Recently a Milwaukee woman pleaded guilty to stealing thirty thousand dollars from her church where she worked, claiming she lost all the money investing in Bitcoin. And last month in Minnesota, a church treasurer was found guilty of stealing over one hundred eighty thousand dollars from a church to feed a gambling addiction. Both incidents highlight what can happen when people try to get rich quick. That approach can easily lead to sinful, destructive behavior, that hurts innocent people, as well as the guilty party.
Stealing from a church takes embezzlement to a whole new level. Churches need to safeguard their finances, but they can also help people avoid these disastrous situations by educating all ages regarding principles of good financial stewardship–earning, tithing, saving, and sharing. Families also need to consciously build these principles into their children.
