allegations in conjunction with Tonne’s name. Instead, he emailed the congregation to say Tonne was leaving the church due to an “alcohol abuse problem”… and no other reason.
Someone should tell the members of this church that silencing or mitigating the truth is also a form of lying, and lying about sexual crimes can be extremely dangerous.
