Greater Salem City of God obtained a line of credit in 2006 so that pastor Anthony Jinwright could receive a $50,000 pay raise, a former church finance administrator testified Monday.

Travis Mauney, who oversaw the church’s financial operations from late 2005 until February 2010, said Greater Salem’s board of directors approved the pay increase after Jinwright requested it. Mauney said he advised directors that the church could not afford the increase.

Mauney’s testimony came in Day 13 of Jinwright’s federal trial on charges of fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion.

The government alleges that co-pastors Anthony and Harriet Jinwright failed to report about $1.8 million in taxable income between 2001 and 2007. During that time, their indictments allege, the couple received more than $5.3 million in payments and reimbursements from Greater Salem, not including gifts and cash given to them by church members.

In morning testimony, Mauney told jurors that after directors approved the $50,000 pay increase, Anthony Jinwright instructed Mauney to include the money as part of his (Jinwright’s) housing allowance rather than as part of his salary. In most cases, witnesses have testified, housing allowances for pastors are not subject to income tax.

Mauney said Anthony Jinwright often avoided conversations about church finances unless the news was good.

Like earlier witnesses, Mauney testified that the Jinwrights received “love offerings” and other special gifts from the church. Those collections, he said, were typically bagged uncounted and sent home with the couple. If checks written to the church were included, he said, the Jinwrights would swap those checks for church-issued checks made payable to them.

Mauney said he resigned as finance administrator in February because he was frustrated and “burnt out.” He said he also left Greater Salem after 20 years attending and 15 years as a member.

When court resumes after lunch, the government is expected to call its final witness.

INTERESTING ASIDE
Lawyers representing Anthony and Harriet Jinwright each requested a mistrial today after testimony about the nature of love offerings at Greater Salem. Defense lawyers said the testimony dealt too much with church governance, not criminal wrongdoing. The jury was not in the room, and Judge Frank Whitney rejected the requests.
 

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