Pastor Apologizes to Church for misuse of Credit Cards
The pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles apologized to his congregants Sunday for any embarrassment caused by disclosures that he had used church credit cards for sizable personal expenses and had failed to pay federal taxes for several years.
Pastor John J. Hunter, 51, used church credit cards to pay for at least $122,000 in personal expenses, including family vacations, clothes, jewelry, bikes and auto supplies, The Times reported Sunday. He and church finance officials said he had signed an agreement to repay the money and instituted stricter accounting policies, such as spending guidelines and more frequent audits, to guard against future problems.
“I stand not as a perfect servant but one who tries to be a faithful servant,” Hunter said, drawing scattered applause and murmurs of approval from congregants at the 10 a.m. service. “Our church is in sound financial condition. We are solid, perhaps more so than we have ever been. Our future is bright.”
