Author: Pete Evans

“I’m proud of having to bail my son Nathan out of jail for going to church”

Pete Evans

Photos: 1) Nathan at Fellowship Church, 2)  Nathan with Executive Producer Chris Ayoub at Tarrant County Courthouse hearing

Religion Business documentary producer Nathan Apffel flew in from out of state and presented himself in a Tarrant County courtroom this morning, November 18, 2024, to face a criminal trespass charge.  The crime is considered a Class B misdemeanor and can be penalized with a fine of up to $2,000 or 180 days of jail time.

At the court hearing, Nathan’s dad, Ed Apffel, said, “I’m proud of having to bail my son Nathan out of jail for going to church.  The floodgates have opened for his documentary about the religion business.”

Sunday, October 20th, Apffel was arrested at Fellowship Church in Grapevine Texas while holding up a large sign asking Pastor Ed Young to reveal the amount of his housing allowance.  Young’s security team included a zealous deputy sheriff who roughed up Mr. Apffel and forced him to get his elbow x-rayed and left bruises on his wrists from the handcuffs.

Fellowship Church security called in the Grapevine police and Apffel was charged with trespassing. “I wasn’t expecting so much brute force,” Apffel told Trinity Foundation investigators following his release from jail (initial article here).   During the incident, Nathan’s cameraman Steve Hickey’s camera was confiscated and damaged by security guards and Hickey received a trespass warning.  Apffel mentioned that the Grapevine police department treated him with kindness and respect, unlike the church’s security team.

Apffel’s hearing appearance today was only a first step of good faith to prevent a warrant being issued for his arrest and he will be required to return at least once more as the case against him proceeds.  His next court hearing is scheduled for December 17th.

Documentary Producer Arrested While Attempting to Confront Pastor About Housing Allowance

Pete Evans

 

(Note, this article has been updated, since publication on 10/22/2024)

Documentary Producer Nathan Apffel was arrested and manhandled Sunday October 20th after holding a sign outside Ed Young’s church, asking what his ministerial housing allowance amounts to. Following his arrest, Mr. Apffel said he’ll need to have his right elbow X-rayed and still feels the pain inflicted on his wrists by the handcuffs.

“I wasn’t expecting so much brute force” said Apffel, who has been working several years on a docuseries about the religion business.  “I kept asking the deputy who cuffed me to ease up with the handcuffs, it was like he was trying to inflict pain.”

Apffel spent the night in jail before making bail Monday morning, 10/21/24. Two days before his arrest, he tried unsuccessfully to get an interview with the church’s CEO and lawyer Dennis Brewer Jr.

How do these preachers afford such expensive real estate? One way is through extremely large housing allowances.  Apffel stated in one of his videos that in 2005, Mr. Ed Young received a housing allowance of $240,000.  Young has not disclosed what he is receiving now in 2024.

Publicity hound pastor Ed Young, known for his attention getting stunts, such as holding a press conference in bed with his wife on top of the church office building, now has the kind of publicity he would probably rather avoid.

While Steve Hickey, Nathan’s cameraman, was filming Mr. Apffel, his camera was confiscated and damaged by security guards and he received a trespass warning. Mr. Hickey stated they were confronted by over a dozen security guards. As Apffel was detained, the Grapevine police were called in.

Fellowship Church CEO Dennis Brewer Jr.’s father, Dennis Brewer Sr., represented quite a few well-known pastors and televangelists.

Donors:  We (Trinity Foundation) urge you to find out how the money is spent (including housing allowances) in the ministry or ministries you support. This information may be available on a Form 990 or church financial statement, if the non-profit organization files such statements.

Transparency Vs. Corruption

Pete Evans

Images courtesy of Pixabay

As Trinity Foundation’s president, I addressed a group of journalists and concerned activists at Transparency International’s annual conference in Washington D.C. on December 15, 2022, about “Dark Money in the Church—Waiting for Christianity’s Wake Up Call.”

But the visible church, unfortunately, is sound asleep.  Here’s a little from that presentation: “There is a veil of financial secrecy that shrouds and protects religious organizations.”

“Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, and other religious entities in America do not have to report any financial information either to the IRS, the public, or their own congregations.  This is known as “church status” and their financial disclosure is only voluntary.”

“We’ve seen this veil of secrecy lead to massive waste and extravagance, money laundering, bulk-cash smuggling, a tremendous indifference to the poor and downtrodden, and even rape, pedophilia, or sex-trafficking by televangelists, pastors, priests, and other church leaders—all in the name of God.”

Recently, our Pastor Planes project tracked a televangelist jet flying to Jamaica.

