Larry Davis
Encyclopedia
Rev. Larry Davis is a Baptist
minister who pled guilty to charges stemming from misappropriation
of church funds.
and served 11 months, eventually being honorably discharged for being physically unfit. He attended for a time Cumberland College, a Baptist college in Kentucky
now known as the University of the Cumberlands
, but did not graduate. He later attended and graduated from Wright State University
in Dayton, Ohio
with a degree in economics.
He worked as a supervisor for a General Motors
plant in Dayton for 10 years, before quitting to enter the ministry. According to Davis, his mother was unhappy with the career change saying, “My mother cried tears of sorrow when she heard I was going to be a pastor. She didn't want me to leave a secure, relatively stress-free job for the life of a pastor."
. In 1980, Davis earned a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
(SBTS) in Louisville, Kentucky
. In 1985, he left Friendship Baptist Church to accept the pastorate of First Baptist Church of Cold Spring, Kentucky
, a bedroom community of Cincinnati, Ohio
. The following year he earned a doctorate in theology from SBTS.
Under his tenure, First Baptist became one of the fastest-growing churches in the region, thanks in part to a series of Southern Gospel
concerts he was able to bring to the church.
During this time he had opposed the state’s license plate design that included a representation of steeples from Churchill Downs
because of the racetrack’s association with gambling.
In 1993, the church purchased land for the construction of a new church facility needed because of the rapidly increasing membership and an expansion of the road adjacent to the church’s previous property.
Following the 2001 Cincinnati Riots
, Davis along with Rev. Damon Lynch of Cincinnati, initiated talks with the Billy Graham Evangelical Association in an attempt to have Franklin Graham
conduct a revival. Billy Graham
, who was at the time drastically reducing the number of evangelical campaigns he was preaching, accepted the invitation himself.
The church continued to grow, necessitating a multi-million dollar expansion, which was dedicated on Easter Sunday, 2003.
In January 2004 church treasurer Darryl Neltner, identified $600,000 in questionable financial transaction made on accounts controlled exclusively by Davis and contacted the Kentucky State Police
with those concerns, after Darryl Neltner had been contacted by the bank that held the loan for the church. The bank had contacted Darryl Neltner after the bank had noticed some "Unusual" activity in the church's building fund loan, in the way of ATM withdrawals at several different race tracks and at different stores in New York State, such as FAO Schwartz and different clothing stores in New York City, particularly in New York City's Chinatown district.
Later that month, the board of deacon
s recommended placing Davis on administrative leave with pay while the matter was being investigated. This recommendation caused the church to split into factions between Davis’ supporters and his detractors. In late January, the church voted to place the entire board of deacons on inactive status, a highly unusual move even among Baptist churches governed by a congregational church polity and subject to frequent rifts.
Several weeks later, the Kentucky State Police served a search warrant on the church and Davis’ private residence as part of their investigation.
Unhappy with the handling of the situation and with Davis’ hesitancy to account for the funds in question other than to offer assurance of his innocence, several members began to hold separate services with the some of the church’s associate pastors. In reaction to these meetings, a motion was made to remove all those holding any type of office in the church—including ushers and Sunday school teachers. Against the advice of the church’s attorney who argued such a move would violate the church’s own bylaws, the church voted 334-202 to oust those who had attended an alternate service citing what they viewed as un-Christian behavior such as making negative comments about the church and Davis in the press, which had begun to attract considerable local media attention.
In early April 2004, more than 100 former members split from First Baptist Church of Cold Spring to form Christ Baptist Church and moved into the building previously owned by First Baptist that is located down the street from the original church.
By early summer, federal investigators had taken control of the case and a grand jury began looking into Davis’ behavior.
In June 2005, Davis said he would continue preaching even if he was indicted, which Davis predicted was likely. The next day, the federal prosecutor announced the grand jury had handed down a seven-count indictment including falsifying a loan application and tax evasion, and misappropriation of more than $700,000 taken over a period of three years.
Despite his attorney's claim that Davis was unlikely to enter a plea bargain agreement and was eager to clear his name, in October 2005 Davis entered a plea bargain arrangement and resigned as pastor.
On February 15, 2006, federal Judge David Bunning sentenced Davis 30 months-—the maximum the charges permitted. Bunning explained his reasons for the sentence by citing several factors including Davis’ abuse of trust (which he likened to a public corruption case), the division it caused in the community between Davis' supporters and detractors. He also noted an extended sentence would give Davis the opportunity to “do some good” for his fellow inmates and to address his gambling addiction. (Some of the funds were withdrawn from automated teller machine
s at race tracks.)
On February 4, 2008, after serving a majority of his sentence, Davis was placed in a halfway house
in Cincinnati prior to his eventual release from prison, where he was also required to find employment within 15 days of his placement.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister who pled guilty to charges stemming from misappropriation
Misappropriation
In law, misappropriation is the intentional, illegal use of the property or funds of another person for one's own use or other unauthorized purpose, particularly by a public official, a trustee of a trust, an executor or administrator of a dead person's estate or by any person with a responsibility...
of church funds.
Before entering the ministry
The son of a Baptist minister, Davis entered the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and served 11 months, eventually being honorably discharged for being physically unfit. He attended for a time Cumberland College, a Baptist college in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
now known as the University of the Cumberlands
University of the Cumberlands
University of the Cumberlands is a private, liberal arts college located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, with an enrollment of approximately 3,200 students...
