Embezzlement trial ordered for pastor

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Pastor Arthur Pearson will stand trial on charges he embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from the Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, where he preached.

The decision Monday came after a lengthy and often interrupted preliminary exam to determine if there was enough evidence to bring the case to trial.

In early February,the court heard testimony from a church trustee and a deacon who said Pastor Pearson gave himself a an "honorarium" that totaled $45,000 and a $5,000 raise.
 
The defense got witnesses to admit there was nothing in the pastor's contract the prohibited him from giving himself the money and that there were few written rules that he had to follow.

The preliminary hearing continued on other dates, and no decision was handed down until Monday.

Pearson is accused of spending between $50,000 and $100,000 of the church's money on personal items, including car repair and trips to the mall.