Baptist Pastor Accused of Taking More Than $300,000 From Old East Dallas Church

A pastor of a Baptist church in Old East Dallas has been indicted on a charge of misappropriating $300,000 of his church's money. A grand jury indicted Rev. Wade C. Davis on a theft of more than $300,000 charge on March 22, according to court documents. The 65-year-old pastor of the Munger Avenue Baptist Church turned himself into Dallas police, WFAA-TV (Channel 8) reported. He posted a $10,000 personal recognizance bond Tuesday. Davis, who was hired as the senior pastor in 1999, is also accused in a civil suit of misappropriating church funds beginning in 2012 and continuing through February 2016.When the board began reviewing the church's bank accounts, it learned that Davis made numerous withdrawals and charges for personal expenses and without any oversight from the church, according to a lawsuit brought in March 2016.Davis also attempted to sell property owned by the church without any approval from the board, according to the suit. The investigation found that numerous purchases had been made on the church's only debit card, which was in Davis' possession, the suit stated. In all, Davis is accused of wrongfully withdrawing about $400,000 from the church's accounts. "I mean, just to think that the man of God could possibly have done something this heinous to his members," Richard Greagor, who said he's speaking on behalf of the church's deacons and trustees, told KXAS-TV (NBC5). Greagor said that some members feel there's a "cloud of suspicion" around the church. "Two-thirds of the church decided that they no longer want to be here, so for the past year we've been worshipping at Black and Clark Funeral Home in Oak Cliff," Greagor told the station. Davis, who is still listed as pastor on the church's website, continues to lead services. His attorney told KDFW-TV (Channel 4) that the money was donated to the church in his name, which gave the pastor authority to use it. Another attorney representing Davis said in a statement to KDFW that "It's a sad day when Christ followers can't resolve their issues beyond court.""These same individuals have filed actions against previous pastors to remove them from their leadership duties. This action is without merit," the statement read.   Continue reading...