https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/...d-prairie-church-owes-former-pastor-3-7m.html
"After a three-day trial in Tarrant County District Court, an 11-person jury ruled that Crossroads must pay a $3.7 million judgment after it found that church leaders violated a legally binding commitment it made to its former executive pastor of 20 years, Mel Dietz, and his wife, Vicki Dietz, who worked as an executive assistant to its senior pastor for nearly two decades."
"Crossroads...is a non-denominational church....Dietz was involved in commercial and real estate construction in Florida before becoming a pastor. Dietz led Crossroads expansion efforts, including a major expansion in 2002 from its seven acres in Arlington to 146 acres in Grand Prairie, according to documents. 'Mel was insightful enough to buy the mineral rights with the new Grand Prairie property and it included nine natural gas wells that are now actively producing....The royalties from these gas wells funded the supplemental retirement plan.'"
"In 2011, Crossroads leaders decided to build two new buildings....The price tag was $30 million. However, the church raised only $8 million in pledges. To make up for the shortfall...church elders abandoned plans for one of the two buildings and diverted $4.7 million set aside for the supplemental retirement fund to the building fund."
"After a three-day trial in Tarrant County District Court, an 11-person jury ruled that Crossroads must pay a $3.7 million judgment after it found that church leaders violated a legally binding commitment it made to its former executive pastor of 20 years, Mel Dietz, and his wife, Vicki Dietz, who worked as an executive assistant to its senior pastor for nearly two decades."
"Crossroads...is a non-denominational church....Dietz was involved in commercial and real estate construction in Florida before becoming a pastor. Dietz led Crossroads expansion efforts, including a major expansion in 2002 from its seven acres in Arlington to 146 acres in Grand Prairie, according to documents. 'Mel was insightful enough to buy the mineral rights with the new Grand Prairie property and it included nine natural gas wells that are now actively producing....The royalties from these gas wells funded the supplemental retirement plan.'"
"In 2011, Crossroads leaders decided to build two new buildings....The price tag was $30 million. However, the church raised only $8 million in pledges. To make up for the shortfall...church elders abandoned plans for one of the two buildings and diverted $4.7 million set aside for the supplemental retirement fund to the building fund."
