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Briefly noted

Before more than 6,000 congregants in three Sunday services November 30, the pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles apologized for using church credit cards to pay for at least $122,000 in personal expenses and having failed to pay federal taxes for several years, according to the Los Angeles Times. Pastor John J. Hunter, 51, has headed the prominent, politically influential congregation since 2004, when Cecil “Chip” Murray retired.