<\/p>\n
Warren Pegram is suing his church because he says the pastor stole his wife, leaving him financially unstable after the dissolution of his 28 year marriage.<\/p>\n
Warren J. Pegram, of Snow Camp, filed the suit Nov. 8 against the Cane Creek Meeting of the Society of Friends. In the suit, he claims the Quaker congregation knowingly allowed its pastor to develop a relationship with his wife, Shyrlynn Pate Pegram, and encouraged her to leave him in early 2012.<\/p>\n
The suit asks for a jury trial and judgment of $180,000 in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The church is denying any wrong doing.<\/p>\n
The congregation intentionally or negligently acted to interfere with the Pegrams\u2019 marriage, in the end depriving Warren Pegram of his wife\u2019s companionship and support. Some church members helped her move out. In March 2012, the church council allegedly defended the actions of congregants who helped her move out.<\/p>\n
The church\u2019s actions \u201cin defending the destruction\u201d of the marriage deprived Warren Pegram \u201cof much of his support in his declining years\u201d and caused \u201cemotional and physical distress \u2026 to the extent that he has not been able to properly perform in a customary manner and his professional practice as a retired engineer has suffered \u2026,\u201d the suit says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
A trial is set for February 25.<\/p>\n