performed an independent audit for the church. Yes, The Remnant Church still exists and is in operation today. Earlier this month, on April 16, Ford found out that her actions with the megachurchs money would cost her dearly. Troy and Rachel graduated and had the opportunity to live in Cincinnati and Albuquerque before returning back to Texas. Statement of Faith; Want to help? Come as you are and expect to feel right at home. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? These payments of $1,500 to $1,700 were made sometimes weekly or once per month for seven to eight years. The Mix See what we offer for your kids (6th - 12th Grade). Notify me of follow-up comments by email. They have been in Texas since 1997 with a small 2 year adventure in Singapore. We see in this passage that God has an eternal plan. He explained that church employees receive a base pay plus housing allowance, but it was unclear if that benefit was extended to all employees, certain employees or what determined how much housing allowance each employee got. She increased her own housing allowance and made automated clearing house payments to her own bank account. Its beauty is impossible to capture in one note no matter how loud. They get a break but we dont even if the circumstances are the same. Two different CPAs commenting on the Roys Report article suggested that Stanfield + ODell, P.C. Established in 2001, Fellowship Church exists to bring real life in Christ to Ascension Parish and beyond. This is why fellowship is indispensable to the church. Learn how your comment data is processed. Why so much outrage over the burning of an LGBT Pride flag? If more measures were put in place the theft would have been more difficult to pull off. We have 2 sons and 2 daughter in laws. She is passionate about reaching people in the workplace with the good news of Jesus. Donnie is an expository Bible teacher that uses history, humor and story to bring the scriptures to life. According to the Bexar County, Texas, District Attorney's office: YouTube Channel Photo by Martin Castro on Unsplash. This is true of fellowship but by contrast, fellowship is also an inner unity. Ed Young. Fellowship Churchs donors wishing to change church policies are left with few options. His ministry began as a chaplain for the Harris County Sheriff Department. 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. Troy is a small town Texas boy; born and raised in Rockdale, Texas. They think the church can make it without them. The suspect moved around the parking lot by vehicle and entered several unlocked vehicle in addition to breaking out the drivers side window of a vehicle. Yet for a church that seeks to be guided in principle and practice by the New Testament, fellowship is very important. One month later, Youngs jet logged a six-day trip to Chetumal, Mexico, also known as the gateway to Belize. The movie, Beau Gueste is an example of the way some churches function. I noticed that with Ravi Zacharias. Easter is celebrating the joy and freedom we have in Jesus. The instruments are our spiritual gifts and natural abilities. Our team is blessed with people that have a variety of gifts, that God has brought together to further His kingdom in central Texas. She is the subject of the 2021 HBO Max docuseries, The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin . According to that The Hartford Institute's database, approximately 50 churches had attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000 in 2010. could be sued for malpractice and reported to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. Stealing over a million dollars is a lot. In the midst of looking for a place to belong, he found peace in the one who placed him. Get the comics you want, your way. Megan is the Preschool Coordinator at the Fellowship Round Rock Campus. Outside auditors should have reported the lack of internal controls and separation of duties. Jennifer Castaneda moved to Austin in 2004 from Colorado, where she was born and raised. After graduating from the University of North Texas and starting his master's degree at Dallas Theological Seminary, Chad came on board the Fellowship team as Media Associate in September of 2021. In her free time she enjoys home design, DIY projects, gardening, and reading. Great! Search reviews. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. According to Fords lawyer, Lex Johnston, Fellowship Church first discovered Fords theft during an audit on April 12, 2019, and then notified authorities. We believe in following the precepts and practices set forth in Scripture. Monitoring religious fraud for 30+ years. He loves the Fellowship Church greatly, and would be serving here even if it wasnt his job, its not an obligation- it is a passion and joy. 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. Fords attorney told the Roys Report that Stanfield + ODell, P.C. The church could also file a formal complaint with Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. His hope as an Elder at the church, is to continue to ensure that our church is grounded firmly in the Gospel and can effectively reach people for Christ and help believers grow to be like Him. Starting in October 2018, Brewer said he noticed that Ford had been paying herself an extra $200 every two weeks from the housing allowance account. Richard and Vikki will soon be empty nesters. Contact Us; Find us! However, 1 Corinthians 12 makes it clear that every single member of the body is necessary for its proper functioning. Dino F. Eugene, OR. Whether you missed a message, want to watch again, or want to share with a friend or family member, we have you covered. She loves exploring Austin, iced coffee and hats! Chrissi has a passion for working with kids and was an elementary school teacher for seven years. She has been married to her husband, Trevin, since 2019, and they have two mini goldendoodles. This was brazen to have funds deposited directly to your own account. They moved to Round Rock in 2012 and now