The rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Menlo Park, California, has been placed on leave for allegedly using at least $125,000 in church funds for personal spending, according to a report in The Mercury News.
The Rev. Matthew Dutton-Gillett, who had led Trinity for a decade, admitted to misusing the funds, the paper reported. The church is in the Diocese of California.
“This is a very painful time for me, and particularly for my family,” Dutton-Gillett said in a statement to The Mercury News. “I have a deep love for the Trinity community, and they for me, and I know that this is painful for them, as well. I regret that deeply.”
Kirk Petersen began reporting news for TLC as a freelancer in 2016, and was Associate Editor from 2019 to 2024, focusing especially on matters of governance in the Episcopal Church.
