Bishop Anthony Jinwright, fighting for his freedom and reputation, took the witness stand Tuesday and acknowledged taking "too much" in pay from his Charlotte congregation, but insisted he isn't guilty of fraud or tax evasion.

His dramatic self-defense came after federal prosecutors finished presenting their case against him and his wife, Harriet Jinwright. They accuse the co-pastors of the Greater Salem City of God church of failing to report about $1.8 million of the $5 million in income they reaped from 2002 to 2007.

That income, prosecutors say, allowed the pastors to enjoy a lavish lifestyle of fancy cars, homes and trips.

But Tuesday, wearing a sober black suit and black-and-white striped tie, the bishop acknowledged that he could have better handled his tax payments and his church's finances.

His attorney, Ed Hinson, asked: Do you have regrets?

"As I look back," Jinwright replied, "I have a lot of regrets."

Were you a responsible steward?

"Not as responsible as I should have been."

Did you take too much in compensation from the church?

"I feel that we have been blessed tremendously," he said. "As I look back over all I've seen in this process, I think it was too much."

The Jinwrights' lawyers contend that prosecutors must prove the couple acted with criminal intent. Anthony Jinwright on Tuesday said he'd made innocent mistakes, not willful evasions.

Hinson and Harriet Jinwright's lawyer, Kevin Tate, tried to hammer that point home throughout the day.

Jinwright testified that he is trying to sell his home and cars in hopes of paying off his taxes, and emphasized that he has learned his lesson.

"I never sought to be a burden on the ministry," Jinwright told jurors. "I sought to be a help. As I look back, I now realize it was a burden. ... And that is very painful to me."

His testimony follows days of government witnesses who portrayed the couple as luxury-loving, free-spending preachers who reaped a fortune from their west Charlotte congregation.

Prosecution witnesses, including former church administrators, have testified that:

The Jinwrights took church credit cards on two trips to Las Vegas in 2003, running up thousands of dollars in charges while staying at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino and at the Venetian. The church, meanwhile, was routinely bouncing checks.

Greater Salem had a special bank account used to buy luxury items for the Jinwrights, including Louis Vuitton bags, luggage, clothing and a $1,500-a-month lease payment on a Mercedes-Benz.

The church obtained a line of credit in 2006 so Anthony Jinwright could receive a $50,000 pay raise.

A former finance administrator has testified that the church's books were "a mess" when he arrived in 2004. And an Atlanta consultant who conducted audits for the church said he found several areas where compensation was not being included in the Jinwrights' taxable incomes.

But defense attorneys fought back Tuesday as they began their case. They succeeded in getting one charge - lying to government agents - thrown out, but other charges remain.

In an effort to show the Jinwrights' generosity, Hinson showed jurors thousands of dollars worth of checks Anthony Jinwright had written to other pastors, churches, and to struggling members of his own congregation.

Jinwright testified that he'd given the money as "seed offering" or "love offering." He explained it as a church tradition centered on the Biblical principle of sowing "seed" - in this case gifts of money - into other people's lives, believing it will grow into blessings for both giver and receiver.

One $500 check went to a college student in whom Jinwright said he saw potential. Another check went to an unemployed man in the church with two young children whom Jinwright said never complained about his plight.

"I was just moved to sow into his life," the minister said. "He's just a fine, fine young man."

Jinwright testified that he also received such offerings himself. But he never realized those gifts constituted taxable income for the receiver. While prosecutors have said he and his wife reaped extra income from honoraria gained during speaking engagements, for instance, he testified that he usually also gave "seed offerings" back to churches that invited him.

In some cases, he noted, he received no honoraria. His disapproving tone suggested that was bad form on the part of his hosts; concurring murmurs rippled through his supporters in the audience.

Jinwright testified that he had little training in accounting, and delegated day-to-day financial matters to the church's staff and board of directors. Many of the church members who packed the audience Tuesday appear to support him still. They smiled and nodded or talked with him during courtroom breaks.

He will resume testifying today, with cross-examination expected from prosecutors. It's unclear whether his wife will testify. Lawyers say the case could go to the jury Friday.
***
Qcitymetro.com reporter Rhi Bowman contributed to this report.

Sign up for our Weekly Email Newsletter Email: For Email Marketing you can trust

Other Ways to Share Twitter Del.icio.us MySpace

Discussions and Submission Agreement