– Advertisement –

Pastor Accused of Stealing Almost $35,000 From Congregation

by | Jan 14, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized | 0 comments

✪ Read this article ad-free and leave comments here on Substack
Donald Lee Reynolds

GRAND FORKS HERALD — A former pastor faces 10 years in prison after being accused of stealing almost $35,000 from his parish in northeast North Dakota over the past 14 years.

Donald Lee Reynolds, an Edmore resident who was born in 1959, is scheduled to appear at the end of the month in Ramsey County District Court on a Class B felony charge of theft.

A criminal complaint filed in late October alleges he stole $34,668. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Bishop Terry Brandt of the Eastern North Dakota Synod in Fargo confirmed the document refers to funds allegedly stolen from the High Plains Ministry, a congregation of six churches in northeast North Dakota that consolidated in 2004.

Reynolds has been a pastor with the High Plains Ministry since it formed. The ministry that is overseen by Brandt’s synod includes Lutheran churches in Edmore, Nekoma, Adams, Lawton, Fairdale and Doyon. The churches joined as they faced declining attendance.

Join Us and Get These Perks:

✅ No Ads in Articles
✅ Access to Comments and Discussions
✅ Community Chats
✅ Full Article and Podcast Archive
✅ The Joy of Supporting Our Work 😉



A complaint alleges Reynolds submitted false charges to the parish and received reimbursements for fraudulent purchases from 2004 to 2018.

Reynolds resigned as a High Plains Ministry pastor when he was confronted with the allegations on June 21, Brandt said. The former religious leader also is no longer a pastor for the ELCA.

“Had he not resigned, he would have been removed,” Brandt wrote in an email to the Herald.

Reynolds’ attorney, Evan Heustis of Devils Lake, also declined to comment on the case. Several numbers that were listed for Reynolds came back as non-working numbers.

The synod and High Plains Ministry is giving its full cooperation to investigators regarding the case, and the parish is working with insurance agents to minimize its financial loss, Brandt wrote. The ELCA has high standards for its pastors, he added.

Read More >>

Three Ways to Support DISNTR


The Dissenter is primarily supported by its readers. The best way to support us is to subscribe to our members-only Substack site where you will receive all of our content ad-free, plus you will get member-only exclusive content.

Support us with a monthly donation on Patreon

Support us with membership to our ad-free Substack

Make one-time or monthly donation on Donorbox


👕 Or make a purchase from our online store. 👕
Make a Dogecoin Donation

- Advertisement -

Latest

The Modern-Day Nicodemite Evangelicals

The Modern-Day Nicodemite Evangelicals

Jessica Bates was a mother of five, a woman who knew what it meant to love, to sacrifice, to open her home to those in need. She wasn’t asking for much—just the chance to take in a child from Oregon’s foster care system, a system that, incidentally, never seems to...

Hatred for Christianity is Fueled From Within

Hatred for Christianity is Fueled From Within

There was a time when mocking God was a dangerous business. There was a time when scorning His people carried a cost. And there was a time when conservative Christians in America weren’t the preferred punching bags of Hollywood’s sneering elites. But that time is long...

- Advertisement -

Subscribe

Store

Follow Us

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -

You Might Also Like…

The Modern-Day Nicodemite Evangelicals

The Modern-Day Nicodemite Evangelicals

Jessica Bates was a mother of five, a woman who knew what it meant to love, to sacrifice, to open her home to those in need. She wasn’t asking for much—just the chance to take in a child from Oregon’s foster care system, a system that, incidentally, never seems to...

Hatred for Christianity is Fueled From Within

Hatred for Christianity is Fueled From Within

There was a time when mocking God was a dangerous business. There was a time when scorning His people carried a cost. And there was a time when conservative Christians in America weren’t the preferred punching bags of Hollywood’s sneering elites. But that time is long...

- Advertisement -

Want to go ad-free with exclusive content? Subscribe today.
Already a subscriber? Click Here

This will close in 0 seconds

Three Ways to Support DISNTR



The Dissenter is primarily supported by its readers. The best way to support us is to subscribe to our members-only Substack site where you will receive all of our content ad-free, plus you will get member-only exclusive content.

 

Support us with a monthly donation on Patreon

Support us with membership to our ad-free Substack

Make one-time or monthly donation on Donorbox


👕 Or make a purchase from our online store. 👕

This will close in 0 seconds