Posted on 07/06/2006 4:55:41 PM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Presbyterian Church (USA) has fired its finance and accounting director after she allegedly admitted to embezzling $102,000 from the church's general operating fund.
A release from the Presbyterian Church said Judy Golliher admitted to taking the money after being asked about several unexplained items.
The release said Golliher was fired after she admitted to taking the money. The church notified the Commonwealth Attorney's Office about the situation. The church said Golliher will cooperate with the investigation and pay back the money.
The 2.3-million member church has recently been focusing on reorganizing its mission program.
In late April, the religious organization announced that 75 employees at the national headquarters here would lose their jobs as part of $9.15 million in budget cuts. The church also said it would eliminate 55 overseas mission positions.
Today, we learn of the treasurer embezzling $100,000.
Where are the internal controls in a large organization that would make it impossible for the top money officer to have access to cash?
This embezzlement follows on the heels of $390,000 paid 3 weeks ago to the former Treasurer to settle a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Presbyterians, it might be a good idea if you stopped sending any money to headquarters. They do not know how to handle it.
Presbyterian Shenanigans Ping!
Probably needed the cash for a sex-change operation. Doesn't the PCUSA endorse that sort of thing these days?
OMG, I met her last summer! [I work for a Presbytery]
Stunning. Terrible timing, since, from what I've heard, Birmingham went well this year.
Don't know about sex changes, but they did endorse the use of medical marijuana at the recent General Assembly.
Shades of Ellen Cooke of ECUSA!
They got laid off in the last set of cuts.
You hear wrong. And this was not the only financial weirdness associated with this disasterous event:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3960551
My colleagues (all of whom are left of center, admittedly), said the Assembly was contentious, yet prayerful.
Wilson can just reorganize. The Foundation is in good shape, with or without his bequest.
Interesting. How would you describe her? I used to work with some embezzelers.
Frankly, I'm still shocked. She seemed salt-of-the-earth, friendly, garrulous.
The lack of internal controls is surprising, but they have a substantial and professional accounting department. Sounds like a management issue. Keep your brushes from being too broad, please!
Sounds like one I knew. Everyone liked her. She set up a bunch of phantom companies. We caught her on a boat in Key West headed out to the islands.
The new treasurer was certainly a quick learner!!!! Hired in 2004 and fired in 2006 for embezzling!!! That is real talent!!!!
Here is an excerpt from the PCUSA news service:
"Golliher began working at the PC(USA) in October 2004 as interim controller. A year later she was named associate director for Finance and Accounting. In February, she also became treasurer for the PC(USA) church corporation."
Here are excerpts from the PCUSA press release when Golliher was hired in 2004.
"'It's important to do work wisely and efficiently,' Golliher says"
"Golliher, a Catholic, says working for the PC(USA) "has opened up a
whole new world to me. Most Louisvillians don't appreciate the influence of
the PC(USA) all over the world. I've been amazed.""
""I've always been intrigued by the PC(USA)," Golliher told the
Presbyterian News Service in an Oct. 27 interview. "I've had an increasing
interest in the nonprofit sector and thought the Presbyterian Center would be
a fabulous place to work.""
""Part of my role to help the healing and to help MSS move on,"
Golliher said. "Because Nagy's departure was so abrupt, people tell me
they're just glad to see the lights on and the door open."
She said she hopes to lead the MSS staff "through some evaluation and
reevaluation. It's important to do our work wisely and efficiently."
Golliher said she's impressed "by the thorough understanding and
appreciation here that there are a lot of Presbyterians out there who are
giving their $1 or $5 a week or month because they want the church to do good
in the world. We owe it to them to do the very best we can.""
A Catholic working as treasurer for the PCUSA? Hmmmm ...
In theory, leadership in PCUSA (I can't speak for PCA or ECUSA) is supposed to be equally elders and clergy. Elders tend to be more aware of management controls and so forth.
While she's obviously, seemingly, the one most to blame, I think some clergy might need to take some MBA-level management classes. This is really, really sad, at least for me. While the politics of the place can drive me up the wall, to a person, the staff I know at PCUSA are committed, professional, competent, mission-centered Christians.
The view from the center, aka, in the PC(USA), as the "fundamentalist right"
http://www.presbycoalition.org/GA5statement.htm
http://www.layman.org/layman/news/2006-news/statement-on217-ga-by-plc-board.htm
Maybe they would be happier, now that PC(USA) has "gone congregational" with this AI on ordination standards, in the SBC?
http://www.layman.org/layman/news/2006-news/briefs-on-southern-baptists.htm
Hired staff need only be professing Christians. I'm Lutheran-Missouri Synod, for example. It's the very top, the very collective decision-makers who are Presbyterian in creed.
I secretly get "The Layman" at home, and give them nominal monetary support.
No one at work knows this, and I really really doubt any of them would even go anywhere near FR, unless a coworker Google-bombs the story.
I don't know about the foundation, but the denomination will probably be reorganizing again, again, again....as the money dies up from the members stampeding out the door for more conservative Bible believing Churches, or the older members dieing off.
Agreed entirely. Evangelicals are actually the "Silent Majority" in the Church, but most ministries are more ethnic or urban-centered, and, frankly, Evangelicals are more likely to work longer hours and can't devote as much time to the denomination.
Schism is probably inevitable, but we can still pray for all believers.
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