She was immediately removed from her position, and the church is currently working with legal counsel to determine the next steps regarding criminal charges and restitution. The congregation is heartbroken, struggling to understand how someone they trusted so deeply could steal from the most vulnerable people in our community.

As for me, I still go to the back room every Sunday. I still smooth out the crumpled bills and write the totals in my ledger. But I don’t hand the bag off anymore. I drive it to the bank myself. Trust is a beautiful thing to have in a community, but accountability is what keeps that community safe.