Posted on 05/05/2014 5:58:32 PM PDT by Gamecock
A former South Side pastor who ran up more than $50,000 in personal expenses on the churchs credit cards was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison for theft, according to Cook County prosecutors and court records.
Bernard Johnson, 47, who was pastor at St. Paul Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft from a place of worship.
In May 2009, he opened an American Express account in the churchs name and used that to pay for clothing, trips, airline tickets for family members, restaurant tabs, car rentals and hotel stays, the charges alleged
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Looks like an early ‘80s era album cover.
I am having the same reaction you are.
Our sentencing is so out of whack!
Have you ever considered that there may be a purpose behind it? Jesus spent three years preaching about one topic. And that topic wasn't 'getting saved'.
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
Well said. A church is a congregation of sinners who are now accountable to each other.
Matthew 6:33
This light-fingered fellow gets 15 years, and The Reverend Al Sharpton is free to walk the streets?
The word 'church' is a legitimate translation for 'Eklessia'.
The church is the body of believers.(Eph.5)
You are correct you don't need a building, the 1st century church met in homes.
The 'church' in the Old Testament was an assembly.(Acts 7)
All of the NT are equally God's words
All of the Bible are God’s words (Old and New Testament)
I did read it carefully. Still think my question is valid, but it is that. A question. Not a legal opinion.
Forgive me, I was rushing to not judgement, lest I be judged! That is an interesting legal point. If he got the AMEX in the Church's name, the Church could be on the hook. However, it could also become an insurance matter.
50 Large? How could that paltry sum be a 15-year problem in Chicago? The board could certainly wring this much out of the poor SOB's hide. Then there's Calypso Louie, Emmanuel Rahm, Jesse Jackson, The Reverend Wright .... come on my brothers, bail the guy ... and the church ...out
——But most are Hearsay non admissible evidence Except Joh He was a witness with first hand knowledge. Mark? Luke? What a joke. Matthew? All 30 years after the resurrection. Non admissible evidence.-——
Glad you cleared that up for me....never knew I was laboring under a delusion that the Gospels except for the book ofJohn was bogus....
The whole of Christendom for 500 years must have been idiots....
/ S
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