Ex-Pastor Found Guilty In Embezzling $1M From Chur

ManOfWord · #1 09-30-2010, 10:38 PM

This is really, really, really sad, but the verdict is in and there is no second guessing here on this one.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/loc...t.html?sid=102

Jack Shephard · #2 09-30-2010, 10:43 PM

You cannot discount someone's own words.

Sam · #3 09-30-2010, 10:59 PM

MOW, do you know anything about how that church is doing since the pastor left? Didn't his Dad take over for a while? Has a new pastor been chosen? And is there growth there? Just wondering.

ManOfWord · #4 09-30-2010, 11:09 PM

They have a pastor. He was one of the young people when I was Youth Leader there for a while. He's doing a fine job. They are still having a hard time...the church is really in a bad location, which is probably their greatest hindrance. Good things have happened there and it's really a miracle the church is still there...there are some really good people there and the pastor really loves the Lord and is a great guy, but wounds are still healing.

ThePastorsCoach · #5 09-30-2010, 11:15 PM

This makes my heart hurt as I love David and his family. They were very kind to me when I preached for them and every time I have ever been around them. How sad, how very very sad. We should really pray for him, his wife and family.

rgcraig · #6 10-01-2010, 07:49 AM

So sad.

I just don't understand what they are thinking.

ManOfWord · #7 10-01-2010, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtlantaBishop

This makes my heart hurt as I love David and his family. They were very kind to me when I preached for them and every time I have ever been around them. How sad, how very very sad. We should really pray for him, his wife and family.

I couldn't agree more, AB! I was never personally mistreated in any way in all my years of association there.

I will say this, that there is a leadership paradigm, in the UPCI, which teaches by example that the pastor has sole control of everything. There are very little, if any, checks and balances in the local church. This is dangerous even for good men. It has been propagated for decades and has been the downfall of far too many pastors.

The fear is that church boards will control the pastor's preaching/teaching etc. Servant leaders never have to fear that. I pray for him and fear for him at the same time.

Cindy · #8 10-01-2010, 09:10 AM

How very sad.

coadie · #9 10-01-2010, 09:38 AM

Just some CPA advice. We call it internal control. Internal control questionaires are filled out before a company gets an audit.
Who deposits the cash?
Who signs checks?
Who reconciles bank statements?
Who handles deposits by counting cash before the deposit?
Who has signiture authority on the accounts?

ERISA Fidelity Bonds. Every administrator, officer, and employee of any plan who handles funds or other property of such plan must be bonded. Same goes for officers in a church. NO exceptions.
Actually a smart pastor will watch and have someone sign checks including his pay check.

geekette · #10 10-01-2010, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coadie

Just some CPA advice. We call it internal control. Internal control questionaires are filled out before a company gets an audit.
Who deposits the cash?
Who signs checks?
Who reconciles bank statements?
Who handles deposits by counting cash before the deposit?
Who has signiture authority on the accounts?

ERISA Fidelity Bonds. Every administrator, officer, and employee of any plan who handles funds or other property of such plan must be bonded. Same goes for officers in a church. NO exceptions.
Actually a smart pastor will watch and have someone sign checks including his pay check.

Just wanted to second this--great advice! I work for a financial institution and even on the computing side we're big on "dual control," "dual custody," and "peer review." It just makes sense, especially when you're talking about money.