Berlin, MD. — Members of Cool Town Discipleship Church are all aghast at the latest shoe to drop in regard to their church family. While everyone thought this was one big happy church family, the latest news from this venue seems to prove otherwise. It was first announced that at least two families were under investigation for wrongdoing, which actually turned out to be more about the Senior Pastor and the Director of Finances.
Senior Pastor Ron McDonners and Finance Director Bertie McGuinness6 have been indicted on several counts of intimidation, embezzlement, and communicating threats.
Two families who were former members of the church were threatened by the Pastor and Finance Director because the two church officials claimed that the families were lowballing their tithes and offerings. The church was trying to expand its vision for its ministries and felt like the two families were holding out.
Pastor McDonners stated that it was scriptural for His people to give their money, at least 10%, or else they’d be cursed. He said that after Finance Director McGuinness made him aware of this situation with the families not giving what they should, they took matters into their own hands. McDonners claimed that he misheard God. He said that while he was still in jail, pending bond, he thought God said for him to fast, but when he opened his eyes, he said he realized he had heard the investigator exclaim, “Not so fast”, and he was honestly confused about the voice he was hearing.
When the families discovered that the two church officials had reported them to the IRS for failing false tax returns, that’s when they alerted the local officials to this scam.
None the less, McDonners and McGuinness will go to trial sometime next spring.
