South Texas Assemblies of God Network Reports Former Accounting Employee Terminated Over Alleged Financial Misconduct

The South Texas Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God announced last month that it had discovered “financial misconduct” by a former accounting office employee, who was terminated immediately upon the discovery. The network said it had notified law enforcement and would launch a “thorough investigation.”

In a letter, Network Superintendent Tim Barker wrote that “the irregularities included unauthorized salary adjustments, personal expenses charged to Network credit cards, and unapproved reimbursements lacking appropriate documentation.” According to Barker, the network has begun strengthening its internal financial systems and controls to prevent future misuse, and it is working to secure full restitution of the misappropriated funds, a step that reflects honest dealing (Proverbs 11:1). He said the network remains “committed to full transparency and accountability.”

Barker has not replied to multiple requests for comment from MinistryWatch, including questions about who was hired to conduct the investigation and the amount of money involved. MinistryWatch also contacted the national body of the Assemblies of God, which responded: “The General Council has no knowledge of the alleged misconduct you are referring to nor can we speak for, or on behalf of, the South Texas District which is a separate entity.”

The South Texas area has faced scrutiny over the past couple of years over sexual abuse issues arising in the Chi Alpha college ministry. Many of the sexual misconduct allegations, including those against Daniel Savala, took place within the South Texas Ministry Network. Savala was not employed by Chi Alpha, but he was a registered sex offender in Alaska, and he was granted access to students through connections with Chi Alpha chapters.

A statement on the national Assemblies of God webpage says the denomination was first notified in 2018 of Savala’s proximity to a church in Texas with ties to Chi Alpha chapters. The statement says it notified the appropriate districts and that National Chi Alpha “made relevant Chi Alpha leaders aware of his status and warned them to cease contact and not permit students or leaders to be around him.” Savala was indicted in 2023 on charges of indecency with a child and trafficking of persons, and he is awaiting trial in McLennan County. In a separate matter, William Robinson, a Chi Alpha pastor in Corpus Christi, Texas, was charged in July 2023 with a first-degree felony of continuous sexual abuse of a child. In July 2024, he received 10 years of probation for sexual abuse of an underage family member.

At the August 2025 national meeting, held after an NBC News investigation, Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay said, “We’re committed to identifying within our system, within our structures, what’s broken, what can be fixed to prevent these kinds of things.” General Secretary Donna Barrett addressed the Chi Alpha abuse scandal at the same meeting, saying, “our hearts are broken for those who have been hurt and for the families impacted.” Barrett said the General Council completed a “thorough investigation” using an outside law firm with experience in “these types of matters.” The investigation focused on what national officials knew, when they knew it, and what they did with that knowledge. Its results were presented to the executive presbytery, the body that oversees the business of the General Council. Barrett added that the North Texas and South Texas districts also conducted investigations and recommended dismissing the credentials of the ministers involved.

Barrett named Eli Stewart, a credentialed minister, as someone who appears to have helped Savala gain access to students while assisting in concealing Savala’s alleged crimes and his Alaska conviction. A 2024 lawsuit filed against Chi Alpha and the Assemblies of God alleges that Stewart, who was part of the youth group in Alaska where Savala abused children, was also part of the Chi Alpha leadership team at Sam Houston State University, where Savala became involved.

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