14363 Hwy 73. They get a break but we dont even if the circumstances are the same. Heather Clyburn is the Director at the Fellowship Preschool Academy (FPA) in Hutto. The church has a part in accomplishing that plan. Return to homepage. Rocky Bush is the Communications Director and loves working for The Fellowship Church. Mr Jim has worked at church since 1998, 23 yrs. She found Jesus when she was 15 years old at a Youth camp, and was baptized in an alligator infested lake. A former employee of Ed Youngs megachurch has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for embezzling more than $300,000 over 11 years, according to Texas court documents. We love serving our church family. The Asbury Revival Is Over. Most of the time, external audits dont find fraud because they dont look at internal systems, said Clark-Hoyos. But its not just the jet and the international travel the Young keeps out of sight. In 2009 he took the lead pastor role at The Fellowship in Round Rock, TX. The Waffle Shop at Calvary is open for lunch every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday through March 31, serving up Southern specialties like . Quite obviously, our fellowship with others is only as good as our fellowship with Christ, our unity. One month later, Youngs jet logged a six-day trip to Chetumal, Mexico, also known as the gateway to Belize. Would the church be better served with an accountant in this role? Filter by rating. Heather has worked in early childhood education for a number of years and has been with FCA since 2016. There were also questions about her accounting practices. The fact that Fellowship failed to notice an 11-year case that stole massive amounts of money shows that Ford had little oversight. Is the auditing failure at Fellowship Church the tip of the iceberg? She enjoys mountain biking with her husband, playing with her dogs, and sharing Jesus and His love with all of the kids and people in her world. Grapevine Police Department said Brewer reported on April 12, 2019, that he was going through church payroll records when he noticed discrepancies with housing allowance payments. Dino F. Eugene, OR. Nobody had to come to the disciples and other new believers on the day of Pentecost and say, You need to practice fellowship. The Holy Spirit had come upon these people and formed an inner unity and their natural inclination was to exercise it outwardly. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. 3 stars. They have been at the Fellowship since 2018 and love it! He and his wife Vicki enjoy being with their children and grandchildren on Saturday morning coffee get-togethers. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? T True Light Fellowship Church True Light Fellowship Church. [Episcopal News Service] During the season of Lent, some churches serve up fish fry dinners while others gather for fellowship around soup. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. This is why fellowship is indispensable to the church. With her access to the churchs bank account, she sent the money to herself. He didnt grow up knowing who Jesus is, but as an adult had a lot of questions about happiness and what the point of life was. Here's how. Fellowship is an important part of our faith. At the Fellowship, our beliefs come from the Bible, God's inerrant Word to us. Megachurches and ministriesincluding some rocked by controversy and scandalare receiving a second round of federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgivable loans. Acts 2:44-47 says this. They usually do even though it is not stated in the article. His ministry began as a chaplain for the Harris County Sheriff Department. We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Fords embezzlement methods are common, but the fact that she wasnt caught for so long is unusual. 319 talking about this. Some of their better known clients are Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, Mark Driscoll Ministries and LeSEA Global Feed the Hungry. Ford also stole cash from offerings and embezzled money from the churchs housing allowance account, which raises additional questions. She did not steal from him, but from the church itself where people pay tithes and offerings. I noticed that with Ravi Zacharias. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? The churchs amended articles of incorporation vest decision making power in the board of directors. Trending; Political Cartoons; For this reason we must quit thinking of Christian fellowship as primarily doing things such as having pot luck dinners or watching football or playing basketball with other believers. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to theft of property greater than $300,000 in value. But they want the enemy to think they have lots of strength so they propped up the dead bodies of their comrades in the turrets and the four men ran around the walls shooting the dead mens guns for them. After pleading guilty to embezzling church funds, Lara Ford, former business manager and staff services manager at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, has been sentenced to ten years in prison with the opportunity for early release after serving six months. They moved to Round Rock in 2012 and now reside in Liberty Hill. Poor communication has been the plague of mankind ever since the tower of Babel. Now, with these seven observations, we should be able to give a biblical definition to the word, fellowship. We can say that: Fellowship is a relationship of inner unity among believers that expresses itself in outer co-participation with Christ and one another in accomplishing Gods will on earth.. Bob Gilliam was saved through Campus Crusade for Christ in 1970. Yet for a church that seeks to be guided in principle and practice by the New Testament, fellowship is very important. On April 16, Ford pled guilty to embezzling more than $300,000 from Fellowship from 2008 to 2019a