Grace Church raided - Armstrong under Indictment

According to the Colorado Independent, more than 20 police officers raided Grace Church and St. Stephen’s in downtown Colorado Springs on Wednesday. This is the latest in the ongoing criminal investigation into whether the controversial Don Armstrong embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Colorado Springs Gazette also reports that the police seized financial records and computers.

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.

The development is the latest in a complex story involving Armstrong and his followers who split from the Episcopal Church and joined the Episcopalian Diocese of Nigeria, whose archbishop once supported a law imposing five-year prison terms for gays and their supporters.

Since then, Armstrong and his faction have kept physical possession of the historic Grace Church and St. Stephen’s. The Episcopal Church of Colorado wants it back, of course as it belongs to TEC.

A Video clip is here.

There must be some rather strong evidence for the police to have raided the place. Armstrong is very influential in the area.

The article concludes:

And there have been statements, and more statements, and more statements still issued by Armstrong supporters and by the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado. There have been so many developments in this story that the key players are now finding themselves having to repeat efforts of the past. This week for example, the pro-Armstrong faction voted to join up with the Nigerian group. The announcement left many scratching their heads. Hey! Didn’t they already do that in March?

The saga continues. Bottom line, no matter how many times Armstrong’s followers take their latest vote, two things are clear in this sordid drama:

1. The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado wants its $17 million church building/landmark back.

2. Armstrong doesn’t want to give it up.

This link has several links to articles about the raid. What I'd like to know is, why isn't Armstrong in jail. And, I would have loved to have seen his face when the police showed up and let him know that he is not a law unto himself and fleeing to Akinola land doesn't do a blessed thing to protect his illegal activities.