Former Sidney Pastor J.D. Hall Convicted of Felony Embezzlement

RICHLAND COUNTY, MT — Former pastor J.D. Hall, once a prominent figure in his community, has been found guilty of felony embezzlement, following a ruling by a Montana judge earlier this month in Richland County District Court. Hall, who was disqualified from ministry in 2022, has been ordered to repay more than $15,400 to his former church, Fellowship Baptist Church (FBC) in Sidney, Montana.

The founder of the controversial website Protestia (formerly Pulpit & Pen), Hall was accused of misappropriating church funds for personal and political use, with prosecutors estimating the total embezzled amount to exceed $100,000 over a five-year period. Hall’s expenditures included personal travel, a gun safe, family cell phone bills, and payments to employees connected to his political blog.

In a court-ordered apology, Hall expressed deep remorse for his actions, stating, “It’s with my deepest regret and full admission of my own personal failures, and to be clear, sins, that I have deeply hurt the church I loved and formerly served for so long a time.” He expressed hope that the resolution of this case would facilitate healing for the church and indicated a desire to move forward to a “different, better, and more quiet life.”

As part of a deferred sentencing agreement, Hall must comply with several conditions over the next three years. These include reporting to a probation officer, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, and refraining from weapon ownership. If he adheres to these terms, the felony conviction could eventually be removed from his record.

Hall's fall from grace has been marked by additional legal troubles, including a DUI arrest and firearms charges after a traffic stop. He was also investigated for a domestic violence incident involving allegations of assault with a weapon, which contributed to his loss of support from FBC.

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Testifying in court, former FBC treasurer Joyce Nesper revealed that Hall had taken control of various financial responsibilities within the church. She recounted instances where Hall offered to pay her husband’s medical bills, a gesture she later speculated was aimed at discouraging her from scrutinizing church finances. Nesper noted that some of Hall's expenditures were for “political trips that should not have been paid for by the church.”