“Pastor” Jonathan Barker at Grace Lutheran Church on 60th st called Kenosha Police just after 6pm tonight to report that a “former employee” stole $82,000 from the church’s bank account. Barker, who has two convictions for disorderly conduct, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Barker has come under fire recently for “firing” all of the employees at the Grace Welcome Center food pantry. According to the executive director, Denise Russell:
“The activities currently underway at Grace Lutheran Church as regards the food pantry and community services are not the work of Grace Welcome Center™. Kenosha’s Grace Welcome Center food pantry and community services organization is in the process of establishing a new nonprofit corporation to operate under, as required by a letter from the Grace Lutheran Church Council President and Secretary dated July 27, 2024 (See Grace Lutheran Church’s announcement to the Congregation). After the agreement was made to peacefully part ways, Grace Welcome Center has proceeded in accordance with Wisconsin State Statute 181 and Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. To date, Grace Welcome Center has:
Assembled a board of directors
Filed articles of incorporation with the State of Wisconsin; incorporating as Kenosha Welcome Center, Inc. (KWC)
Registered Grace Welcome Center as a trademark of Kenosha Welcome Center, Inc
Applied for and received an employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS
Almost completed the application for 501(c)(3) recognition
Also to date, KWC hasn’t received any cooperation from the Church Council regarding our agreements with them to rent space or to transfer assets. Our latest effort to get information regarding the tasks that fall within their duty was ignored, and the Church Council has since locked out Kenosha Welcome Center employees and seized our inventory and assets.
Pastor Jonathan Barker crossed an ethical line when he had two uniformed Kenosha police officers dispatched to the Church to interfere in a routine corporate spin-off that, until that point, had been proceeding amicably and with the intention of establishing a mutually beneficial agreement that would have allowed Grace Welcome Center to continue serving the community in the same way that it has for seven years. Pastor Barker and the Church Council’s questionable behavior throughout this process has resulted in the resignation of the Church Council’s President and Secretary. Grace Lutheran Church also appears to have taken over the Grace Welcome Center Facebook page in violation of KWC’s trademark.
The inventory and assets that were seized were donated to Grace Welcome Center, not Grace Lutheran Church. There are strict state and federal regulations as to what charitable organizations can and cannot do with items that have been donated to them—including but not limited to inventory to be distributed to the public and kitchen equipment. The Church Council made no effort to adhere to those regulations. Kenosha Welcome Center is in the process of retaining the services of an attorney who specializes in nonprofit law for advice and guidance regarding these matters, and to determine if any civil or criminal lines have been crossed.
While we remain locked out of Grace Lutheran Church, Grace welcome Center/Kenosha Welcome Center is working to find a new location in Kenosha’s Uptown neighborhood or immediate surrounding areas to continue our food pantry and our breakfast, shower, and emergency clothing and hygiene programs.
We are proud and humbled to have the support and encouragement of our large food distributors Feeding America and the Kenosha County Food Bank, as well as senior management at other charitable and community-based nonprofit organizations throughout Kenosha County. That support along with Kenosha residents and businesses’ habit of rising to the occasion when a community is in need gives us great confidence that we will be up and running again in short order. Grace Welcome Center’s Executive Director Denise Russell not only built the food pantry from scratch, but added the hot breakfast, shower, and emergency clothing and hygiene programs as well. She did it once and she can do it again. And this time she already has a management team in place and an army of volunteers assembled and ready for action.
We’ll see you soon.”
Several members of the Church’s Council have recently resigned.
15 Responses
When are you going to report on the disgraced Wilmot school board member allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the Jr. Panther football organization?
I’m sure they are a “good guy” just like Padlock. Ask Jeff Moore!
Kevin, I would love for you to do a story on this Wilmot Board Member. Everyone seems to be hiding from it. This is a big reason why rural communities can’t get ahead- so much unchecked corruption. This woman caused a coup and turns out to be the bad guy.
Maybe the pastor took it, that’s why he pushed everyone out and points the blame first!??
“There are strict state and federal regulations……………”
Keep in mind, in Kenosha, rules and regulations are often open to interpretation, at least when it comes to political and religious ideology and liberal leadership. It is Kenosha after all.
We eagerly await more drama from Grace Lutheran……..
Amber Fierke working there?
Does any worship go on there at all?
The same worship of many churches.
The almighty dollar.
A skunk always smells his own hole first.
I hope Grace Lutheran Gets back to the simple basics as the early church teaching Bible Doctrine.Preparing and teaching the Congregation and preparing them to grow in Grace.His only Job is Pastor Teacher.(Bible) How is the Pastor able to study and prepare from THE BIBLE if he is out doing community organizing or trying to be a Dr.Phil and what ever.If he has a little time on his hand maybe get his Guns and go to the shooting range That’s my .02 cents opinion
Are you lumping in respectable gun owners with this turd?
Fortunately for Pastor Barker the police weren’t defunded since he found the need to call them twice in five days to promote his immoral agenda. Since he says policing is a sin, has he washed away the sins of the police officers he called? Or are the condemned to hell for doing his dirty work?
I don’t know if this is true, but I heard it was announced at church that Justin Blake was the new executive director.
It is true.
Justin Blake the new executive director? You’re joking, right? What qualifications does he have, if true. That Pastor is no man of God.