Fraud tests faith of Ottawa congregation

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/church-treasurer-fraud-saint-luke-lutheran-church-1.5247807

Former treasurer Bart Burron, 72, embezzled more than $600K from St. Luke Lutheran Church

Judy Trinh · CBC News · Posted: Aug 15, 2019 6:05 PM ET | Last Updated: an hour ago

Rev. Bryan King, left, and board chair Pierre Cornier, right, read victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing of Bart Burron. The former volunteer treasurer has been convicted of defrauding St. Luke Lutheran Church of more than $600,000. (Judy Trinh/CBC)

The theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the coffers of an Ottawa church by a trusted treasurer has nearly torn the congregation apart, its minister said Thursday.

Bart Burron, 72, was convicted of fraud in April for embezzling more than $600,000 from St. Luke Lutheran Church in New Edinburgh, money he planned to use to pay off a failed real estate venture.

On Thursday, more than a dozen parishioners sat in an Ottawa courtroom, some weeping as victim impact statements were read aloud at Burron's sentencing hearing.

"There was a lot of damage," said Rev. Bryan King in an interview. "We lost probably about 30 members of the church who lost confidence in the congregation that we could conduct business and handle our financial affairs. It was a big blow."

King said he first became concerned at the end of 2013, when Burron told him his salary had to be cut.

"To approach me after all these years and say, 'Oh well, we're going to cut your salary, we're going to cut your benefits and we've been too generous,' just didn't make sense to me," King said.

Former treasurer Bart Burron began stealing from St. Luke Lutheran Church in 2009. (Felix Desroches/CBC )

The Crown is seeking a two-year prison sentence and a parole condition for Burron to repay $1,000 per month from his pension. Burron's lawyer is arguing for two years of house arrest, saying the former treasurer is bankrupt and frail.

Burron is due to be sentenced Oct. 4.

Condo scheme failed

Burron, a chartered accountant who worked for the federal auditor general, spent three decades volunteering as treasurer at St. Luke, where he managed investments and had sole signing authority over the church's financial accounts. 

The court heard that beginning in 2009, Burron began stealing from the church to build and sell luxury condos, and planned to use his earnings to fund his retirement. Over four years, he falsified accounts and siphoned $607,000 from the church to fund the scheme, which ultimately failed.

To stave off bankruptcy, the church decided to sell the pastor's home, where King lived for 25 years.

The chair of the congregation's board, Pierre Cornier, said the church's finances are now "healthy," and said there are now new checks and balances in place to ensure this doesn't happen again.

"We have a committee that looks after the investments. We've hired an accountant. We've hired a bookkeeper and it takes several signatures on cheques," Cornier said.

King noted Burron has yet to demonstrate remorse for his actions, making it difficult for remaining congregants to put into practice a central Christian tenet.

"That's the point of the church, isn't it? To forgive — that's what the Christian message is all about. Forgiveness and reconciliation. And [Burron] has put a wall up and not allowed us to do that with him, and that's very sad," King said.