The grief-stricken family of missing pastor William Strickland has revealed that his body has been found in waters near Limpinwood in northern Australia. The pastor was reportedly returning from a wedding rehearsal when he tried to cross a flooded causeway at about late on Saturday. Pastor Strickland’s, 53, pickup truck was found 400metres downstream by search and rescue crews.
Cheonton Strickland, the pastor’s son, announced on Facebook that the body had been recovered. ‘Praise God! Dad has been found” he wrote, ‘After a long and challenging search and rescue operation, Dad’s body was recovered.’ Strickland’s body was found due to an extensive search by police, SES, family, and members of his Seventh Day Adventist church.
Matt Wood, Tweed-Byron Police District Inspector, reported that more than 170 people helped with the search for Pastor Strickland. ‘It just shows you the standing and the love that this gentleman has had in his community,” said Inspector Woods. After an item was discovered several miles downstream of the causeway, the search was intensified.
Police described the conditions at the time of the accident as ‘extreme’. According to local news, the area was battered with fierce storms. Some districts reported 4 inches of rain within just a few hours. The beloved pastor led Cook Islands church in Annerley on the south side of Brisbane. His son continued on social media: “We are shocked and devastated by this tragic loss. Dad was a charismatic and loved man, who gave his life in service and ministry of the gospel.”
“He touched many people’s lives through his work as a pastor with the Seventh Day Adventist Church in both Australia and New Zealand, and his community work, ” Cheonton Strickland added. “While our hearts are deeply saddened by his death, we know that we will see him again. How glorious will that morning be when we all reunite in Jesus.”
The family remarked that their father “‘ will be deeply missed by all. Our family will not be the same without him.” The family of the deceased pastor wanted “‘to thank those who have been eagerly praying for this moment, and for those who have been here actively searching for Dad, especially our local church community, the NSW police, and SES.”
Earlier this week, we reported on a pastor from North Carolina has been arrested and charged with embezzlement for misusing funds donated for hurricane relief. This adds to a criminal record of financial crimes going back nearly 20 years. The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office stated that 60-year-old Jeffrey Brian Merrow was arrested and charged with felony embezzlement and felony larceny.
The man previously served as pastor of Garden Creek Baptist Church. The arrest came after a months-long investigation into the misuse of funds given by members of his congregation to help with hurricane relief. Hurricane Helene damaged more than $59.6 billion of property and led to the deaths of more than 100 people in North Carolina.
Officers from the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office first became aware of Merrow’s alleged crimes when congregants first reported concerns about “embezzlement, fraud, and theft” at the church in October of last year. This was shortly after Hurricane Helene ravaged Western parts of the state. Suspicious members of the church presented law enforcement with “numerous receipts” for “goods that were never purchased or services that were never rendered, all paid for using church funds.”