(The Christian Post) Summit Church, a multi-campus congregation in Florida, has fired Jim Hines, one of its directing elders, after he was caught stealing from a Christmas Eve offering and admitted it wasn’t his first time.
The church did not immediately respond to calls from The Christian Post for comment on Thursday but said in a statement to The Roys Report that Hines, who led the church’s Emerging Leaders program, was caught stealing $1,000 from the offering on Christmas Eve, a violation of the church’s “protective policies.”
It is unclear if the police were contacted about the theft, but the church said that Hines admitted to taking cash during an offering count at the church in 2018 — something he had previously denied.
“That charge was taken seriously and Jim was put on leave,” the church said in its statement. “At that time, he denied the accusation and ultimately it could not be confirmed.”