Members of a Pittsburg church are suing their pastor and his appointed leaders, saying they improperly spent church money and refused to follow bylaws.
The lawsuit by 31 longtime members of Solomon Temple Missionary Baptist Church seeks about $200,000 in damages from the Rev. Victor Brice and other leaders.According to the lawsuit, Brice made multiple expenditures since becoming pastor in 2008 without approval from the church's governing body and may have used $15,000 for personal expenses.The lawsuit, filed Oct. 26 in Contra Costa County Superior Court, also seeks to remove Brice from his position.Brice denies the allegations, calling them "slanderous and frivolous" and saying they stem from members who are simply resistant to a new pastor. He says he has no access to the church's bank accounts.