March 23, 2009 issue
Former missionary sentenced in Virginia
By Celeste Kennel-Shank Mennonite Weekly ReviewPage:
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A former missionary to China received a suspended sentence of nearly 10 years March 10 in Harrisonburg, Va., on charges of filming child pornography and taking indecent liberties with a child.
Andrew Max Eggman Jr., 46, allegedly filmed a minor and two international students from Eastern Mennonite University having sex at his home in 2004.
In court, Eggman entered an Alford Plea — a plea that acknowledges incriminating evidence but that allows the accused to maintain his or her innocence, said Gene Hart of Harrisonburg, Eggman’s attorney.
Before allegations of the crimes came to light, Eggman was hired by a Chinese university as an English teacher, said Loren Horst, Virginia Mennonite Missions president. VMM appointed Eggman as a worker in July 2005.
VMM terminated Eggman’s service Dec. 2, 2005, and called him home after the allegations surfaced, Horst said. Eggman stayed on in China but was independent of VMM, he said.
VMM, Eggman’s home congregation — a Mennonite church — and other concerned Christians in the Harrisonburg area cooperated in the investigation, Horst said.
“From the earliest days, this was reported to child protective services and to legal authorities, and there was full cooperation by church entities,” Horst said.
VMM has re-evaluated its personnel process — which includes character and professional references and interviews — to look for ways to improve it.
“We have not, on reflection, seen any obvious breakdowns of what we consider a very careful process,” Horst said. “I have to say that with a little bit of a red face because this one slipped by.”
VMM will continue to pray for Eggman’s family, as well as for victims and their families, Horst said.
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Comments
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[Comment removed by editor because of factual concerns.]
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Hello, I'm very interested in this article because I personally know Andrew Eggman. It is all still a shock to me. He has such a wonderful family, such kind, giving people and I still can't believe he was charged with such a crime. Me and my family still pray for him though, and still care about them all. Thanks for the info.
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[Part of comment removed because of factual concerns] . . .
1 Peter 2:21-23 (New International Version) 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."[a] 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. What is redemption? Can someone be forgiven, set free and leave their past behind? Is an alcoholic always an alcoholic, even after they have been dry for 35 years? When is one persons sin greater then another’s? Is adultery a greater sin than fornication? Is lying greater than lust? Is pride greater than slander? Each offence brings its own punishment. Who can cast the first stone? The only one who ever lived who had no sin was Jesus. Did he cast the stone at the woman who had been caught in adultery? What did he tell the woman? He told her go and sin no more. If the woman had been caught, then where was the man? I guess it was just a one sided punishment. In Genesis 38, we read about Judah. He slept with a woman named Tamar. This was his daughter in-law. She was disguised so he did not know it was Tamar he was sleeping with. Both were guilty of sexual sin. When Judah found out she was pregnant he condemn her to be burned to death. Judah had done the same sin. She was pregnant because of him. He applied a one sided judgment. When he realized he was the father he relented. When is it right to judge another person? The Bible says we can judge someone by their fruit, but by the same measure we judge, we will be judged. Therefore as fruit inspectors, we must be very careful. Does the person have good fruit or rotten fruit? By their fruit we will know what kind of person they really are. The Bible teaches that the wages of sin is death and unless we receive Jesus, God’s son, and follow him, then we will need to pay the full payment. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will have everlasting life. John 3:16 -
The Inside Story. What Mr. Eggman did was wrong. What people with their own agenda, news papers, assistant district attorney said and did were also wrong. . . . [Part of comment removed because of factual concerns.] . . . His goal is to fallow Christ example.
1 Peter 2:21-23 (New International Version) says ……. “ To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” What is redemption? Can someone be forgiven, set free and leave their past behind? Is an alcoholic always an alcoholic, even after they have been dry for 35 years? When is one persons sin greater then another’s? Is adultery a greater sin than fornication? Is lying greater than lust? Is pride greater than slander? Each offence brings its own punishment. Who can cast the first stone? The only one who ever lived who had no sin was Jesus. Did he cast the stone at the woman in John 8:11, who had been caught in adultery? What did he tell the woman? He told her to go and sin no more. The NIV Bible says to “Go and leave your life of sin”. Jesus did not condemn the woman he just told her to change her life and stop sinning. Often people like to point their finger at another persons fault’ or failures and not look at their own sin. What they fail to see is when they are pointing their finger at the other person is the other fingers pointing back at themselves. Another question one may ask is if the woman had been caught, then where was the man? I guess it was just a one sided punishment.
In Genesis 38, we read about Judah. He slept with a woman named Tamar. This was his daughter in-law. She was disguised so he did not know it was Tamar he was sleeping with. Both were guilty of sexual sin. When Judah found out she was pregnant he condemn her to be burned to death. Judah had done the same sin. She was pregnant because of him. He applied a one sided judgment. When he realized he was the father he relented. When is it right to judge another person? The Bible says we can judge someone by their fruit, but by the same measure we judge, we will be judged. Therefore as fruit inspectors, we must be very careful. Does the person have good fruit or rotten fruit? By their fruit we will know what kind of person they really are. The Bible scriptures below help us to see how we all can become free from our past and receive forgiveness and mercy from God The Bible teaches that the wages of sin is death and unless we receive Jesus, God’s son, and follow him, then we will need to pay the full payment of our sin ourselves. The Bible also says in 1 John 1 : 8-10 “if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we clam we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
John 3:16,17 “’For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Titus 3:4,5 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit..” Hebrews 4:15,16 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
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