Church’s Flock Feels Twice Fleeced

After its last pastor allegedly bilked them out of $10,000, leaders of Rejoice Ministries church thought they were being extra careful when they hired James Poole.

Still reeling from the theft, they asked Poole to come to the church and preach to ensure he was legitimate before hiring him.

“He did a good service,” church secretary Mary Steffens told the West Central Tribune of Willmar for a story in Saturday’s paper. “I will give him credit for that.”

Poole was hired in August, but less than a month later, he allegedly skipped town without repaying $3,344 he borrowed from the church for rent, trips, even a new bathtub, Steffens said.

Church officials later learned that Poole -- whose real name authorities believed was Jerry Andrews -- had served jail time for writing bad checks and credit card theft.

“I feel like we are a clearinghouse for bad pastors,” Steffens said.

Last winter, Rejoice Ministries hired Dennis Bennett as pastor, not knowing that he was a veteran con artist.

Prosecutors filed criminal charges after Bennett was accused of stealing $10,000 that the church gave him for a car, a home down payment and other expenses.

As with Bennett, church leaders found Poole in an Internet advertisement when they searched for a new pastor.

Rejoice Ministries’ congregation of 12 is now trying to decide whether to look for a new pastor or shut down.

“I don’t know where we are going to go from here,” Steffens said. “Each time it’s cost us a lot of money.”