c. 2006 Religion News Service

Presbyterian Church (USA) Reports Missing $100,000; Official Fired

(RNS) A top treasury official of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been fired after she admitted to embezzlement, denomination executives announced.

More than $100,000 in church funds have disappeared and church officials in Louisville, Ky., said restitution and insurance should cover the losses. They also said the case will be handled by prosecutors, the Presbyterian News Service reported.

Judy A. Golliher, who was the denomination’s second-ranking financial officer, was confronted after staffers discovered the theft on June 27, church officials said in a statement released Thursday (July 6) by the General Assembly Council. She admitted to embezzlement and officials ended her employment.

The missing funds were in the denomination’s general operating fund, which includes church members’ contributions and church investment interest. Church officials expect that programs will not be affected by the theft.

“Our own internal processes detected the misconduct and we took immediate action,” said Linda Valentine, who began working as the General Assembly Council’s new executive director in the same week that the firing was announced.

“In addition to continuing our investigation, we will take steps with external auditors to review and strengthen our internal controls to ensure that funds entrusted with us are properly used.”

Golliher, who served as treasurer for the PC(USA) church corporation, said she would repay the amount she admitted stealing, officials reported.

“While we appreciate the offer of cooperation, we will vigorously pursue our internal investigation and our work with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office,” said Eric Graninger, the denomination’s general counsel.

“We must take every means available to make a full recovery of the church’s funds.”

Golliher was named the denomination’s interim controller in October 2004. In 2005, she became the associate director for finance and accounting and her additional treasurer role began in February.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Baltimore Celebrates Cathedral’s 200th Year

(RNS) Roman Catholics celebrated the 200th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of America’s first cathedral in Baltimore, Friday (July 7) with a re-creation of the historic event.

Sticking as close as possible to the liturgy, music and instruments of the original stone-laying ceremony, Catholics were to re-create the first days of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The celebration was also to include a blessing of the area believed to contain the foundation stone at the southwest corner of the cathedral. Bishop Denis Madden, an auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, was to read the same psalms Archbishop John Carroll read 200 years ago.

Cardinal William H. Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore, missed the festivities because he is in Rome. However, he will lead the celebration in November of a $25 million, two-year restoration project at the basilica, which will culminate with a procession of America’s Catholic bishops for a celebratory service. Pope Benedict XVI has been invited to the November festivities.

The basilica is the first metropolitan cathedral constructed in the U.S. after the adoption of the Constitution.

The design and architecture of the basilica which was built from 1806 to 1821, was led by Bishop John Carroll, the country’s first bishop, and Benjamin Henry Latrobe, architect of the U.S. Capitol, who volunteered his architectural services.

_ Judith Patton

(Judith Patton writes for the Harrisburg Patriot-News)

Megachurch Battles Government Over Classes

WASHINGTON (RNS) A Washington-area megachurch filed a federal lawsuit Monday (July 3), challenging a government ruling that it was improperly holding seminary-level classes on church grounds.

The nondenominational McLean Bible Church, which draws about 9,500 worshippers to its services in Fairfax County, Va., each Sunday, partnered with Capitol Bible Seminary in 2001 to offer Bible study and religious ministry classes.

Although the church does not issue academic credit or confer academic degrees, students were allowed to take classes at the church for credit toward a master’s degree in Bible studies and theology from the Capitol Bible Seminary.

In 2004, Fairfax County officials determined that the classes went beyond those of a typical Sunday school. McLean would need to apply for “college or university” status to continue holding the classes.

McLean Bible claims that “like any other house of worship, an integral part of the church’s ministry is a study of the writing and beliefs sacred to its religion,” according to a court filing by the American Center for Law and Justice, a Washington-based conservative law firm that has taken the church’s appeal.

The church’s suit claims that Fairfax County’s actions violate its constitutional rights to religious free exercise, as well as freedom of speech and association.

_ J. Edward Mendez

Quote of the Day: Pope Benedict XVI on the Middle East conflict

(RNS) “Faced, on the one hand, with blind violence that provokes appalling massacres and, on the other, with the threat of a worsening of the crisis which over the last few days has become even more dramatic, what is needed is justice and a serious and credible commitment to peace, which unfortunately, are nowhere to be seen.”

_ Pope Benedict XVI, speaking on July 2 in St. Peter’s Square about his concern over growing violence between Israelis and Palestinians. He was quoted by the Web site Catholic Online.

DSB END RNS