first-degree felony. She confessed to making fake ACH transactions using her church-issued laptop, showing money being transferred to vendors from the church accounts when she was really placing money into several of her own accounts she held with Citibank, Bank of America and Wells Fargo. She added that all the money was gone when police began their investigation. No telling how many other ways FC has mismanaged money. Im a CPA and used to be a auditor of nonprofit organizations. The first day, he was given a shovel and a piece of ground and told to dig six feet deep and three feet wide. Earlier this month, on April 16, Ford found out that her actions with the megachurchs money would cost her dearly. She has been married to her husband, Trevin, since 2019, and they have two mini goldendoodles. Born in Corpus Christi, TX, Don Dye grew up loving Jesus and sports. The movie, Beau Gueste is an example of the way some churches function. Jesse didnt grow up in a Christian home, and had no church background. Hi. Fellowship Church is one of America's largest multisite megachurches. If you have made a decision for Christ, we believe this is your next step and is an act of obedience. We believe there is one true God in three distinct persons: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. According to the police report, Ford made transfers to her own checking accounts once or twice a month for the past 7 to 8 years. I adore university fellowship. One was conducted by the churchs current chief financial officer, Dennis Brewer. Jennie started working at The Fellowship Academy in 2019. This was brazen to have funds deposited directly to your own account. Koinonia is used nineteen times in the New Testament and in addition to being translated as fellowship it is also translated by the words, contribution, sharing, and participation. A close study of the usage of this word shows that action is always included in its meaning. As the Hutto Campus Pastor, his heart and purpose is to see the people of Hutto living lives rooted in the word. Makes me wonder, who else had their hand in the cookie jar? At the Fellowship, our beliefs come from the Bible, Gods inerrant Word to us. He was born in Greentown Indiana and raised by two wonderful missionary parents that raised him to know and love Jesus, people, and ministry. Grace lived out in community! Officer Karfs said in April 2019 he was contacted by Pete Evans, a private investigator with the Trinity Foundation, which monitors religious fraud. She graduated with a communications degree from the University of Evansville in 2009 where she also played soccer. She has a strong faith & background in ministry which has cultivated a love for serving children and families. 2 reviews. Specialties: Every weekend we have exciting, casual, and relaxing services. To accomplish this mission, we pursue an intentional strategy based on the prophet Isaiahs encounter with God in the sixth chapter of the book of Isaiah. Finally, however, about five oclock, he broke through into the trench the man in front of him was digging. She is married to James Payton and has three children: Kynzie, Joby, and Elijah. Ex-Fellowship Church manager bilked over $1M before she was caught, Bible teacher Jen Wilkin addresses criticism of her views on sending children to public schools, Teen, 21-year-old man indicted for murder of Memphis pastor, Deion Sanders' prayers are constitutionally protected, lawyer tells University of Colorado, Revival at Kentucky college faces hurdles from school leadership, moves worship off-campus. She has been married to her husband, T.A., since 1995. This is the plan of many churches today. Fellowship involves actively doing Gods will. They lived in seven different cities before settling in the great state of Texas and making Round Rock their home in the late nineties. The former staffer told police that she worked at Fellowship Church from March 2012 to 2015 and Ford, who was her supervisor, was suspected of committing fraud even then. Ben has a profound passion for the Lord, and desires for others to see God for who He is the way, the truth, and the life. Claudia enjoys her two little Dachshunds Zoey & Bella and going camping in their 1981 camper that Mr. Jim refurbished. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, Investigating by Asking Questions: A Book Review of Warren Cole Smiths Faith-Based Fraud, Judge Reveals Televangelist Benny Hinns Dark Financial Secret. When [Officer] Villalobos asked Ford why she committed the theft, Ford replied, Umm stupid, and then elaborated that she has a spending problem. McNew added that Ford was the only suspect in the case and Fellowship Church fully cooperated in the investigation. After leaving Rockdale, he attended Texas A&M and met his wife as a freshman in college. She was facing a maximum sentence of 99 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. One fun fact about him is that he was born with an extra thumb on his left hand! On April 16, Ford pled guilty to embezzling more than $300,000 from Fellowship from 2008 to 2019a first-degree felony. He has attended the Fellowship for as long as he can remember! In her free time she enjoys camping, paddle boarding and journaling. Jeremiah and Morgan Johnson are the Senior Leaders at The Ark Fellowship in Kannapolis, NC. Without our Elders, we would not be able to function as a healthy body of believers. Today's Comic from Perry Bible Fellowship Read Now. I am not really comfortable with this train of thought. I wonder how they will address this with their congregation. We want to meet people right where they are. In wisdoms house you will find delightful treasures and the oil of the Holy Spirit. 5 stars. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. We have three locations, Round Rock, Hutto, and Taylor, but are one church family. Ben Fawcett is the Hutto Campus Pastor at The Fellowship. