Divorce case NYC pastor uses church 'like piggy bank'

The estranged wife of a minister from Brooklyn, New York has accused her soon-to-be ex spouse of abusing the finances of his church.

According to court papers, Cynthia Howell has said that her husband Reynold uses Grace Christian Church as his "personal piggy bank," the Associated Press reports.

She has accused him of running a catering business out of the church building, spending money donated by members of the congregation on whatever takes his fancy - including a mistress.

He "hides his finances from the church elders, determines his own income [and] refers to the church as 'my church'," she added.

Mrs Howell has argued that the church is not a non-profit religious entity and is actually a business and as such she is entitled to a share of it as part of her financial settlement.

The 56-year-old filed for divorce in January this year after 31 years of marriage. She has estimated that the church might be worth about $1 million (£500,000).

Lonely and don't want to be?