If there is one thing that God has engrained into Pastor Jeremy Foster over the past year, it’s grace.
He has received a lot of it, and he’s learning more and more every day how to give it back to others.
The founder of Hope City Church in Houston, Texas—a megachurch with weekend attendance of roughly 12,000—resigned his position as lead pastor over a year ago after confessing to an adulterous affair. During the past year, he has received counseling and has attempted to mend relationships between his ex-wife, his children and his ex-church.
In a heart-felt post on Instagram this week, Foster poured out his heart and did not excuse his behavior, but wanted people to know that God has forgiven him and he’s learning to forgive himself.
“I’ve learned that I can either have grace or defend myself. I have no defense, and I need God’s grace, deeply,” Foster says. “I’ve apologized to (his ex-wife) Jennifer, I’ve apologized to my kids. We walked through a divorce, and divorce is ugly in every form of the word.
“I’m still not OK, it takes time and God to heal things. With Jenn and I, it’s has been very amicable and we have been able to work together well concerning the kids. I’m learning a whole other side of life that exists. It’s one thing to get up and preach to people who are broken, and it’s another thing to be in one yourself and one that you caused. I’m disappointed in myself, but you live and learn.”
Foster said he wanted to apologize to the Hope City Church congregation immediately after his moral failure, but the elder board at church “didn’t think it was a good idea.” Foster says he now agrees with the decision and knows why it happened.
Foster appears to have repented of his sin, and of course, God is a forgiving God of a truly repentant heart. Others who commented on his Instagram post have also forgiven him.
On Foster’s Instagram post, Matthew Barnett, the co-founder of the Dream Center and senior pastor of the Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, wrote: “I love you so much! What an amazing friend you have been to me and so many.”
Christian artist Israel Houghton wrote on Instagram, “Love and appreciate you, my brother. Your transparency will set others free. Thank you for your heart.”
Heather Monahan, a professional speaker and best-selling author wrote, “I’m so proud of you my friend!”
“I received a lot of messages from people that are really grace filled and kind, and I’m super grateful for that,” Foster said. “There have been some I responded to, and some where I didn’t know what to say. But thank you.
“I have received some other messages that were rough, and I probably needed every one of those, too, to help me understand the gravity of this situation. And I get it … maybe. Here’s what I have learned, but I still have a lot to learn.”
Despite Foster’s moral failure, Hope City Church is one of the fastest-growing churches in the United States.
In the Instagram video, Jeremy Foster says he is now remarried and “at peace with his life, but not with his sin. He now works in the private sector, and he says that’s been “good for me.”
“I’m at peace with God,” Foster says. “I don’t know what I’ll do publicly. I don’t know if I’m doing anything publicly. Maybe at some point … I do know God has given me gifts to help people. And that’s what I want to do, is just help people.” {eoa}
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
