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Youth Pastor Watch

Very sad story, and local, and not YPW’s usual fare.

Washington State Patrol troopers believe [24-year-old Preston] Newby was placing a 9-1-1 call at an accident on Interstate 5 when he was struck by a car and killed Monday night outside Toledo, Wash.

“It’s one of those things where a good Samaritan gets hurt,” said Washington State Trooper Dave Bourland. “It’s a tragedy, and it happens out there.”

Newby, a Tualatin resident who worked as a youth pastor at Lake Bible Church, was traveling to Canada with his pregnant wife Tera and toddler son Jacob when the tragedy occurred. The Newby’s reportedly left late Monday night after Preston Newby had finished with a youth group activity.

Condolences to Newby’s family.

Comments (19)

1

This is terrible news.

Please don't text and drive or swerve off your mission in hopes of finding the magjick lotto symposiums at the expence of translations you cannot afford because of the weight in their souls.....

Can't you see it's raining here?

Posted by danielbennettkieneker | September 20, 2008 1:07 PM
2

I think you mean "fare."

And you're the "editor"?

Posted by Anne | September 20, 2008 1:29 PM
3

He's not the "copy editor," or the "proofreader," and for good reason. You, however, are a "b*tch."

Posted by Tiny Dancer | September 20, 2008 1:51 PM
4

This happened to a friend of mine also - a minister who died on his way to a pastor convention; his wife and children, two years later, are still in the trenches of grief. He was set to baptize their new baby soon that weekend. This thing that happened to this family really sucks and your kind thoughts toward them in this post are appreciated. One thing my friend's wife has continued to help the youth of the congregation (and anyone in the congregation as he wasn't just the youth minister) is his myspace. I didn't know how to feel about it really, when she asked me to visit it, but it made me realize in a profound way what a new era we have entered, even in the ways we cope with grief! May the peace that passes understanding come to this family to get through the awful days ahead.

Posted by dawicksta | September 20, 2008 1:52 PM
5

Sad story!

Hugs to you Dan for posting it. That was very sweet.

Posted by mj | September 20, 2008 2:14 PM
6

So, youth pastors do thousands of good acts around the country every single day, probably keep more than a few kids from serious trouble - be it suicide or drugs or etc, and it takes one actually tragically dying (which to Savage is prolly sad-neutral, see: good news/bad news) to get something other than his usual histrionic and self righteous recountings of deviance under the YPW banner.

What a frickin saint.

Posted by Bob | September 20, 2008 3:19 PM
7

Oh Bob (#6) if youth pastors and the RR were not such self righteous monsters when it comes to Americans they don't like (Gay-Americans for example) I'm sure Mr. Savage would not need to remind us of their dark, hypocritical, and evil side. Mr. Savage has never impressed me as Self-righteous as he's never claimed to be righteous. I'm not sure anyone knows what you are talking about. I'm not sure even you know.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn | September 20, 2008 3:42 PM
8

Thank you #7. You saved me the typing.

Posted by Wolf | September 20, 2008 3:49 PM
9

These usually disgust me, this one does, but in a much different way then usual. Poor guy, poor kid, and poor pregnant wife.

@6 You don't need to be such a dick when Dan is posting news about a man dying, leaving behind a son who won't remember his father and a woman who will have a child that won't ever know its father.

Posted by Leslie N. | September 20, 2008 4:46 PM
10

Well, if you people are so weak minded that you truly believe that the incredibly rare exception makes the rule, then I don't know what I can type to help such dumbasses get it. I'll give Savage credit for typing down to his fans and snowing them with his moronic anecdotes = evidence stupidity, but seriously, and I'm not even religious at all and can't stand most bible thumpers, most youth pastors help out a lot of kids. I know moral codes scare many of you, but for adolescents they aren't a bad thing at all.

Posted by Bob | September 20, 2008 5:01 PM
11

I am a bad man. Please don't read my blog.

Posted by Dan Savage | September 20, 2008 5:59 PM
12

@10 You can keep repeating your completely unsubstantiated personal opinion about youth pastors, but Youth Pastor Watch and my personal experience with my former youth pastor say differently. I'm going with the facts here, thanks.

Until you can prove otherwise, and you can't, the correct assertion would be that some -- not most -- youth pastors help out a lot of kids. And some -- not most -- do a lot of damage. And it's most likely that most youth pastors are either humored or ignored or simply not impacting their communities at all.

But as long as certain organized religions are enemies to certain people, their hypocrisy will be called out.

Here's some free advice: don't accuse others of self-righteousness when you're being self-righteous, don't refer to the stupidity of others when you're being stupid, and don't preach to others about a moral code when yours includes being judgmental, angry and insulting.

Posted by whatevernevermind | September 20, 2008 6:02 PM
13

@12, you sure got me with that astounding display of "I know you are but what am I"

It's going to be a long hard road of blog commenting to gain back my self esteem. I'm starting now though. One comment at a time.

Posted by Bob | September 20, 2008 7:34 PM
14

Jesus kills.

Posted by Vince | September 21, 2008 9:47 AM
15

Thanks for calling me a bitch, Tiny Dancer.

Your opinion means a lot to me, so I'm clearly going to search my soul today, and do some deep thinking on why I'm such a bad person. I don't want to be a bitch.

Meantime, we all notice that Dan changed the spelling of his post, so apparently he does value proofreading -- but only after posting, and if someone else does it.

I have made a note now of how this blog works. The other writers proof for themselves, and the readers proof for Dan.

Posted by Anne | September 21, 2008 11:12 AM
16

@15 C..t!

Posted by Vince | September 21, 2008 2:45 PM
17

@15, Anne, will you marry me?

Bureau of Intellectual Titans Crushing Hypocrisy

Posted by Epimetheus | September 21, 2008 6:17 PM
18

Hmmmm... Let's see, what is Vince calling me exactly?

Colt?
Cult?
Curt?
Cart?
Cert?
Cent?
Clot?
Clit?
Coot?

Which could it be?

Dan-defenders are so clever!

Posted by Anne | September 21, 2008 8:02 PM
19

It truly breaks my heart that the focus of these comments has gone from condolences and greif to self-righteous preaching. Put down your opinions for once and be humble, or at least take your arguments somewhere else (to a post about religious freedom, for example). I'm not posting this comment to condemn but rather ask for everyone who IS commenting to respect the family, whether or not you agree with what they believe...and perhaps that respect should be by posting elsewhere if your only goal is to be heard and not to comfort.

...We lost an amazing man last week; one who was gracious, humble, strong and filled with joy and love for people. I know this because I knew him and am friends with Tara. I can testify to their depth of character and their priorities that place others before themselves. Please do the same in return. With love and respect, ashley.


Posted by friend of the family | September 23, 2008 3:31 PM

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