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牧师承认贪污教会的钱
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The former pastor at the First Baptist Church on Highland Avenue pleaded guilty Thursday to nine felony charges that he embezzled money from the church.
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. J$ R& J( P- k; S; ]Wendell Johnson, 59, pastor at the church for more than 20 years, was charged in 2005 after a Winston-Salem Police Department investigation.
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2 N8 O+ y4 m5 i5 [% N" [) fHe could be sentenced to a maximum of 22 years in prison and will have to pay the money back to the church. Church members asked that the judge only sentence him to probation so he would be able to continue repaying the money.$ }6 e+ l. b+ W4 X& k5 _1 b" H
9 A1 A+ z+ b- T' aChurch members said Johnson embezzled more than $100,000 from the church. His illegal purchases included a family cruise, a digital television bill and $17,000 in personal medical expenses.
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Several members took the stand during the hearing.
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, S& e$ d0 `5 Y5 F, X1 i6 k7 Y# D"We have been through so much. We've been through a healing process," said member Geneva Brown.; N; f/ @* |0 t K; B
( V8 R0 P6 I# Y0 E1 R2 e- _+ s% R% vBrown said there were times when her Sunday school class was forced to go without literature because she was told the church couldn't afford it.
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6 O+ ?9 k- C3 O- V1 {$ `"Many of the things that needed to be done to the building had not been done. We are still in the process of trying to repair," Brown said., }3 f5 t; |! x" G( d. Z+ X5 [
/ L4 L- S( Q) V1 k) \& fJohnson's congregation members said they still can't believe it." `2 F. J' U A4 h% f; G" r& E$ K3 L
1 r1 E1 y. K8 N2 O"He has to be a pretty cold person to go on the pulpit and do what he did," said First Baptist Church member Harden Wheeler. "He can not believe in God to do that."1 ?7 b* Y9 \0 z( r; R/ i- h
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Members said they noticed the Sunday offerings became more frequent and demanding.1 E9 [: L! I4 f
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"When he would ask for money -- an extra $500, $300 -- it was out of my pocket," said First Baptist Church member Virginia Newell. "I'm an empty-nester and I have to give, but I am not anymore."
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, B! n* h. Q# @0 s* aIn court on Thursday, Johnson gave no explanations and no apology.
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"The thing that hurt more today than anything else is when the judge asked him if he had anything he had to say, he said he had nothing to say," Newell said. "He is a preacher. I think I would've turned around and preached to my church and asked for congregation."
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- g: m+ E$ r8 P" b3 a3 KJohnson gave a $120,000 check from his retirement account to the church on Thursday.) {5 M: B' q' J; f2 D7 ?
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"I don't think money can pay it back," a congregation member said. "We have got to do some praying and get together."
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, Q& y* h6 u7 j3 jAlong with the check, Johnson will have to pay $1,000 a month for the next five years to First Baptist Church. Even then, it won't make up half the amount Johnson stole.
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Johnson must also complete 250 hours of community service as part of his sentence and never communicate with First Baptist Church again.! I7 |) K& ^$ Y3 r+ G6 b
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Johnson resigned from the church a month after the investigation was announced.
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. S: Y; n# `. b+ [He was later charged with trespassing when he showed up one Sunday to preach. |
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楼主: 做人不能太基督
狗仔卡
发表于 2010-5-17 16:45
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