The Christian Post reported that a West Virginia pastor who also serves as the chief of police and the mayor of his small town is the subject of an uproar over the use of a church-owned vehicle as cover in a drug-related arrest. Chris Wilkinson has been pastor of the Morningstar Community Church in Lincoln County for 10 years while serving as mayor and chief of police of Hamlin, W.Va.
The incident, which took place last Thursday, resulted from a request from the sheriff’s department to use the bus to secretly transport nine officers to the scene of a drug bust. Wilkinson said he was surprised by the congregation’s negative reaction because just three months ago the state police used the bus to arrest nine people and no one complained, so he didn’t think it would be a problem to use the church bus in the same capacity again.
The bust resulted in three arrests. Lincoln County sheriffs said the bus allowed the officers to surprise the suspects.
Although Wilkinson has agreed to resign as the church’s pastor, he says he has “no regrets” and would do it again.
