To hear of this couple, ex-pastor Charles Gilford and his wife, Adriane in jail for stealing over $400,000 from their church members really is very hurting to the body of Christ. Why is it, when husbands and wives in the ministry are supposed to uphold righteousness, they get caught up in a scandal most of the time? This Houston couple once led the congregation of Bethel Institutional Missionary Baptist Church (BIMBC) with much love and compassion, according to their friends, but if they committed this crime, they really did not love their church members. You do not love people, if you steal from them. If you love God, you do not act like the world and in this particular case, this married couple was gambling and stealing from their own church.
As we always remind you the Word of God informs us not to be like the world. I John 2:15, it reads, 'Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.' Therefore, Pastors Charles and his wife, Adriane had no business gambling nor stealing. How could a pastor and wife have such a gambling habit, they would steal from their own church members? This seems to be the same sort of demonic spirit that would deceive these married couples in the ministry to commit fornication, adultery, homosexuality or any other sort of sin that has been the cause of recent church scandals.
This is a message to all pastors and wives, we highly respect you, but you cannot live or act like the world. If we want to clean up the church, we must make an effort to keep our own lives clean, completely holy and righteous. We are supposed to be different than the world and separate from anything that will offend God, including our brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the worst things about today's church is, many pastors like to call being holy, tradition, but it is God's lifestyle designed for each and every Christian whom claims to be His child. Therefore, if the average pastor within the black church would not be so focused on making sure their ministry is so modern, then they wouldn't be caught doing senseless things like this former pastor and first lady, Charles and Adriane Gilford.
We sincerely pray for Charles and Adriane Gilford that they both repent for the wrong they have done.
Watch Video
DA: Pastor, wife gambled away $430,000 from Houston church
khou.com
HOUSTON -- A Houston pastor and his wife are in the Harris County jail charged with bilking their former congregation out of more than $400,000 and using that money for gambling trips to Louisiana.
Charles Gilford, 58, and Adriane Gilford, 53, were indicted Wednesday by a Harris County grand jury and charged with aggregate theft and "misapplication of fiduciary property."
Prosecutors allege the Gilfords used at least $430,000 in church funds to gamble at the Coushatta Casino near Lake Charles between 2004 and 2007. They were pastor and first lady of Bethel Institutional Missionary Baptist Church...Read full article, here.
Source and video: KHOU.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment