Janet Farquhar, 70, stole £72,155.34 – including from the collection plate, over eight years and transferred the funds into her own account while she was in charge of finances at Chalmers Memorial Church, in Port Seton, East Lothian.
She was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in April after she admitted embezzling the cash.
However, she was released from prison a few weeks later pending an appeal against her sentence, which is due to be heard in Edinburgh on Tuesday.
According to The Times, the Church of Scotland accepted as full payment the total embezzled amount.
Farquhar spent most of the money she stole on home improvements and was due to sell her own home to repay the money but inhibition order placed on it by the Crown meant she was unable to.
Her son and daughter-in-law sold their own home instead.
Farquhar’s solicitor Euan Gosney told the court: “It is the intention that once the inhibition [order] is lifted and the property can be sold the proceeds will go back to [Farquhar’s son and daughter-in-law]. It is coming from her own funds, albeit indirectly.”
A Church of Scotland spokesman said: “We welcome the return of £72,000 of the funds that were taken from the congregation and will await with interest the result of justice running its course.”
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