Shelley Strickland, who is married to Southern Baptist pastor Mark Strickland, has been charged with stealing more than $400,000 from a church. She may also face charges related to embezzlement from other Churches. The Roys Report (TRR) spoke to Ware Shoals Police Chief Bryan Louis, who said she’d confessed to the theft.
Mrs. Strickland has been a financial secretary at First Baptist Church for the past seven years. Her husband is the pastor of First Damascus Baptist Church, a few miles away. The Couple lives in the onsight parsonage. According to the police, Shelly Strickland was arrested on August 9, 2024. She was charged with breach of trust over $10,000.
Authorities suspect she has stolen money from several churches in Greenwood County. If convicted, she could face a sentence of up to 10 years. Police Chief Louis expects to file additional charges. She has also been reported to the IRS for failing to pay taxes on her ill-gotten gains. Her deception was discovered when she refused to train a replacement for her job.
First Baptist Church became suspicious and launched an internal investigation, which unearthed evidence of her alleged crime. When church leaders confronted her, she admitted to her wrongdoing. She said she had used First Baptist’s credit card to purchase vacations, vehicles, and restaurant meals. According to police, she would charge her personal card and then reimburse herself using church funds.
Chief Louis reported that she paid out thousands of church funds to her family. There is no evidence suggesting her husband had any idea of her alleged financial crimes. Shelly Strickland was employed as a financial secretary at a number of other organizations. She held positions at a handful of other churches and a local Baptist association.
She is also suspected of stealing from those entities. Her alleged crimes affected the Lakelands Baptist Association, Emerald Baptist Church, Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church, and Providence Baptist Church. Local police are investigating dozens of individual crimes and expect to file charges soon. While Strickland is suspected of stealing around $15,000 from Turkey Creek Baptist Church, they have declined to press charges. The embattled woman has been released on a $10,000 bond.
Earlier this month, we reported on another church embezzlement scheme. Dallas Montgomery Majewski, the president of an Evansville, IN, ministry, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars. Law enforcement arrested the man under a warrant this year. They say he orchestrated a brazen theft scheme that brought the pastor more than $500,000, multiple luxury cars, pricey jewelry, and high-dollar suits. Majewski, 62, was booked in Vanderburgh County jail just after 10:15 a.m. He served as president of the nonprofit Disciples of Christ Ministries. According to Vanderburgh County Superior Court records, Majewski faces 30 counts of theft, each a Level 6 felony.
Police. Det. Nathan VanCleave of the Evansville Police Department explained, “They became concerned when Dallas (Majewski) began wearing fancy suits, wearing Rolexes, and driving a Maserati and brand new Corvette.” The investigation into the financial improperly was extensive. According to the detective, police served 18 subpoenas and warrants on “dozens of bank accounts, credit cards, and loans involving DCUSA (Disciples of Christ Ministries).”