This happened in one of the largest and fastest growing churches in Orlando, Florida. Services were packed out every week-standing room only. Miracles were taking place and members loved their pastor. The Board of Trustees said they would always be with him through thick and thin.
One sunny day, the pastor called his secretary to ask her for a telephone number that he had left on his desk. When Kathy walked into his office to retrieve the number, she saw a sheet of paper that had everyone’s salary and housing allowance listed. Kathy shared the information she had stumbled upon with the other office workers. They decided to make a copy of the information, as well as the pastor’s giving record. When Sunday morning came around, three “Christian” women went through the parking lot and placed the confidential information on the windshield of every car.
On Monday morning, the church telephone began to ring; members were very upset. Attendance immediately began to drop. The IRS was called in. The church has lost over 1,800 members, 1/3 of its original size. People were hurt and many lives were destroyed because a church secretary saw something she should not have seen.
Michael Chitwood was called in to perform a full church compliance examination. Chitwood & Chitwood has helped more churches, ministers and pastors with these type situations than any other firm in the world.
