Integrity: How I Lost It and My Journey Back

A few years back I read Jim Bakker's book on the PTL crisis titled "I Was Wrong." I wasn't overly impressed the way he tried to downplay his culpability. "Integrity" is a bit different. Mr. Dortch is very open with his faults and the wrongs he did (either by commission or omission). He comes across as a lot more honest than Mr. Bakker. He gives a much more in-depth view of the incident with Jessica Hahn than in Bakker's book, since he handled it on PTL's side. He also talks about how he repeatedly stayed silent when he should have spoke up when he saw financial problems at PTL. The two books work well with each other, each giving differing views and peices of the puzzle to the PTL crisis, but this is the better of the two. If you want to know the FULL story of PTL, get both books. Dortch ends his book with a long chapter dealing with four kinds of integrity: 1) arrogant integrity (I'm above reproach); 2) selective integrity (we do something wrong because the ends justify the means - situational ethics); 3) judgemental integrity (being overly judgemental because we feel guilty over our own lack of integrity); 4) consensual integrity (not speaking up when we know we should, consenting to the wrong being done by simply being silent on it). He gives "tips" on how to guard against each of these. I give it 4 stars and well worth the read.

Richard Dortch lets us share some of his most intimate thoughts during a season of personal crisis. This former PTL president describes the personal, spiritual struggle he encountered and his method of overcoming the challenges of regaining his integrity. If one considers the "examined life" to be desired, the situations in which Dortch found himself provided furtile soil for him to either get bitter or better. His choice was the latter. Readers going through their own examinations in life will glean insights from the trials Dortch successfully overcame.