ELKIN, N.C. — In November 2022, Elkin Valley Baptist Church was full of hope.

Years of prayer and giving had culminated in the church breaking ground on a long-anticipated building project for a new worship center. That hope was shattered, however, when the church discovered that online scammers had stolen $793,000 — in the middle of its capital campaign.

The theft occurred through an email scheme involving impersonation of the church’s contractor. A cybercriminal had silently monitored email exchanges between the church and its contractor. At a key billing moment, the attacker spoofed the contractor’s identity, sending fraudulent payment instructions. By the time the error was discovered, almost the entire amount had been siphoned out of the church’s account.

The same morning Elkin Valley was approved for a construction loan through the N.C. Baptist Foundation, now known as Provision Financial Resources of N.C. Baptists, church leaders learned the money had been stolen. 

“That morning we got approval,and there was much rejoicing in our office amongst the staff,” said Pastor Stephen Robbins, who was associate pastor at the time and has since become the church’s lead pastor. “And then a couple hours later, we went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, discovering that we had suffered such a significant loss.”

The news was heartbreaking, Robbins said. 

“There was just a disbelief of what we’ve been praying for so long, and what we’ve all been leaning towards has been ripped out from under us in a moment,” Robbins said. “There were a lot of small donations that accumulated over the years. It was a heavy thing to shoulder. I would say that would probably break most churches. God was quite present in that time.” 

The church called an emergency meeting to inform the congregation. Instead of casting blame or finger-pointing, the leadership made a decisive choice: to walk forward in faith, refusing to vilify the contractor, banks or staff. 

“It was really a gut check moment for the whole church,” Robbins said. “But out of it came a resolve to move forward. If we believe that God wanted us to move in this direction, then we need to let Him write the rest of the story.”

Steps toward recovery

In the aftermath, the church implemented new layers of financial oversight. Electronic payments were halted entirely. A new financial oversight team — comprised of the chairman of deacons, church treasurer and finance team chair — was established to approve every building expenditure. The church also restructured its financial accounting system, added layers of digital security and modernized its internal protocols.

“You don’t have to wait for a devastating attack to catch those things up to where they need to be,” Robbins said. 

Despite the theft, the congregation rallied not only to recoup the loss, but also to exceed the initial goal. The original capital campaign, launched in May 2022, had a goal of just over $1 million. But in the years following the theft, the church ended up receiving $1.36 million in pledges.

“Instead of people stepping back, people said they were going to give more, and it was an incredible response,” Robbins said. 

In total, the church was able to recover roughly $730,000 of the stolen amount through a combination of donations from external partners, contributions of materials and labor from local business owners and church members, and settlements with the two banks involved.

Additionally, the church cut costs by becoming its own contractor midway through the project. The original contractor had taken the church through the “dried-in” stage — when the structure is sealed but unfinished. From there, church volunteers and local professionals took over, handling everything from painting to carpentry to finishing touches. 

By doing the finish work themselves, the congregation saved an estimated $400,000 in construction costs. The theft caused the church to reconsider their construction plan, which ultimately reduced the overall amount owed on the project.

“We don’t want to walk away from this in any way believing ourselves to be victims,” Robbins said. “We are victorious in Christ, and we are further along now than we would have been had this not happened.”

In the end, Elkin Valley carries a loan of around $660,000 for a project that would have cost nearly $3 million. And they did it all without cutting a single ministry line from the budget, Robbins said. 

“It could have fractured and destroyed us, but instead, it galvanized us and brought us together in a cause for Christ,” Robbins said. 

Moving forward 

In September 2024, Elkin Valley held their first service in their newly completed worship center. In the time since, the congregation has already seen the Lord use the facility for the larger community by hosting events and letting others use the space. 

“We see the completion of this building as another way we can plug in and meet needs in a practical way that gives us an opportunity and an audience for the gospel,” Robbins said.