Paper Trail

How “Forgive and Forget” Buried a Church’s Dark Secret

August 6, 2026·45 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Host Jessica Lussenhop received an unusual email: A prosecutor had major concerns about a case in Minnesota. A man had pleaded guilty to felony child sexual abuse, but it seemed like the church he belonged to, the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church, might have played a part in keeping the abuse quiet. Lussenhop teamed up with reporter Andy Mannix, and they discovered this case was just a symptom of a much bigger problem in the OALC.Read the original stories here: https://www.propublica.org/series/forgive-and-forgetThe National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at 800-656-HOPE (4673).If you have information about the OALC, contact Andy Mannix and Jeremy Kohler.Support our journalism by donating at propublica.org/donate.

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