Church works to heal after crimes in North Carolina

FROM REFLECTOR.COM  -

An assistant pastor who confessed to stealing computer equipment and embezzling from his church twice tried to commit suicide after he was found out, according to authorities and church officials.




William Edward “Eddie” Lloyd, 47, of 272 Olive Branch Blvd. in Grifton was arrested Saturday and charged with larceny by an employee in connection with the Aug. 1 theft of $20,000 in computer equipment from Open Door Ministries and Church on Reedy Branch Road. Additional charges are pending, according to the Pitt County Sheriff's Office.



Lloyd, employed eight years in several capacities at the church, allegedly stole the computers to hide records of a more lengthy embezzlement scheme, according to documents filed along with an arrest warrant by sheriff's Detective J.W. Stancil.



The church stands ready to forgive Lloyd and wants to “reclaim and restore” him, senior pastor Paul G. “Greg” Kennedy said Monday.



“We are called to love, and our heart is to be forgivers,” Kennedy said. “We preach that to be done in every situation. It is a difficult thing, but this is what it's about, showing the love of Jesus. Now, we either will or we won't.”



Lloyd was an assistant pastor serving as finance director at the church. When his plans unraveled, he attempted suicide Wednesday by opening a gas connection on the top floor of the church, according to Stancil's report and accounts related by Kennedy.



He was interrupted by employees arriving for work that morning. Unable to reconnect the gas valve, he left the church, headed to Durham and checked into a motel. The church and adjacent day care had to be evacuated.



Lloyd sent a text message to parishioners and the church, revealing his acts, motives and intention to end his life. He cut his wrist and ingested medications, but his effort was interrupted by local police Wednesday afternoon, Stancil reported.



Lloyd was arrested after his release from the hospital Saturday. He posted a $1,500 secured bond and left the jail.



Kennedy visited Lloyd at the hospital.



“Eddie told me he didn't want to die,” Kennedy said, characterizing his actions as a cry for help.



“This is a tragedy and a painful time for all of us. We've seen Eddie and his wife through many times, including the birth of a son who is deeply affected by autism. He's been a very capable employee who gave no indication that he was upset about anything,” Kennedy said.



Lloyd had indicated in his text message that he committed the crimes because he had felt betrayed, according to Stancil's report.



Kennedy said Lloyd recanted that. “He told us he was just looking for an excuse for his behavior while feeling sorry for himself,” Kennedy said.



Established in 1986, The Church of the Open Door has more than 1,200 members. Kevin Wallace, administrative director of the sheriff's office, and Christy Wallace, the sheriff's public information director, belong to the church.



The pastor said church administrators never saw anything identifiably wrong in Lloyd's work or had any indication of illegal behaviors.



“We found some mistakes in our finances last month, nothing serious and we were able to get through it. We were talking about taking the problems out of house to a CPA, but we never put the two together and tied it to Eddie,” Kennedy said. “We talked to him about it, and I think that led to the circumstances that made him do what he did. I think it was the pressure that pushed him over the edge.”



Kennedy said that Lloyd was trusted implicitly, to the point where he was given private passwords for the pastor and his wife.



The ministers, staff and parishioners of Open Door are trying not to feel betrayed, Kennedy said. They are struggling just to believe it happened, he said



“We're choosing not to feel betrayed. We expect, as ministers, to deal with lots of ups and downs and times of difficulty. We expect that, but not with Eddie. He was almost like a son, very easy to like and great with people.”



Kennedy said Lloyd was very contrite and apologetic when they spoke.



“He was ashamed and apologetic for what he had done; he was just a broken man,” Kennedy said.