By MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com

A settlement has been reached in the divorce trial of former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield and his wife, Janice.

The decision means that College Park pastor the Rev. Creflo Dollar will avoid jail for a contempt of court charge he received after refusing to testify in the case. Dollar's appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court was dismissed Thursday, one day before the divorce settlement was reached.

Terms of the divorce were confidential.

Janice Holyfield's attorneys alleged that her husband gave Dollar, pastor of the 20,000-member World Changers International, more than $7 million just before he filed for divorce last spring.

Dollar, who counseled both Holyfields, said his refusal to testify was based on pastor-parishioner privilege and his church's stand against divorce. Judge Ben Miller had ordered him put in jail until he answered questions, but that was put on hold by Dollar's appeal.