reside in Liberty Hill. History [ edit] In 1944, Baptist minister Howard Thurman left his tenured position at Howard University to help the Fellowship of Reconciliation establish the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. So in Gods symphonyHis plan, the score is the Bible which reveals His Son, Jesus Christ. She and Craig raised two awesome kids, Libby and Matt, and God has richly blessed their family with six amazing grandkids. Heather has an associates degree in business finance from Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, California, where she was born and raised. Gwen Shamblin Lara (February 18, 1955 - May 29, 2021) was an American author, founder of the Christian diet program The Weigh Down Workshop and founder of the Remnant Fellowship. In order to fully manifest God, each person must not only play his part but must play it together. Theres too many pieces in this story that dont add up. Hes wrong. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family including her son Merrick, running, being creative, and hanging with friends. True Light Fellowship Church. Further investigation showed that the total loss from Fords actions was $1,377,144.76. Welcome to Living Grace Fellowship. She was facing a maximum sentence of 99 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In a 2019 article Trinity Foundation asked the question, Is it possible ministry auditors such as Stanfield and ODell or Chitwood & Chitwood also fail to properly audit high risk areas ? Is it even stealing when one thief takes from another thief? With clarity, humor, passion, and purpose, Greg Laurie and Ellen Vaughn tell the remarkable true story of the Jesus Movement, an extraordinary time of mass revival, renewal, and reconciliation. Following Shamblin's death on May 29, 2021, the Remnant Church was. Officer Karfs said in April 2019 he was contacted by Pete Evans, a private investigator with the Trinity Foundation, which monitors religious fraud. When police first questioned 51-year-old Lara Lynn Ford about why she stole nearly $1.4 million from Ed Youngs Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, the congregations former business managers initial response was Umm stupid.. 1.15.23. Fellowship Academy - Executive Preschool Director. Auditors have been *required* to audit internal controls as part of the audit, ever since the SarbanesOxley Act of 2002. She graduated with a communications degree from the University of Evansville in 2009 where she also played soccer. Id rethink my CFO and head of security, for starters. Incident. 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. Wow. She is married to James Payton and has three children: Kynzie, Joby, and Elijah. The Foundation Group reports, One of the primary responsibilities of any nonprofit board member is to maintain the financial integrity of the organization they serve. Something that she had heard all her life finally clicked, and she was forever changed by recognizing God's gracious and good love for her. Likely hireling Ed Young is a successful writer and sermon-giver like many other megachurch pastors with their teams of underling researchers and ghost writers to do most of the work, while they put their names on the books and rake in the big bucks in addition to their ridiculous, ungodly salaries from donations to the church. They didnt miss roughly a million bucks over a 10 year period? Every Sunday, and throughout all of our events, we study and teach straight from the Bible. Makes me wonder, who else had their hand in the cookie jar? The four synonyms of koinonia in the New Testament are philos, which means related by love for outward characteristics; hetairos, meaning a sharer in a common enterprise; sunergos, meaning a fellow-worker; and metochos, a participant. In order for you to understand this, we will have to discover first, what true fellowship really is, second, why fellowship is important in a New Testament church, and finally, how each one of us can practice fellowship here at Community Bible Chapel. They have been members of The Fellowship Church since 1998 and have had the opportunity to serve in many capacities. No telling how many other ways FC has mismanaged money. An August 26, 2019 updated police report indicated a total loss of $1,377,14.76 but the total continued to grow as the investigation continued. Grays favorite thing about God is that God is sovereign over all and is working out His perfect plan in His perfect timing. When [Officer] Villalobos asked Ford why she committed the theft, Ford replied, Umm stupid, and then elaborated that she has a spending problem. 4. Rocky spent a decade in the bowling industry. Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response. Ford also stole cash from offerings and embezzled money from the churchs housing allowance account, which raises additional questions. Fords theft was reported by the churchs Chief Financial Officer, Dennis Brewer Jr., who was once reported as lead pastor Youngs personal attorney, business partner and fishing buddy. Thats unreal it took that long to discover. Dont under-estimate her ability to hit a target. Ford stated she first began taking anonymous cash out of the church offering when the money was brought back to the counting room approximately seven to eight years ago. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. The thefts were disguised as payments to vendors and refunds for children unable to attend the church camp. People often do not take part in a church because they see no clear purpose. If I were the church, I would file a malpractice suit against that firm in a heartbeat. 