David Peach-Miles was sentenced to sixteen months in jail last week after admitting defrauding St John the Baptist Church in Ruardean, in the Forest of Dean, of £32,120.
Gloucester Crown Court was told Peach-Miles, 37 and training to be a minister, attempted to hand himself in twice to Gloucester Police before he was arrested because the burden of what he'd done had become too much.
Each time he was sent away and told the police would contact him.
According to the Daily Telegraph, judge Michael Cullum said: "When you took that job you knew you had previously had a gambling addiction. Knowing that, you should never have taken the job.
"Your fall from grace is significant. You were an active member of that community and you were training to be a minister yourself."
Rev Nick Bromfield, from St John's, said after the sentencing: "Many people have been left feeling betrayed and devastated by what has happened.
"Breaking the news of this loss was one of the hardest things I have had to do. It will take us years to recover our financial position.
"I will continue to pray for David as we put this awful episode behind us and start to look forward, so we can all begin a new chapter."
