Jeffrey Brian Merrow, former pastor of Garden Creek Baptist Church in Marion, North Carolina, has been arrested and charged with felony embezzlement and felony larceny. According to the local sheriff’s office, congregants raised concerns about hurricane relief donations of cash and supplies that never made it to disaster victims.
Merrow, 60, is being held on $5,000 bond. He was already on supervised probation in a separate case.
RELATED: The Devastation From Hurricane Helene Is ‘Overwhelming’ but So Is the Neighborly Love
Garden Creek Baptist Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
North Carolina Pastor’s Congregants Contacted Police About Hurricane Donations
The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that Garden Creek members met with a deputy on Oct. 28, 2024, about concerns, pointing to Merrow as a possible suspect. Congregants told the deputy that “large amounts of cash donations” intended for victims of Hurricane Helene were never submitted “for their intended use.” In addition, they said community donations such as generators, heaters, and chain saws were reported as stolen.
At the meeting, congregants also gave the deputy “numerous receipts…for goods that were never purchased or services that were never rendered, all paid for using church funds.” Included was an insurance claim regarding “items that were never stolen,” according to the sheriff’s statement.
The sheriff’s office issued a warrant for Merrow’s arrest on Nov. 19. They took him into custody on Jan. 5 and are continuing to investigate.
According to the sheriff’s statement, Merrow “is currently on supervised probation for Obtaining Property by False Pretense greater than $100,000, from an unrelated incident.”
Former North Carolina Pastor Preached About Temptation
Hurricane Helene, which struck the Southeast U.S. in late September, killed more than 200 people and caused catastrophic flooding in western Appalachia. Numerous faith-based relief agencies continue to assist with recovery efforts.
In a Sept. 1 sermon posted to YouTube, Pastor Merrow talked about temptation, saying the “devil likes to get you where you’re the weakest.” The way to prevent that, he added, is by “getting on your knees” and reading the Bible.