, but did not graduate. He later attended and graduated from Wright State University
Wright State University
Wright State University is a comprehensive public university with strong doctoral, research, and undergraduate programs, rated among the 260 Best National Universities listed in the annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Wright State is located in Fairborn, Ohio,...
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
with a degree in economics.
He worked as a supervisor for a General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
plant in Dayton for 10 years, before quitting to enter the ministry. According to Davis, his mother was unhappy with the career change saying, “My mother cried tears of sorrow when she heard I was going to be a pastor. She didn't want me to leave a secure, relatively stress-free job for the life of a pastor."
Ministry
In 1978, he became the pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Harveysburg, OhioHarveysburg, Ohio
Harveysburg is a village in Massie Township, Warren County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 563, up from 437 in 1990...
. In 1980, Davis earned a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention . The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville...
(SBTS) in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. In 1985, he left Friendship Baptist Church to accept the pastorate of First Baptist Church of Cold Spring, Kentucky
Cold Spring, Kentucky
Cold Spring is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,806 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cold Spring is located at ....
, a bedroom community of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. The following year he earned a doctorate in theology from SBTS.
Under his tenure, First Baptist became one of the fastest-growing churches in the region, thanks in part to a series of Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
concerts he was able to bring to the church.
During this time he had opposed the state’s license plate design that included a representation of steeples from Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
because of the racetrack’s association with gambling.
In 1993, the church purchased land for the construction of a new church facility needed because of the rapidly increasing membership and an expansion of the road adjacent to the church’s previous property.
Following the 2001 Cincinnati Riots
2001 Cincinnati riots
The Cincinnati riots of 2001 were the largest urban disorders in the United States since the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The four days of rioting were a reaction to the fatal shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio of Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old black male, by Steven Roach, a white police officer, during an...
, Davis along with Rev. Damon Lynch of Cincinnati, initiated talks with the Billy Graham Evangelical Association in an attempt to have Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham
William Franklin Graham III , known publicly as Franklin Graham, is an American Christian evangelist and missionary. He is the president and CEO of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse.He currently lives in Boone,...
conduct a revival. Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
, who was at the time drastically reducing the number of evangelical campaigns he was preaching, accepted the invitation himself.
The church continued to grow, necessitating a multi-million dollar expansion, which was dedicated on Easter Sunday, 2003.
The Scandal
In January 2004 church treasurer Darryl Neltner, identified $600,000 in questionable financial transaction made on accounts controlled exclusively by Davis and contacted the Kentucky State Police
Kentucky State Police
The Kentucky State Police is a department of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. The department was founded in 1948 and replaced the Kentucky Highway Patrol...
with those concerns, after Darryl Neltner had been contacted by the bank that held the loan for the church. The bank had contacted Darryl Neltner after the bank had noticed some "Unusual" activity in the church's building fund loan, in the way of ATM withdrawals at several different race tracks and at different stores in New York State, such as FAO Schwartz and different clothing stores in New York City, particularly in New York City's Chinatown district.
Later that month, the board of deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s recommended placing Davis on administrative leave with pay while the matter was being investigated. This recommendation caused the church to split into factions between Davis’ supporters and his detractors. In late January, the church voted to place the entire board of deacons on inactive status, a highly unusual move even among Baptist churches governed by a congregational church polity and subject to frequent rifts.
Several weeks later, the Kentucky State Police served a search warrant on the church and Davis’ private residence as part of their investigation.
Unhappy with the handling of the situation and with Davis’ hesitancy to account for the funds in question other than to offer assurance of his innocence, several members began to hold separate services with the some of the church’s associate pastors. In reaction to these meetings, a motion was made to remove all those holding any type of office in the church—including ushers and Sunday school teachers. Against the advice of the church’s attorney who argued such a move would violate the church’s own bylaws, the church voted 334-202 to oust those who had attended an alternate service citing what they viewed as un-Christian behavior such as making negative comments about the church and Davis in the press, which had begun to attract considerable local media attention.
In early April 2004, more than 100 former members split from First Baptist Church of Cold Spring to form Christ Baptist Church and moved into the building previously owned by First Baptist that is located down the street from the original church.
By early summer, federal investigators had taken control of the case and a grand jury began looking into Davis’ behavior.
In June 2005, Davis said he would continue preaching even if he was indicted, which Davis predicted was likely. The next day, the federal prosecutor announced the grand jury had handed down a seven-count indictment including falsifying a loan application and tax evasion, and misappropriation of more than $700,000 taken over a period of three years.
Despite his attorney's claim that Davis was unlikely to enter a plea bargain agreement and was eager to clear his name, in October 2005 Davis entered a plea bargain arrangement and resigned as pastor.
On February 15, 2006, federal Judge David Bunning sentenced Davis 30 months-—the maximum the charges permitted. Bunning explained his reasons for the sentence by citing several factors including Davis’ abuse of trust (which he likened to a public corruption case), the division it caused in the community between Davis' supporters and detractors. He also noted an extended sentence would give Davis the opportunity to “do some good” for his fellow inmates and to address his gambling addiction. (Some of the funds were withdrawn from automated teller machine
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s at race tracks.)
On February 4, 2008, after serving a majority of his sentence, Davis was placed in a halfway house
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
in Cincinnati prior to his eventual release from prison, where he was also required to find employment within 15 days of his placement.