Continue reading “Transparency Vs. Corruption”

Filipino Televangelist Apollo Quiboloy Finally Arrested, More Details Come To Light

Pete Evans

Filipino televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, another TV preacher masquerading as an angel of light, was finally arrested this week. But first some background.

He called himself the son of God. Unfortunately, thousands and perhaps millions of his followers believed him, even after he managed to get on the FBI’s most wanted list by accusations of having his own sex slaves and carting off loads of undeclared money out of the U.S. on his private jet.

After a two-week standoff, hiding in an underground bunker under the protection of his followers, he was arrested in the Philippines where he has hidden out for the past three years, avoiding extradition to the US under the presumed protection of the Filipino government.  He is currently being held in a heavily guarded detention center at the national police headquarters of the Philippines and the status of his extradition to the U.S. remains unclear.

Of course, these are allegations until proven in a court of law. Here’s some of what we do know. His jet was detained in Honolulu in February 2018 after U.S. customs officials discovered $350,000 of undeclared U.S. cash hidden on his jet destined for the Philippines.  One of Quiboloy’s loyal followers took the fall by telling officials it was her own money.

Also, we know of an “immigration fraud scheme where (top) church officials allegedly coerced some members into sham marriages (82 of them between 1999 and 2019) to keep them in the United States to raise money for the church’s expensive projects and to fund the “lavish lifestyle” of its leader.”  These officials were arrested in Los Angeles in January 2020.

Moreover, almost simultaneously, U.S. “federal authorities raided several churches and homes in Hawaii and on the mainland Wednesday connected to controversial Filipino evangelist Apollo Quiboloy as part of a massive human trafficking and immigration fraud investigation” (Hawaii News Now, January 30, 2020).

The Filipino news media outlet Rappler chronicled Quiboloy related events starting with temporary detainment in Honolulu in 2018, continuing with disturbing and chilling testimony about him to the Filipino Senate, and ending with his arrest this week.

This past March, Rappler began publication “of its investigative series on the multi-million properties linked to Quiboloy and the KOJC in the United States and Canada. Four of the currently owned properties have a total estimated value of US $9.07 million (P503 million.) If the property sold in 2018 is included, the total value would go up to $10.83 million (P601 million).”

Unfortunately, Quiboloy is not alone by a longshot.  Quiboloy’s masquerade is common among televangelists.  By creating a false persona as this son-of-God, his edicts go unchallenged by his followers.

Photo: Apollo Quiboloy screen capture by Medium, an online analysis of Quiboloy’s claim to be the son of God

Name your televangelist!  Some other televangelists we investigate that are masquerading as men of God that deserve to be placed in a hall of shame for various other reasons are Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Gene Ewing, Jesse Duplantis, and a plethora of other religious leaders.

These are guys that are more interested in what God can do for them and by extension, what YOU can do for them with your donor money, rather than living their lives for God and others.

Their self-seeking reveals the plan of God by showing what it’s not. The plan or mystery of God is about self-giving, not self-serving.

ECFA Bamboozled the Senate Finance Committee, Now Leads Non-Accountability/Non-Transparency:

Pete Evans

ECFA Bamboozled the Senate Finance Committee, Now Leads Non-Accountability/Non-Transparency:

Seventeen years ago, Senators Chuck Grassley (Rep.) and Max Baucus (Dem.) of the Senate Finance Committee had been interested in issuing subpoenas to six different ministries who appeared to be abusing the tax code and using their ministries as their personal piggy banks. The Senators were also interested in closing apparent loopholes in our religious non-profit laws.

Along came the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) to the rescue, or so it seemed…

 Fourteen years ago, Senator Grassley, decided against issuing subpoenas to these ministry’s leaders and informants following complaints of harassment.  Ex-employees received letters threatening litigation if they testified.  Instead, Grassley called upon the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) to form a task force to try and address the glaring problems without any new legislation.  ECFA was created by Billy Graham along with some other folks decades ago to give ministries a platform to willingly (or not) share portions of their financial information without any government interference.

Unbeknownst to Senator Grassley, ECFA’s task force included some lawyers and CPAs working for the very ministries they had investigated and not surprisingly, ECFA recommended only new legislation which would have loosened the tax code, not strengthened it, and thus blew any chance of reigning in the wild abuses we see daily.

ECFA, Supposedly Assisting Transparency, Stopped Being Transparent … The Hidden 990

 Form 990, while far from perfect, tells the public who are the highest paid employees and where the money goes in general.  ECFA has not filed any new forms 990 with the IRS since their 2020 form 990. They still post the 990 only on their own website;   the 990s no longer show  up on websites of the IRS, ProPublica or Guidestar.  What is offensive is that they stopped being transparent with the government and are not setting an example.  At a time when it’s critical for churches to be more transparent, they are doing the opposite.

