TreasureDigger
Active member
This situation does not really involve me (personally) since this isn't happening to the church I attend, but I am somewhat involved, in a round about way, and would like to get some opinions, input and even some advice for those who are actively involved in what is going on. Here are some details:
* Very small, very country, United Methodist Church. On any given Sunday there are anywhere from 60-120 in attendance.
* For years the youth program was pretty much nonexistent, with only a few efforts, here and there, to get a program off the ground.
* A couple of years ago a lady decided to give it her all. She asked the church to pull an old church bus out of retirement where it had been parked for a long time and she started driving the rattle trap all over the country side to pick up kids and bring them to church. The program was growing tremendously and doing well. She was doing this with no ulterior motives and was receiving nothing in return. She had VERY LITTLE help. Only someone to drive if she couldn't be there.
* All of the sudden, there begin to be some talk of actually paying her/someone to be the youth director. A man in the church, David, had never shown any interest in the youth, whatsoever, or really anything else (other than trying to take over the pastor's position and all of the music) decided he was interested in helping her - with his ultimate goal to become the youth director. $$$$$$$$
* David started telling lies on this lady, Deana, saying she was allowing kids to have sex on the church bus, smoke and listen to "the devil's music." David asked to have a meeting with Deana & the pastor and he started telling the pastor all of these things in the meeting. The pastor told Deana she would no longer be associated with the youth and asked her to leave the church... along with the guy who was driving for her when she wasn't available.
* The next Sunday David was introduced as the new youth director and would be paid $500 per month, along with $200 for expenses. Since then the youth program has all but disintegrated, with only a handful left. David has moved a couple of boys in with him and his family to "groom them to become youth directors." They are pretty much acting as David's "body guards" now (go figure!
guarding him from WHAT??).
* THE KICKER - A lot of things started happening that raised a few eyebrows (aside from the things listed above). People begin to notice David pocketing money that was directly given to him for the program, etc. Two men in the church set out on a mission to find out more about David. They started talking to people from previous churches David had attended and NONE of them had anything good to say about him. They were told things like - He is a crook and a snake - Y'all had better watch him because he's there to take over the church - Better watch your money - and a whole list of stories that y'all would probably find unbelievable (we did). It is unbelievable how many scams and crazy stories the man has come up with.
* These two men decided to hire a private investigator to check David out. They now have official documentation that David is a 5 time felon, along with a list of about 15 other charges/cases. (Theft by deception x3, theft 1st, theft 2nd, NUMEROUS charges of bad checks, fugitive of justice x 2, and the list goes on and on and on and on......................). He has had, and still has multiple addresses, birth dates and social security numbers. Two of those numbers belong to dead men.
* The men took this information to the chairman of the board of the church. He didn't want to listen to them. He said that most of these charges were from back in the 90's and that David had changed. True that most of the charges were in the 90's, but not all of them. The latest charge was in 2007, and he still claims all of these addresses, birth dates, SS#'s to this day. Plus, the stories from other churches are RECENT stories.
* The men have talked to some of the board members who would get fired up ready to oust David, but when they would talk to the chairman he would put that fire out. They have not talked to all of the board members because they know they are deceived by David. The pastor is in love with David (not literally/sexually - just a huge supporter and believes David can do no wrong), but isn't aware of the whole story. The reason being, it would be up to the board to get rid of David, and not up to the pastor.
* These men have been told (aside from all of the official documentation) by a sheriff who dealt with David for years that David does not need to be involved in ANYTHING - whatsoever - that involves money, leadership, people in general, etc. The district attorney has told them that the church is INSANE for not ousting David and for not having done a background check on him in the first place. That they are setting themselves up for law suits that would boggle the mind if anything happens concerning David, that since they know of his history, there will be no way out of losing a law suit if they are ever sued..
The two men are up against a brick wall now. The board members that have been talked to are not willing to discuss any of this, confront David, oust him or anything else. The men are trying to decide where to go from here. Do they now take this info to the district overseer, the bishop... drop the matter altogether... or WHAT? That is why I'm bringing this to the forum for some advice for them.
