Avarice is generally frowned upon in the bible, with one Louisiana pastor falling off the righteous path and caving in to earthly pleasures.
The man, identified as Dale Sanders by multiple media outlets, has been found guilty of a 25-count indictment that involves him stealing more than $340,000 from his congregations to fund both personal expenses and his gambling habit. Sanders, 56, of Kenner, has led worship at both Second New Guide Missionary Baptist Church in Metairie and Fifth African Baptist Church in New Orleans since 2013.
For The Love of Money Is the Root of All Kinds of Evil
Sanders’ behavior has been well-documented in public reporting, with the man withdrawing funds from one church’s bank accounts and transfering it to his own accounts.
The money went to funding his living expenses, dining and gambling, prosecutors noted in the official indictment. Trial evidence pointed to specific transactions, including a $5,000 check Sanders deposited from the church, a roughly $1,172 purchase at a Hard Rock Hotel in Florida, about $1,300 in charges at a Mississippi casino, and even a $226 charge at a veterinarian’s office.
Sanders stole over $340,000, and besides taking funds straight from the bank accounts, he also used a church debit card. The scheme went unnoticed for four years, the alleged conduct spanned April 2020 to April 2024, with the pastor trying to hide his acts by falsifying records when he was subpoenaed by a grand jury.
The jury’s verdict, delivered Friday, July 17, following a five-day trial before US District Judge Brandon S. Long, broke down to 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of access device fraud, and a single count of impeding a federal investigation, though Sanders was acquitted on one wire fraud count, meaning the conviction wasn’t a total sweep of the charges. U.S. Attorney David Courcelle’s office for the Eastern District of Louisiana handled the prosecution.
Pastor Calls for His Followers to Pray against the ‘Enemy’
Sanders doubled down on his innocence, however, and when an indictment was finally filed, he urged his congregations to pray against “the enemy”: specifically asking followers to pray what he called a “Matthew 5:44 prayer” for his accusers.
He had earlier claimed in a video statement that he’d actually worked without pay for four years to protect the church financially, insisting, “Let me submit to you today that I am a giver. I don’t steal, and I have not stolen from a church I’ve pastored.” He also thanked the people who have supported him, and said that “God is already working and moving by his Spirit.”
The court, though, is concerned more with the physical aspects of life, and on this count, Sanders is in trouble, as he now faces up to 20 years in prison as well as a $250,000 fine. His refusal to admit guilt is also a compounding issue that could see him face a lengthier sentence. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 13, 2026.