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. In a statement shared last month, the Remnant Fellowship Church "categorically denied the absurd defamatory statements and accusations made in this documentary," and specifically denied any . These have their place but they are only fellowship to the extent that rest, exercise, and eating are doing the work of the Lord. Want to help your child build lasting, meaningful friendships? Ford used Automated Clearing House to transfer at least $363,834 from the churchs Allaso Ranch account and $324,313 from another church account to her personal bank accounts. Some of their better known clients are Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, Mark Driscoll Ministries and LeSEA Global Feed the Hungry. Dons aptitude for sports led him to coach basketball and track in Abilene. He has worked at The Daily Signal, The Inlander, and The Christian Post, covering topics ranging from D.C. politics to prison ministry. The importance of fellowship to the church can be seen first in the fact that fellowship occurred naturally as a result of the establishment of the church. We want to meet people right where they are. So what is an audit committee? Jennie desires to set strong examples for children and help parents make this journey fun and exciting. Hes a successful writer amongst other things. Besides Brewer mentioned earlier, Mac Richard also has a working relationship with Young. In 1978 he received his Th.M. Also, they have a fantastic CFO. But the stupid squander what they have been given. The fact that Fellowship failed to notice an 11-year case that stole massive amounts of money shows that Ford had little oversight. Fellowship involves actively doing Gods will. Got I got out of there when I did! You can practice fellowship by taking an active part where you can best help with this goal. We believe there is one true God in three distinct persons: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Fellowship Church is one of Americas largest multisite megachurches. Her sentence could be reviewed in as soon as 18 months. They have two boys, both married and living in Hutto, Josh & Tanaya and Jordan & Kate. She grew up in the church, but didn't come to know Jesus truly until she heard the gospel while watching the 700 club. It is not just being together but doing together. The sentence puts the burden on her to prove that the change is real.. This is the way fellowship will affect us if we get in and dig together. She is married to Drew Neal, her firefighter husband, and together, they have three children: Grady, Andee Kate, and Harlan. Read more Church and Ministry Believing the Bible reveals the nature and character of God. We would love to celebrate with you and meet with you. Welcome to The Fellowship Our Ministries Join us at our Round Rock, Hutto, or Taylor campuses Sundays at 9:30 and 11 AM. Stanfield + ODell, P.C.s failure to uncover Fords theft should serve as a red flag for the accounting firms many clients. Brewer Jr. serves as Youngs personal attorney. Nolan, his wife, and their son, Titus, moved from Honolulu, Hawaii to Hutto in 2018, where God provided a place, purpose, family, and home in the Fellowship. He added that internal audits often find nothing because theyre led by the churchs financial leadership, rather than an independent volunteer committee. 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. Fellowship Church is one church, in many locations! It is our partnership with Christ in fulfilling Gods will. He had been working as a graphic designer in a family run print shop for a decade while faithfully serving at his former church for 22 years as the Director of Tech Arts. View All Messages. Of course, some people try to do it all themselves. Several of us did and discreetly brought it to leadership, but they wouldnt investigate it, partly I believe, she was likeable and reliable. Led by Senior Pastors Todd and Julie Mullins, Christ Fellowship meets at multiple locations throughout South Florida and around the globe with church streaming live online. Melissa is the Preschool Coordinator at the Hutto Campus. We have three locations, Round Rock, Hutto, and Taylor, but are one church family. T True Light Fellowship Church True Light Fellowship Church. Ben Fawcett is the Hutto Campus Pastor at The Fellowship. Ford said she observed she was able to manually send money to employees (if their direct deposit did not go through). I have worked fraud cases (forensic fraud ) and what I have studied (pulled the court jacket) , she (this woman) is brilliant. Donors can look for another church or withhold donations until their concerns are addressed. Andy is the Technical Director of the Fellowship Church. If you have made a decision for Christ, we believe this is your next step and is an act of obedience. Fellowship Is God's Way of Accomplishing His Plan of Glorifying Christ 1. Required fields are marked *. Matt has lived all over Texas as he was born in El Paso, then lived in the Dallas area for over 16 years where he met Kelly and started their family. Many, but not all, churches associated with the movement bear the name Fellowship Bible Church. Darren is on point. The average embezzlement takes place over only three years, he said. Together Richard and Young co-authored the book Beauty Full: Becoming More Than Just Pretty. It is an exclusively post-pentecost relationship. In wisdoms house you will find delightful treasures and the oil of the Holy Spirit. In 2010 for example, Young reportedly received a $240,000 a year parsonage allowance in addition to his then $1 million annual salary. You might say that Gods plan must be compared not to a solo but to a symphony. At first the elders and trustees of the church were lax in investigating the issue. Ben is also a chicken farmer that enjoys food, football, and his family. Andy is the youngest of three kids, and most definitely the coolest of the three. he served as principal of Legacy Early College high School in Taylor, Texas. He serves here beside his beautiful wife, Peyton, of 7 years. In 2012, to promote his book Sexperiment, Ed and his wife Lisa spent a day in a bed located on their church roof. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to theft of property greater than $300,000 in value. Does The Remnant Fellowship Church Still Exist Today? 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