Former Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell returned to the pulpit at Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield on Sunday, just two days after he resigned from office following the release of an investigation that substantiated a sexual harassment allegation against him.
Caldwell’s sermon, titled “When Lies Become Weapons” in the Church’s weekly booklet, repeatedly returned to biblical examples of people he said had been falsely accused.
“The Bible is full of people who have been falsely accused,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell referenced the biblical story of Joseph, who was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife after refusing her advances and imprisoned despite his innocence.
He also highlighted the story of King Ahab and Naboth’s vineyard in 1 Kings 21. Naboth refuses to give up his ancestral vineyard to Ahab, and Jezebel orchestrates a false accusation against him that ultimately leads to his death.
“There were witnesses, there was a procedure, there was a punishment. It all looked official. It all looked legal, but none of it was fair,” Caldwell said.
He then turned directly to the reliability of investigations and legal proceedings.
“A process does not guarantee the truth. An investigation does not guarantee the truth. A courtroom does not guarantee the truth. God asks a deeper question: Is this true?” » Caldwell said.
“Laws are necessary. Rules are necessary, investigations are sometimes necessary, accountability is necessary, but when people use these things for revenge, jealousy, politics or personal gain, justice becomes injustice,” he said.
Caldwell also warned of the speed with which accusations can spread in the modern media environment.
“Social media makes lies circulate even faster,” Caldwell said.
“Speed does not determine the truth. Popularity does not determine the truth. God knows the truth,” he said.
“A false accusation can destroy a reputation that took 50 years to build,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell encouraged his congregation to think before responding to accusations and warned against responding to lies with lies or libel with libel.
Instead, he urged them to “fight injustice with justice” and “fight hatred with love.”
Caldwell also stressed that concerns about false accusations should not prevent an investigation into legitimate allegations.
“We need to hold people accountable when the evidence establishes wrongdoing,” Caldwell said.
Before beginning the sermon, Caldwell called on the congregation to focus on helping those who need it rather than what’s in the news.
“Let’s come together to figure out how we can target the real enemy, which is the people who are struggling and suffering,” Caldwell said.
He ended the sermon by saying that anyone who is falsely accused must “tell the truth, examine themselves, protect their hearts, defend themselves appropriately, and trust in God.”
Caldwell resigned Friday after Gov. Mikie Sherrill released the findings of an independent investigation into his conduct and called for his resignation. Sherrill said the investigation found serious and repeated violations of state policy, including a substantiated finding of sexual harassment. Caldwell submitted his resignation Friday afternoon and Sherrill accepted it.
Caldwell disputed the investigation’s findings. In an interview with Fox News’ Kyle Mazza following his resignation, Caldwell said he resigned because he did not want to become a distraction to the Sherrill administration.
“I’m not resigning because of this ridiculous report. I’m resigning because I don’t want to distract Mikie Sherrill’s administration,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell called Sherrill “a wonderful person” and said she had good intentions.
After Sunday’s service, Caldwell told the New Jersey Globe that he remains supportive of the Sherrill administration and looks to the future.
“I still support the administration and am excited about the next chapter,” Caldwell said.
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