Thanks,
Lisa
* Very small, very country, United Methodist Church. On any given Sunday there are anywhere from 60-120 in attendance.
* For years the youth program was pretty much nonexistent, with only a few efforts, here and there, to get a program off the ground.
* A couple of years ago a lady decided to give it her all. She asked the church to pull an old church bus out of retirement where it had been parked for a long time and she started driving the rattle trap all over the country side to pick up kids and bring them to church. The program was growing tremendously and doing well. She was doing this with no ulterior motives and was receiving nothing in return. She had VERY LITTLE help. Only someone to drive if she couldn't be there.
* All of the sudden, there begin to be some talk of actually paying her/someone to be the youth director. A man in the church, David, had never shown any interest in the youth, whatsoever, or really anything else (other than trying to take over the pastor's position and all of the music) decided he was interested in helping her - with his ultimate goal to become the youth director. $$$$$$$$
* David started telling lies on this lady, Deana, saying she was allowing kids to have sex on the church bus, smoke and listen to "the devil's music." David asked to have a meeting with Deana & the pastor and he started telling the pastor all of these things in the meeting. The pastor told Deana she would no longer be associated with the youth and asked her to leave the church... along with the guy who was driving for her when she wasn't available.
* The next Sunday David was introduced as the new youth director and would be paid $500 per month, along with $200 for expenses. Since then the youth program has all but disintegrated, with only a handful left. David has moved a couple of boys in with him and his family to "groom them to become youth directors." They are pretty much acting as David's "body guards" now (go figure!
guarding him from WHAT??).* THE KICKER - A lot of things started happening that raised a few eyebrows (aside from the things listed above). People begin to notice David pocketing money that was directly given to him for the program, etc. Two men in the church set out on a mission to find out more about David. They started talking to people from previous churches David had attended and NONE of them had anything good to say about him. They were told things like - He is a crook and a snake - Y'all had better watch him because he's there to take over the church - Better watch your money - and a whole list of stories that y'all would probably find unbelievable (we did). It is unbelievable how many scams and crazy stories the man has come up with.
* These two men decided to hire a private investigator to check David out. They now have official documentation that David is a 5 time felon, along with a list of about 15 other charges/cases. (Theft by deception x3, theft 1st, theft 2nd, NUMEROUS charges of bad checks, fugitive of justice x 2, and the list goes on and on and on and on......................). He has had, and still has multiple addresses, birth dates and social security numbers. Two of those numbers belong to dead men.
* The men took this information to the chairman of the board of the church. He didn't want to listen to them. He said that most of these charges were from back in the 90's and that David had changed. True that most of the charges were in the 90's, but not all of them. The latest charge was in 2007, and he still claims all of these addresses, birth dates, SS#'s to this day. Plus, the stories from other churches are RECENT stories.
* The men have talked to some of the board members who would get fired up ready to oust David, but when they would talk to the chairman he would put that fire out. They have not talked to all of the board members because they know they are deceived by David. The pastor is in love with David (not literally/sexually - just a huge supporter and believes David can do no wrong), but isn't aware of the whole story. The reason being, it would be up to the board to get rid of David, and not up to the pastor.
* These men have been told (aside from all of the official documentation) by a sheriff who dealt with David for years that David does not need to be involved in ANYTHING - whatsoever - that involves money, leadership, people in general, etc. The district attorney has told them that the church is INSANE for not ousting David and for not having done a background check on him in the first place. That they are setting themselves up for law suits that would boggle the mind if anything happens concerning David, that since they know of his history, there will be no way out of losing a law suit if they are ever sued..
The two men are up against a brick wall now. The board members that have been talked to are not willing to discuss any of this, confront David, oust him or anything else. The men are trying to decide where to go from here. Do they now take this info to the district overseer, the bishop... drop the matter altogether... or WHAT? That is why I'm bringing this to the forum for some advice for them.
Thanks,
Lisa
Ma Betty
YOU NEED SOMEONE WITH BACKBONE TO BRING THE FACTS FORTH AND DEMANED TO FIRE THIS "POPING -JAYS" AND IF NOT LEAVE THE PLACE AND FIND A CHURCH THATS AFTER GOD FOR HIS LOVE
