Police are investigating the theft of more than $700,000 from St. James’ Church and Day School in Baton Rouge, La.

St James’ rector, the Rev. J. Mark Holland, notified the parish on July 1, writing in the parish newsletter, “our comptroller, Clarke Van Sickle, has misappropriated funds from the church.”

The thefts were discovered after $2,900 in petty cash was missing in March. Employed as comptroller for the parish and the 250-student church day school for the past seven years, Mr. Van Sickle resigned after the cash theft was discovered. A subsequent audit uncovered the larger thefts, which Fr. Holland alleged began seven years ago.

“It is very sad when somebody you work with betrays you,” Fr. Holland said, but he was encouraged by the reaction from the parish. “Clark [Van Sickle] will have to pay for his actions,” he said, but “we’re in the forgiveness business.”

Approximately $100,000 of the losses will be covered by insurance, as Mr. Van Sickle was bonded, he said, and as “Clark is cooperating” with the District Attorney’s Office we “hope the majority of funds will be recovered.”

The Rt. Rev. Charles E. Jenkins III, Bishop of Louisiana, told The Living Church he had “great confidence in the clergy and lay leadership of St. James’.” “Forgiveness and justice will characterize their response,” he said.

Bishop Jenkins noted “employee dishonesty” had been discovered recently “in one of our diocesan schools [TLC, March 14, 2004], in the diocesan office, and now in one of our parishes. In each case, the internal controls of the organization brought the problem to light.

“Each of these organizations has learned from their experiences and each organization has made improvements to their internal controls in an effort to prevent such acts from occurring” he said.

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