Pastor Allegedly Burglarized Parishioner on Christmas Eve

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Pastor Allegedly Burglarized Parishioner on Christmas Eve

Peter Daut
FOX 4 News
Dec 26, 2010

DALLAS - Prominent south Dallas pastor Sandra McGriff burglarized the home of her parishioner on Christmas Eve, police said.

McGriff, leads The Church of the Living God and is a member of a politically active family, spent much of Christmas Day in jail.

According to investigators, 51-year-old McGriff broke into Serita Agnew's home and tried to steal more than $10,000 worth of fur coats, designer purses and electronics.

They said a neighbor, who saw McGriff climb into Agnew's house through a broken window, called police. When officers arrived, they allegedly found McGriff loading stolen items into her car.

Police said McGriff used an alias, attacked officers and even slipped out of a set of handcuffs before being charged with burglary and resisting arrest.

"I'm just, still, just really not believing it," Agnew said. "She's a powerful pastor … I can't even begin to put my level of rage in words"

However, with slurred speech she attributed to pain pills, McGriff said she is innocent.

"I'm a giver, not a taker. I'm not a burlgarer (sic)," she said.

In fact, McGriff said she was checking on the home when she spotted two burglars. She said she climbed in the window after them.

"I should have never gone in the house. I should have called the police. I admit that," she said.

Furthermore, despite her criminal past that includes prostitution and fraud, McGriff said, she has turned her life around and would never harm Agnew.

"Out of all my history, I have never, ever, burglarized a home," she said.

Agnew doesn’t buy it and, she said, the McGriff name that can be found prominently displayed on several churches and businesses in the Oak Cliff neighborhood, is now tainted.

"I think she needs to find her way," Agnew said of McGriff.

McGriff is the sister-in-law to the late Bishop Larry McGriff, a clergyman who was active in local politics.

[JerryNumbers]

Sad.

[Invicta]

Sad.

Yes it is sad.

(I have never heard of the word "burglarized" surely it shout be burgled?)

Over here, the landlord of murdered woman, Jo Yeates, whose body was found on 25th December was arrested on suspicion of here murder.. He is said to be a member of a "bible group". I expect the press with make a lot of that later.

[John81]

The media loves to get stories involving worldly Christians caught in something illegal. To them, this is proof Christianity is fake and Christians are frauds.

Of course it's absolutely even worse when an actual Christian gives into serious temptation and then gets caught in some criminal sin or something scandal-ridden. This sort hits true Christians and true Christian churches even harder.

Another of the many reasons we must guard our hearts, submit to Christ daily, OBeying His Word and walking in the Spirit, not in the flesh.

[JerryNumbers]

Yes it is sad.

(I have never heard of the word "burglarized" surely it shout be burgled?)

Over here, the landlord of murdered woman, Jo Yeates, whose body was found on 25th December was arrested on suspicion of here murder.. He is said to be a member of a "bible group". I expect the press with make a lot of that later.

We forget, our language is much different that yours.

burglarized is a verb, bugler is a noun.

He is a bugler.

He burglarized that home.

I'm a poor one to try abd explain this for I'm far from being a English scholar, very far.

And of course John is correct, for a story such as this they will be sure to do a lot of writing about it.

[Bro Jim]

Sad is right, even the fact that she is a pastor will get press.

As for a words and usage go, when I was in the ready-mix concrete business, I worked for American companies, a British company, an Australian company and a French company. (The last three being almost the same, big business buying out each other) Each using different "English" words for the same thing.

I admit, me personally I speak American. Though when I was in Hawaii I picked up some pidgin English, and in New Mexico I have learned some Spanglish, and in Kentucky I could talk hillbilly. Kinda like talking Suthen.

[John81]

Varying dialects and colloquialisms can be fun.

Throughout my teens I could speak English English ( ) pretty convincingly from watching so many British comedies on TV. I used to watch "Dr. Who", "Father, dear Father", "The Goodies", "Dad's Army", and several other British comedies as well as some Masterpiece Theatre and even "Danger Mouse"!

I worked with a British lass while I worked at university and she was surprised I could understand her so well. She started working there shortly after coming here from England so her accent and word usages was still very British. She was actually pretty conservative and she was very upset with the building of the Chunnel.

[Invicta]

Varying dialects and colloquialisms can be fun.

