"I solemnly declare before God and my parish that I have committed adultery," announced Pastor Bastianus Gerardus Andries van der Wiel from the pulpit of the Reformed Church of Elburg in The Netherlands. The congregation listened in thrilled silence; then the chief elder rose to deliver a thunderous, hour-long sermon on guilt, as Van der Wiel sat beside his wife with head bowed. Many in the congregation cried, and they sang six psalms for a sinner restored to grace.
Elburg is a gossipy little farming and fishing community of 4,000 that eyes with suspicion all strangers who enter its grim, grey, 17th century walls, takes religion seriously, and demands reparation for sins against divine law. Without a doubt, Pastor Van der Wiel, 54, had offended Elburg's sense of the proprieties. As pastor of the Reformed Church for ten years, he had earned the clannish townsfolk's respect for his learned sermons, theological orthodoxy and stern denunciations of engaged couples who did not wait until their wedding night. The town was horrified seven weeks ago when four local youths reported that they had seen pretty, blonde Matje Leusink, 26, kissing the pastor.
Van der Wiel protested that he had simply been driving Matje home from a confirmation class. Matje insisted that she had simply given the pastor a daughterly peck on the cheek. But the church elders measured the offense against Jesus' words that "one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Unless Van der Wiel publicly confessed his sin, they warned, "we will chase you out of town." To keep his job, Van der Wiel agreed to accept the punishment.
As far as the rigid, righteous Christians of Elburg were concerned, justice had been done, and the case was closed. "Ministers are sinners, like you and me," said one elderly fisherman, contentedly. "We are all sinners, day and night." Another Elburger, who last week heard Van der Wiel deliver his first post-confession sermon, commented: "It was wonderful preaching today. I felt fine, as we all did, and we sang with joy." But Van der Wiel was emotionally shattered by his ordeal. The provincial synod, when it heard about the pastor's punishment, was so shocked that it ordered an investigation of the congregation's "unchristian" behavior.