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. Andy is the youngest of three kids, and most definitely the coolest of the three. During the time Ford embezzled money, Fellowship Church went through at least two audits, Johnston said. Also, they have a fantastic CFO. He started dating Lauren, the love of his life, in December of 2021, and she was a huge part of Andy taking the position here as he would be much closer to her and able to build a life with her. Her passion for preschoolers is profound. She used her laptop to make online payments to her accounts from an account for Allaso Ranch, an income-generating camp owned by the church as well as another unspecified Fellowship Church account. Round Rock 9:30 and 11 AMHutto 9:30 and 11 AMTaylor 9:30 and 11 AM. Im sure you Think that you do. Fellowship Church is one of Americas largest multisite megachurches. She increased her own housing allowance and made automated clearing house payments to her own bank account. So, then, we see that the practice of fellowship, the outward exercise of our inner unity in doing Gods will, is not only natural but indispensable in accomplishing Gods purpose for the church. Churches should have safeguards to prevent or minimize this kind of massive institutional theft and should hold church leaders accountable that failed to catch this embezzlement earlier. Her and her husband, Austin, have attended The Fellowship since 2013. Ed Young has been fleecing his congregation for years; maybe this lady just learned from his example. Currently they reside in Colorado where he More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. By January 2019, she increased the payments to an extra $500 every two weeks, also from the housing allowance account. 1.15.23. Without our Elders, we would not be able to function as a healthy body of believers. Two different CPAs commenting on the Roys Report article suggested that Stanfield + ODell, P.C. She loves exploring Austin, iced coffee and hats! How, then, can we practice fellowship? Brewer told police that Ford should not have had access to the two accounts she stole money from and that the accounts were not as closely monitored as the churchs primary bank accounts. Id rethink my CFO and head of security, for starters. It hurt the integrity of the work environment and the reputation of the ministry we were involved in. Watch the latest messages from Fellowship Church. Search reviews. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. He intentionally shepherds the people of Hutto beside his beautiful wife, Holly, and their two children Janelle and Abraham. His interests include the Bible, philosophy, theology, Russian literature, and Irish music. Learn more about what we believe. Recognizing Shame & Dealing With It. Our English word, fellowship is the translation of the Greek word, koinonia. This Greek word is derived from the root, koinos, which was a prefix in ancient Greek. Ford offered to pay back $6,400 to cover the extra funds she gave herself for the housing allowance, it further explained. He is a Texas Tech fan as Kelly and all his in-laws graduated from Texas Tech. Is it even stealing when one thief takes from another thief? As the Student pastor Nolan is excited and passionate about reaching the next generation for Christ and helping students grow to be more like Him. You greatly underestimate a thief by their looks. 6400 Ardleigh St, Philadelphia, PA 19119, USA. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. Gray was born and raised in Round Rock TX. This is why good internal controls and a proper separation of duties is so important in the finance/accounting department of any organization. She loves finding cute coffee shops with her husband where they can sit and talk about theology. Additionally, he has been active in church ministry and leadership roles. He believes deeply in the mission of reaching people for Christ and helping believers grow to be like Him. This is the way fellowship will affect us if we get in and dig together. However, the fact that the second audit, by the firm Stanfield and ODell, didnt catch it sounds like a case of malpractice. A 2020 obituary recognizes Brewer Sr. as a pioneer in the practice of Church Law.. She and Craig raised two awesome kids, Libby and Matt, and God has richly blessed their family with six amazing grandkids. 9:00 & 10:30. The average embezzlement takes place over only three years, he said. He was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas and lived there until halfway through middle school, when his family moved to Collinsville, Texas, where he has spent the majority of his life. She served passionately as a youth leader for 8 years, and continues to do so at The Fellowship. Find a location near you, discover programs for you & your family, watch sermons from Pastor Ed Young, learn about the Bible, & build meaningful relationships. The churchs security director, Jimmy Bowen, told police at the time that Ford had admitted to stealing funds, according to Amanda McNew, Grapevine Police Department media manager. Maybe Ed Young will have to sell one of his houses or jets to cover the cost. Grace Fellowship is one church in multiple locations in the Columbus, Ohio area. Dave & Ashley Willis. Setting intriguing personal stories within the context of one of the most tumultuous times in modern history, they draw important parallels with our own . According to the Texas Secretary of State website, Fellowship Churchs board of directors is composed of the following men: Ed Young Jr. Senior Pastor, President and Board Member, Mac Richard Board Member (pastor of Lake Hills Church in Austin, Texas), John Cross Board Member (pastor of First Baptist Church in Sarasota, Florida), Richard White Board Member (pastor of The Gathering Church at Tampa Bay), Dennis Brewer Jr. Secretary and Chief Financial Officer (attorney at Brewer, Lang & Veach).
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