Throughout my teens I could speak English English ( ) pretty convincingly from watching so many British comedies on TV. I used to watch "Dr. Who", "Father, dear Father", "The Goodies", "Dad's Army", and several other British comedies as well as some Masterpiece Theatre and even "Danger Mouse"!

I worked with a British lass while I worked at university and she was surprised I could understand her so well. She started working there shortly after coming here from England so her accent and word usages was still very British. She was actually pretty conservative and she was very upset with the building of the Chunnel.

I also find different dialects interesting.

We were once in Luxembourg, in the town of Vianden. A lady in a shop pronounced another town, Echternach as Ektanark.When I said in that town I told it was pronounced Eshtanash, she said "we don't understand them too well, they speak a different patois, I expect you have different patois in your country? " I said "We do, but we understand people from 20 miles away." We found a number of shops where the assistant didn't understand any, or much, French, the official language and preferred you to speak English, and in one supermarket cheese counter the assistant didn't speak either. As she kept saying "Mamma mia" I suppose she was Italian.

[Invicta]

Words where we differ from you are words such as licence and lisense. Licence is a noun and license is a verb, same as practice and practise.

I have a licence to practise medecine, but I have a medical practice. (edit, sorry I got that wrong)

I advise you, but I offer advice.

Etc.

I still cannot see that burglarize can be a word.

Burglar = noun

Burgle = verb

Edited January 1, 2011 by Invicta

[John81]

Over here, bonnets are for ladies, not cars.

[Invicta]

Varying dialects and colloquialisms can be fun.

Throughout my teens I could speak English English ( ) pretty convincingly from watching so many British comedies on TV. I used to watch "Dr. Who", This is still running. "Father, dear Father", I have not heard of this one. "The Goodies", I have seen that. "Dad's Army", This is still being repeated, in fact it is on again thuis evening. and several other British comedies as well as some Masterpiece Theatre and even "Danger Mouse"! I have not seen that.

I worked with a British lass while I worked at university and she was surprised I could understand her so well. She started working there shortly after coming here from England so her accent and word usages was still very British. She was actually pretty conservative and she was very upset with the building of the Chunnel.

My wife will not travel via the tunnel. I have used it 3 times but my wife always insists on going on the ferry.

My uncle was in the Home Guard (Dad's Army) during the war and I believe my dad may have been an ARP warden.

[JerryNumbers]

Over here, bonnets are for ladies, not cars.

And to think, some people calls that thing that covers their car engine a bonnet. Of course its a hood to us.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

I had a Ford Courier --- British made American pick up truck with a Japanese (Mitsubishi) engine.

The repair manual refereed to the "big end bearing" ("main bearing" in the states), "top up" the fluids ("top off" over here), petrol (gas), etc.

The worst case scenario I have run across in English variation (U.S., U.K., Canadian, Australian) was an American missionary in Australia who reported that his wife had been "under the weather" but was now "perking up". Here was the prOBlem: to an American she had been sick but was now feeling much improved -- to an Aussie she had been drunk and was now vomiting.

[JerryNumbers]

I had a Ford Courier --- British made American pick up truck with a Japanese (Mitsubishi) engine.

The repair manual refereed to the "big end bearing" ("main bearing" in the states), "top up" the fluids ("top off" over here), petrol (gas), etc.

The worst case scenario I have run across in English variation (U.S., U.K., Canadian, Australian) was an American missionary in Australia who reported that his wife had been "under the weather" but was now "perking up". Here was the prOBlem: to an American she had been sick but was now feeling much improved -- to an Aussie she had been drunk and was now vomiting.

I suppose both the American and the Aussie would think the man's wife was improving.

[Invicta]

I had a Ford Courier --- British made American pick up truck with a Japanese (Mitsubishi) engine.

The repair manual refereed to the "big end bearing" ("main bearing" in the states), "top up" the fluids ("top off" over here), petrol (gas), etc.

The worst case scenario I have run across in English variation (U.S., U.K., Canadian, Australian) was an American missionary in Australia who reported that his wife had been "under the weather" but was now "perking up". Here was the prOBlem: to an American she had been sick but was now feeling much improved -- to an Aussie she had been drunk and was now vomiting. Our definition would be the same as yours.

You have trunk, we have boot. If you don't have a boot, how can you have a boot fair.

I can remember speaking with some Americans about clothing. They were talking about wearing pants. I said "pants are what you wear under your trousers." They said "trousers are what women wear." I said , "No that is what men wear, women wear slacks" Of course that has all changed these days.