Mega-church pastor RESIGNS two months after he was put on leave following confession he drove a girl, 17, into the woods and sexually assaulted her - before insisting she was 'flirtatious'

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A pastor at a mega-church in Tennessee who drove a teenage girl into the woods and sexually assaulted her has resigned from his post - despite initially insisting the victim was 'flirtatious'.

Andy Savage, the Teaching Pastor at Highpoint Church, confessed to taking a detour while driving the 17-year-old girl home before pulling down his pants and asking her to perform oral sex on him, which she did, before fondling her breasts.

His resignation, which took place Tuesday after he had been put on leave for two months, was welcomed by the leaders of Highpoint Church, who for the first time termed the encounter 20 years ago as 'abuse'.

Andy Savage, the Teaching Pastor at Highpoint Church in Memphis, Tennessee, (pictured in this undated image of him preaching) was placed on leave after the incident 20 years ago came to light

Jules Woodson, the woman who accused Savage, said Tuesday she was 'trying to process' the news and would release a statement soon.

Savage, 42, posted a personal letter on the church website in which he said he was taking time away from ministry in order to 'right the wrongs of the past'. 

'As I’ve reflected during my leave of absence, I have come to see that many wrongs occurred in 1998,' he wrote. 

'The first was my inappropriate relationship with Jules, which was not only immoral, but meets the definition of abuse of power since I was her youth pastor; therefore, when our relationship became physical, there could be no claim of mutual consent. 

'Another wrong was the failure to follow due process afterward; Jules deserved, and did not get, a full investigation and proper response 20 years ago.'

Highpoint Church noted in a post on its website that an investigation by specialist abuse lawyer Scott Fredericks had not found any other instances of sexual abuse at the organisation, but said Savage's resignation was 'appropriate'.

Church leaders were highly criticised over a video showing Savage receiving a standing ovation after discussing his encounter with Woodson.  

They said in a letter posted online: 'Highpoint leadership has come to recognize that it was defensive rather than empathetic in its initial reaction to Ms. Jules Woodson’s communication concerning the abuse she experienced, and humbly commits to develop a deeper understanding of an appropriate, more compassionate response to victims of abuse.'

Jules Woodson and Andy Savage in 1998, while he was a youth pastor at Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church in Spring, Texas

The leave comes after Savage admitted in front of his congregation to the sexual encounter in 1998

Woodson (seen in a social media photo) said Tuesday she was 'trying to process' the news and would release a statement soon

Savage received a storm of criticism over an appearance on the Ben Ferguson Radio Show in January during which he defended his behaviour.

The now-married pastor said: 'I do not believe I broke the law.' 

Savage admitted it was wrong, but said the victim, Jules Woodson, consented.  

'The atmosphere was very flirtatious,' he said. 

'That flirtatious environment continued to move forward, which led to us making out, some heavy petting. It was a very mutual, spontaneous, physical moment and our hormones were obviously very much in that moment and she performed oral sex.' 

He said he told church leaders what happened and no one called the police.

Andy Smith, a spokesman for Woodson, said Savage's radio interview made him sick.

'That entire radio show was a total re-victimization, pointing the blame on a then teenage girl who he said was a willing participant,' Smith said. 'He was an adult and he was a pastor and he was in a place of trust.'

Shortly after the radio interview, the lead pastor at Highpoint announced that Savage would be placed on leave, effective immediately. 

Highpoint Church's lead pastor Chris Conlee said they were sticking by Savage, but have now agreed his resignation was 'appropriate'. The church is pictured here in a file photo

Jules Woodson penned a blog post saying Savage, who was 22 at the time, offered to drive her home after a church event but instead took her to a deserted road and asked her to perform oral sex on him. Pictured is an interior of one of the three megachurch branches of Highpoint Church, Savage's current employer

Chris Conlee went on to say that the church was standing by Savage's side.

'Please know that we support Andy as a leader of our church, but we also understand this has been a difficult season not only for Andy and his family, but for our congregation as well,' he wrote in a message posted to the church's website.  

The pastor's troubled past came to light on January 5 after Woodson posted a lengthy message on WatchKeep about the assault in 1998. 

At the time, Savage was a 22-year-old college student and youth minister at Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church in Texas. 

She was a 17-year-old high school senior and member of his youth ministry.

Woodson said Savage turned down a deserted road, unzipped his pants, took his penis out, and asked her for oral sex.

She said Savage told her he had a surprise for her before he drove past her house to the wooded area. 

Savage said in a radio interview in January that the incident was consensual after they had been flirting  

Savage is now married and has five children, all boys. He says he intends to 'right the wrongs of the past' during his time away from ministry 

'I remember feeling special and excited,' she wrote. 'I assumed we were going to get ice cream.'

Instead, she said, he turned off the car's lights and asked her to perform oral sex on him.

'I was scared and embarrassed, but I did it. I remember feeling that this must mean that Andy loved me,' she posted.

She also said that Savage asked her to unbutton her shirt and then touched her breasts.

Following the incident, Savage asked Woodson to keep what happened a secret and took her home.

Woodson wrote that she told church leaders what happened, and she was seemingly dismissed.  

'Not only did I suddenly feel this immense guilt for doing what Andy had asked me to do but I also started to feel that this was my fault somehow because I didn't stop him,' she wrote.  

Savage (pictured left with his co-pastor) apologized to his church during a Sunday service

At the end of his apology, he received a standing ovation and applause. Pictured is an interior of a Highpoint Church location