Colorado Springs church target of police search

You may recall Grace and St. Stephen’s Church which moved to CANA under the cloud of charges of financial mismanagement by its rector, Don Armstrong.

Colorado Springs police chose the eve of Thanksgiving to search the church. The Denver Gazette reports:

Colorado Springs police detectives raided Grace Church and St. Stephen’s Wednesday morning to seize paper financial records and computers as part of a theft investigation launched more than a year ago.

More than 20 officers cordoned off the block-long church complex at 601 N. Tejon St., evicting its controversial pastor, the Rev. Donald Armstrong, who wandered the sidewalk in clerical garb, a copy of the warrant clutched in his right hand.

Members who left Armstrong’s flock in the split stood near the police tape to watch the raid.

“This is a day I’ve been awaiting for a long time,” said former Armstrong follower Stormy Burns as police hauled bags of evidence from the parish offices. “This is my church. It’s very emotional, but I’m glad there has been action the part of police.”

KRDO adds, “a criminal investigation has been underway and Wednesday’s warrant is likely part of that investigation.”

Rocky Mountain News reports police also took material from Armstrong’s home.

Earlier stories on The Lead: Out of Grace: Shredders… | Why, yes, CANA will take you | More from the archives

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