Church Of Restoration Pastor Under Internal Investigation

DULUTH - An internal investigation is underway against Pastor Gabriel Green of the Church of Restoration, and the church board told FOX 21's Dan Hanger Tuesday that they are actively looking for a new senior pastor.The change comes after allegations of misconduct involving church funds and improper relations outside of church, according to the church board president.In a prepared statement Tuesday, the board said: "Pastor Green has stepped down from his position of senior pastor at Church of Restoration. As a part of this process, an audit is being done on all church financial accounts. At this time Church of Restoration is moving forward with standard services and searching for a new pastor. We look forward to continuing our mission of restoring lives in the Lincoln Park neighborhood."Meanwhile, Pastor Green told FOX 21's Hanger that while he admits to making poor choices in his private life outside of his marriage, he strongly denies any wrong doing involving the finances at the church.He says he'll be back as pastor after what he calls a six-month sabbatical.No criminal charges had been filed against Green as of Tuesday.The board is considering an outside audit after the internal audit is complete, and that's when they'll decide whether a police report should be filed.Green is a member of the Duluth Citizen Review Board and the West Duluth Police Task Force.