"Has Your Faith Been Shaken?"
  By Serita Agnew

 

This is the question that would finally cause my belief system to crumble. It was the question that every media outlet kept asking after my pastor burglarized my home. They all wanted to know, would I have joined her church if I had known she was a “woman with a past” and would I have continued under her teaching had I known in advance that she had a criminal history with 14 different alias names and multiple dates of birth.

 

Because this crime was the burglary of a congregant, committed by the pastor of a church (on Christmas Eve no less) my story became a media frenzy. It went viral overnight. Not to mention that this particular pastor was highly respected in both political and religious circles.

 

Every time another reporter would ask me the infamous question, “Has your faith been shaken,” it would slowly and quietly chip away at my belief system. After all, this was my pastor! A woman who I believed to be an “anointed woman of God” was now being arrested for the burglary of my home.

 

I was still in shock as the media camped out in front of my home targeting me for a story. These reporters were relentless in their determination. The moment I stepped outside my door, they would thrust microphones in my face and shout, “Are you angry?” Even as I walked away from them, the media masses would poke and prod to get me to display rage and anger instead of the calmness that I continued to show.

 

Knowing they would spin my words regardless of what I said, my reply was, “I hope my pastor finds her way.” What I could not admit was that I was conflicted. My emotions ranged from dismay, shock, hurt, embarrassment, and yes, feelings of deep betrayal.

 

Even as the story went viral on YouTube, Google News, Good Morning America, and Inside Edition, my life was in a state of turmoil. And as my pastor was being publicly crucified by news outlets and bloggers from places as far away as the Netherlands, I was asking God, “why me?” I was tormented, but never once was I comforted by the fact that as much as 90% of online comments were prayers of support for me, while humiliating remarks were directed toward the pastor whom I once loved. There was so much venom, condemnation and hatred pointing my pastor’s way that I stopped reading the comments. I couldn’t help but think that if all of that negative feedback was directed towards me, I really believe I would have wanted to kill myself. 

 

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