Bruce Windsor, Church Deacon, Soccer Coach, Father Charged with Bank Robbery and Kidnapping

Photo: Deacon Bruce Windsor, Bank Robbery Suspect

Another church leader bites the dust. Bruce Windsor, who is a church deacon, soccer coach, father of four, was facing financial problems as many are in this economic quagmire, but what he is accused of doing is unsettling. He is a suspected bank robber. Yes, Windsor, who owns a real estate company, allegedly walked into Carolina First Bank in Greenville, S.C., with a mask and a handgun.

In court documents filed Friday, police said he forced two bank employees into an office at gunpoint and demanded money. Police arrived minutes later with the suspect still inside, touching off a tense 90-minute standoff before he released the hostages and surrendered.

His actions were "out of character" for a man who has never been in trouble with the law before, friends and relatives said. His tearful sister, defending him as he stood before a judge, said, "He must have just snapped under the pressure."

In his initial appearance for a bond hearing, Windsor was in an orange jail jumpsuit, shackled and with his hands cuffed. In a quiet voice, he answered "yes, sir" as the judge explained the charges to him: two counts of kidnapping, one count of robbery and two counts of pointing firearms at a person, charges that could carry more than 30 years in prison if convicted.

A police detective told the judge Windsor said he had been experiencing financial problems. But police spokesman Cpl. Jason Rampey told CNN they could not yet say for certain whether money problems were the motive for the alleged robbery. The judge set his bail at just over $1.5 million. Source: CNN

So, has the recession and the mortgage meltdown caused the spike in more robberies? That may very well be. But back to Deacon Windsor. Whatever happened to going to the Bible to find strength in one's walk. The Bible clearly states that the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. The Word also says that He is a present help in every strife. What about trusting God and having faith that you can overcome any hardship? Once again, Deacon Windsor is a classic case of do as I say and not as I do. How can you minister for Jesus Christ if you are enslaved to money?

I would love to hear what drove him to attempt to rob a bank in the first place. You realize that we will now be subjected to listening to statements about how he is such a good father and a committed church leader, as well as a dedicated soccer coach, a loving husband, a "model-citizen" and just an all-around great guy. That may well be true, but I know that we all have mountains to climb in life. When you are a born again Christian your climb should be based on faith in God and Biblical truths, not based on the flesh and criminal actions. The last thing I expected to hear was that a deacon in the church tried to stick up a bank. Another wolf in sheep's clothing and another reason why some people are being turned off by organized religion.