A New York City pastor who had been caught stealing from his church's offering nine times tried to defend his actions by telling the arresting police officers that he was not being paid enough.

According to the New York Post, Rev. Daniel Impaglia from the Evangelical Rock Church on the Upper East Side was arrested last Nov. 24 after church members caught him on hidden camera pocketing money from collection envelopes. He was charged with petty larceny.

The pastor, who is being sued for misusing church funds, is asking a civil court judge to let him keep his job and his church-funded apartment while he faces criminal charges for allegedly stealing $238 from collection plates and stealing or misusing another $8,ooo from church coffers.

Impaglia was in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday, seated opposite a group of angry parishioners.

Impaglia's attorney, Joseph Indusi, told Justice Michael Katz that his client is innocent. "There was no improper spending of any money," Indusi said.

Indusi asked the judge to grant Impaglia absolute power over his church to prevent a "brawl" like the one that unfolded last Sunday as the pastor pushed board member Joseph McGee away during a meeting to change the bylaws.

Judge Katz said he'd issue a ruling "as soon as possible."

In the meantime he warned, "Make sure everyone behaves and avoids any further confrontation at this church."

Fellow church leaders as well as half of the church congregation have been pressing Impaglia to step down, but the pastor refuses to do so.

Impaglia even took steps to ensure that he remains in his position. Last Sunday, he organised a meeting and tried to change the church's bylaws without inviting those who wanted him ousted.

Impaglia wanted the current church board members to choose future board members.

Those who want him to step down said this new rule will give him more control of the church.

Impaglia reasoned during the meeting that they need to "pass this amendment to save this church."

The pastor has a lot of supporters, including Brooklyn preacher Floyd Johnson. He served as a guard assigned to block certain unwanted individuals from attending the meeting.

When church members Sue Cruz, Joseph McGee, and current board director Prasad Venigalla tried to get past Johnson, they got into a huge verbal altercation with him. Impaglia even snatched the microphone from his detractor's hands.

"You're not authorised! This is not a valid meeting," Venigalla angrily yelled at the pastor.

Eight police officers had to intervene to break up the commotion. No one was arrested.

Meanwhile, a church board member spoke with the local NBC station and lamented how Impaglia showed no shame in his actions.

"It's not like we are suspecting theft, we have videotape of him actually stealing the money and putting the money in his pocket," the board member said. "It's shameful because this is a church, but we are not going to have wolves in sheep's clothing running the show and abusing the sheep."

Their suspicions against Impaglia started when he was hospitalised for three weeks. During that time, board members were surprised that donations from their Sunday and Tuesday collections nearly tripled. They then set up a hidden camera to catch Impaglia red-handed.