Colorado Springs Church Finance Director Arrested for Fraud, Theft, and Forgery
The church said a lack of checks and balances created the opportunity.
The financial director of a Colorado Springs church committed theft, fraud, and other offenses against the church during her five years of employment.
Pikes Peak Christian Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado / Facebook
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office secured an arrest warrant for 896 counts of financial crimes by Sarah Ann Mock-Butler who had been employed at Pikes Peak Christian Church. Mock-Butler turned herself in without incident on May 31.
The investigation of church financial documents dating from 2018 to 2022 showed Mock-Butler had stolen a “large quantity of money” during that period.
Counts enumerated in the arrest warrant include theft, cyber crime, money laundering, identity theft, forgery, tax evasion, and filing a false tax return.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation into Mock-Butler’s crimes is ongoing.
Ross Frisbie, lead pastor of Pikes Peak Christian Church, told MinistryWatch by email that the church discovered Mock-Butler’s misdeeds in October 2022 after she had left the church’s employ in the summer. They reported the misappropriation of funds to law enforcement.
Mock-Butler was able to take advantage of the opportunity because the church didn’t have enough checks and balances or oversight, Frisbie noted.
Since the discovery, the church has adopted much stricter processes regarding finances, has implemented a financial oversight team, and has hired an outside agency to advise.
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When asked what he would say to other churches wanting to learn from Pikes Peak Christian Church’s experience, Frisbie wrote, “Make sure you have a financial oversight team that sees not only the reports but the bank statements as well. Trust but verify.”
Advice from AG Financial, a firm that serves churches and ministries, supports the changes adopted by Pikes Peak Christian Church. It suggests cash management procedures and internal controls that churches can use to protect themselves against fraud and theft.
According to AG Financial, most church embezzlement crimes occur over years—seven years on average—and involve small sums of money stolen intermittently.
Churches who join the have access to checklists and other resources to help prevent financial fraud.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Why does MinistryWatch report on financial fraud in the church? We report on them because one in three churches will be victimized, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. We also report on them because these crimes have real victims and cost taxpayers and other stakeholders billions of dollars every year. Even small crimes in small churches have huge consequences. We also report on them to remind our readers that they do not have to be victims. There are steps you can take to prevent financial waste, fraud, and abuse in your church or ministry. To find out more, click here.
