Last letter to flock reflected pastor’s anguish

From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Last letter to flock reflected pastor's anguish. This horribly sad story reminds me once again how elusive laying hold of the grace of Christ can be, even for (and maybe especially for) those in pastoral ministry. We just don't know the darkness that so many around us wrestle with.

During an emotional meeting yesterday, members of Pittsburgh Presbytery prayed about how they might handle property disputes if some of their congregations leave the denomination and heard a final letter written to them by a pastor who committed suicide after KDKA-TV ran promos for an expose on his sex life.

The letter from the Rev. Brent Dugan, who died in early November, was read by a weeping Rev. James Mead, pastor to Pittsburgh Presbytery. It was intended only for members of the presbytery, but a reporter was briefed on its general outline. …