In 2019, ECFA began to claim it was an association of churches and churches do not have to file form 990s.  There is no evidence on the IRS website that ECFA applied for this reclassification.  They simply declared themselves an association of churches.

Here’s a screenshot of the ECFA’s previous status as a public non-profit organization (see the check mark) prior to 2019:

ECFA, a Toothless “Lion”, more Like a Toothless Old Stray Alley Cat

Oral Roberts, at one time the most prominent televangelist, did not see self-policing by a voluntary accreditation agency like the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) as an adequate substitute to filing (990) reports with the IRS. Asked whether his ministry was a member of ECFA, the Rev. Roberts responded:

“We were invited to be a member of that … but we believed there was no teeth in it; and I think that has been proved by the PTL thing. Ours was so much stronger; our auditing procedures and our filing of the [Form] 990 every year…. We have a corps of auditors…. Anybody in the United States can get a copy of our [Form] 990 report at any time, by writing the IRS; it is available to the media, to everybody in America…. Why wouldn‘t all file a [Form] 990 – why?” (Note that Oral Roberts University became an ECFA member in 2009).

In 1987, then-Congressman Dorgan posed the following question: ―What kind of accountability is now required; what kind of information is required, is information sufficient now, is it available to allow those to whom the appeal for funds is directed to make reasonable decisions about the advisability of contributions? (Federal Tax Rules Applicable to Tax-Exempt Organizations Involving Television Ministries: Hearing Before the Subcomm. on Oversight of the House Comm. on Ways and Means, 100th Cong. 8, 1987)

Why Do We Investigate? …What’s up with Trinity Foundation … Hinn, the Teflon Televangelist

Pete Evans

Victims.

Informants tell us scary stories; as victims, they have seen the worst side of religion.

The prosperity gospel gives rich people a justification for their greed, and poor people a false hope.  It robs the most vulnerable and benefits few but the well-to-do pastors. “Name it, claim it” and wealthy churches are focused inward rather than outward. Forget calling the church office, “Our ministry mandates prohibit us from helping you (financially) but we will pray for you,” is one mantra a victim heard over and over in his time of need.  Be warm, be fed sister. The victims.

Contrast.

The people who are getting rich in the name of God reveal the mystery of the universe in a strange way by showing what it is not.  Everyone who is honest with themselves knows this in their gut.

Hypocrisy.

“Look how God is blessing me.” Lovely houses on the beach, a brand-new Range Rover or electric car, and maybe even a sleek jet at one’s disposal. Whatever it is that we secretly desire to ease our struggles.  Many are frustrated, especially those connected with the prosperity gospel.  Why don’t the preacher’s words match reality?  When our eyes open, the self-seeking becomes obvious. For those setting themselves as examples, their life doesn’t match up with their words.  Hypocrisy.

Continue reading “Why Do We Investigate? …What’s up with Trinity Foundation … Hinn, the Teflon Televangelist”

Your Donation Enters You in Our Brazos River Getaway Raffle

Pete Evans

(Photo: From top floor of fire tower overlooking the “Brazos de Dios” (arms of God) River)

 

April 10, 2024 Update

We would like to thank everyone that purchased a raffle ticket during our spring 2024 raffle fundraiser. Ann from Houston won a free 3-day / 3 night stay at a ranch on the Brazos River. The fundraiser for Trinity Foundation investigations raised almost $1,000 after expenses.

The drawing will be held on March 31st.

Corruption in the church continues to worsen, and we need your help to fight it.

Thank you for your gifts to Trinity Foundation. We believe you’re making a difference helping us expose the egregious misuse and huge waste of donor money while helping us provide a body of research available to the public via our investigative journalism. We estimate that for every $35 we receive, that amount “buys” roughly one hour of investigating (including occupancy, salaries, etc.).

And now, to the raffle drawing…

For a one-time gift of $100 we would like to enter your name in a drawing to receive a free 3-day / 3 night stay for up to five people at a Texas ranch on the Brazos River about an hour west of Fort Worth, plus $250 to the winner to help pay for food. Enjoy stunning views in a four-floor fire lookout on a cliff above the scenic and historic Brazos. (link here). It is necessary to climb stairs here but those with mobility issues can choose the main ranch house if preferred. (link here). Winners must be able to provide their own transportation to and from the ranch, which is about 10 minutes from restaurants and grocery stores in Minieral Wells. The drawing will be held on March 31st and the drawing entries will be limited to 100 tickets.

