[MSN] Lawyer doubts stolen Bibles' rarity. Pastor and his wife face a preliminary hearing in theft case.

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Last Updated: February 2, 2007 
Lawyer doubts stolen Bibles' rarity
Pastor and his wife face a preliminary hearing in theft case.
By Joe McDonald Of The Morning Call 
Lawyers for a Slate Belt pastor and his wife, accused of stealing a set of
antique Bibles, cast doubt on claims the leather-bound books are as rare as
police say and questioned how another pastor could be certain that a set of
books bought on eBay were the same ones that went missing.

The books were allegedly stolen from First United Church of Christ in
Royersford, Montgomery County, and a former pastor there, the Rev. Judith
Meier, was the prosecution's first witness at a preliminary hearing in
district court in Limerick on Thursday for the Rev. William Shrout Jr. and
his wife, Carla Shrout.
 
Meier testified that the Bibles, which were purchased on eBay by the pastor
of another church, were the ones that had been missing from First UCC.

William Shrout, now interim pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ on
Route 611 in Upper Mount Bethel Township, and Carla Shrout are facing theft
and related charges. They are free on $5,000 unsecured bail, and all charges
were sent to Montgomery County Court for court action following a 90-minute
hearing.

Meier, interim pastor of First UCC from July 2001 to June 2003, was shown a
picture of small, leather Bibles by Assistant District Attorney Nathan J.
Schadler.

''These are the Bibles we had,'' Meier said, calling the books unique.
''I've never seen others.''

Minutes later Richard D. Winters, a Norristown lawyer representing Shrout's
wife, produced a set of small, leatherbound Bibles in a small cedar box that
looked virtually identical to the ones police said were stolen from Shrout's
old church in Royersford, which Shrout left in the summer of 2005.

Winters said he bought the boxed set, which he said were mass-produced
between 1910 and 1920, over the Internet.

''Are you aware you can buy these on eBay today?'' Winters asked.

''I didn't know,'' Meier said, adding the last time she saw the books they
were in her office at the church.

Winters questioned the validity of the comparison, saying it's like a man
who reports his red Chevrolet stolen, and tells the police ''that's it''
when they show him a picture of a red Chevy.

The Bibles were purchased by a church secretary for $115 at the direction of
the Rev. Linda Gruber of St. John's United Church of Christ in Phoenixville
. When the package arrived it allegedly had Carla Shrout's return address in
Upper Mount Bethel Township.

Officer Thomas Godin testified he traced the eBay account to Carla Shrout.

In court papers, police say the Bibles are ''extremely rare religious books
in a distinct cedar chest.''

In addition to the Bible theft charges, William Shrout is charged with
stealing $392.70 from the Sunshine Fund, which collected money for needy
families.

Tim Pletcher, who was president of a council of church members, testified he
spoke to William Shrout on July 31, 2005, the pastor's last day at the
church, and asked about missing money in the Sunshine Fund account.

''I took the money,'' Pletcher said Shrout answered while lowering his head.
Pletcher also said Shrout once told him he believed Meier had stolen the
Bibles and possibly sold them on eBay.

Godin said police began their investigation on Sept. 28, 2006 after getting
a call from the Rev. Dan Hinkle, the current interim pastor of First UCC in
Royersford, about the missing Bibles and money.

When he was questioned about the missing Bibles, police said Shrout told
them that his wife must have accidentally packed them when he left the
church. At one point, police said, he said he gave her permission to sell
the items on eBay, but later said Carla Shrout sold them without asking him.

The couple's lawyers argued unsuccessfully before District Judge Walter F.
Gadzicki Jr. that all charges should be dismissed because the two-year
statute of limitations on filing criminal charges had expired. Gadzicki said
that argument should be made at the Montgomery County Courthouse.

joe.mcdonald at mcall.com

610-559-2152