When I caught the church elder stealing from youth outreach money

Two years ago, I was going through the youth ministry accounts at 11pm in my office. Something wasn't adding up. The outreach budget we approved for the community school program was N350,000 but the receipts showed N120,000 in actual expenses. The remaining N230,000 was withdrawn in cash by Brother Chukwudi, a senior elder who had been in the church since before I was born.

I sat there staring at the bank statement. My hands were shaking small. This man led the building committee, he prayed for people during altar call, he was the one who anointed my hands when I was ordained. And he had been siphoning youth funds for over a year, I discovered after checking previous months.

I called him the next morning. He came to my office, sat down, and before I could say anything he said, 'Pastor, I know why you called me. I have been struggling. My son's school fees, my wife's hospital bills. I borrowed from the account planning to return it.' He started crying. A man of 67 years, crying in my office.

I didn't know what to do. Church rules say I should report to the board. But this man's grandchildren sit in my youth service every Sunday. If I expose him, his family's reputation is finished in this town. If I don't, I am complicit in stealing from the same young people I am called to protect.

I prayed about it for three days. Then I sat with Brother Chukwudi and his wife, and we worked out a repayment plan. He paid back everything over eight months. I never reported him to the board. I still don't know if that was the right decision. Some days I think I failed the youth. Other days I think I showed grace. The thing about being a pastor is nobody teaches you what to do when the righteous fall.