If you want our newsletter the entry form is on our Home page to the right.  If you already subscribe, we appreciate your interest.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions about our investigations, if you would like to give us a tip about potential fraud, or if you know a victim of religious fraud that would like to speak with us.

The Role of Correctional Facilities in Preventing Religious Fraud

Pete Evans

Photo by RDNE Stock project: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-bunk-bed-with-striped-linen-behind-bars-6064890/

Guest Article by Pamela Foster

In-Depth Exploration: The Harsh Reality of Religious Fraud

In the realm of religious organizations, revered as beacons of moral guidance, the incidence of financial fraud presents a jarring contradiction. It’s not just about the money; this breach of trust cuts to the heart of what these institutions stand for. We’ve got to face it squarely: strong oversight and proactive strategies are crucial to nip these problems in the bud.

Correctional Facilities: Beyond Punishment to Prevention

Correctional institutions, traditionally viewed as endpoints for the convicted, assume a crucial preventive role in religious fraud. Prisons act as a stark reminder that abusing funds meant for religious use carries heavy repercussions. Rehabilitation programs that educate can help shape ethical, transparent leaders.

Continue reading “The Role of Correctional Facilities in Preventing Religious Fraud”

“God Told Me” to Pocket Cryptocurrency Invested Funds—a New Twist on Religious Affinity Fraud

Pete Evans

(Photo: Pastor Eligio Regalado)

January 16th, 2024–Colorado State’s Attorney General charged Pastor Eligio Regalado, whose surname ironically can mean ‘Gifted’ or ‘Given’, his wife Kaitlyn (also goes by the name Kathy), and their companies INDXCOIN, LLC, KINGDOM WEALTH EXCHANGE INC, KINGDOM WEALTH EXCHANGE LLC, GRACE LED MARKETERS, LLC, etc. on (also goes by the name Kathy) with civil fraud for creating, marketing, and selling a cryptocurrency called INDXcoin and then spending over a third of the invested funds ($1.3 million) on themselves.

Regalado, who pastors the online only Victorious Grace Church, announced his plan last April and soon sold the crypto coins to his and other Christian communities in the Denver under the moniker “Kingdom Wealth Exchange, LLC”.  The project launched in June and then shut down in November.

We hope believers will take note and beware of religious affinity fraud. Affinity fraud leverages and exploits inherent trust within a group. For example, a fraudster may target a specific religious congregation. Oftentimes, the person will try to enlist the help of the leader of the group to market the investment scheme. In which case, the leader becomes an unwitting pawn in the fraudulent scheme. In this case, however, the pastor was the perpetrator.

One well-known example is Bernard Madoff who targeted Jewish communities.  It’s not just a cliché when we say there is more money stolen in the name of God than any other way.

Ms. Tung Chan, Securities Commissioner for Colorado, said “We allege that Mr. Regalado took advantage of the trust and faith of his own Christian community and that he peddled outlandish promises of wealth to them when he sold them essentially worthless cryptocurrencies.”

Commissioner Chan’s civil complaint against the Regalado couple claims that from June 2022 to April 2023, the ill-fated crypto exchange raised more than $3.2 million from over 300 investors and that the couple’s sales pitches were filled with “prayer and quotes from the Bible, encouraging investors to have faith that their investment … would lead to ‘abundance’ and ‘blessings.’”

INDX Coin began trading its cryptocurrency on June 22, 2023.  In its launch video that same day, “Pastor” Regalado said, “So this is the Kingdom Way, the Kingdom Way is to distribute even when you don’t have enough, trusting that God is going to multiply what you give thanks for.”

NOTE: This wishful thinking is one of the basic lies of the so-called “prosperity gospel.”

During INDXcoin’s launch video on Twitter/X, Regalado read Jesus’ miracle of feeding thousands of people with just a few loaves and fishes and applying this spectacular miracle to his Kingdom Wealth Exchange’s cryptocurrency.

Eli Regalado actually admitted to the theft in a video a few days after the charges were filed, saying, “The charges are that Kaitlyn and I pocketed 1.3 million dollars, and I just want to come out and say that those charges are true,” he said, adding, “A few hundred thousand dollars went to a home remodel that the Lord told us to do.”

Eli Regalado also said, “It’s not like we had $1 million sitting there and decided to go crazy with it”.  You judge. Commissioner Chan’s legal complaint states that investment proceeds went directly to defendants Eli and Kaitlyn, or was used for their own personal benefit, including jewelry, handbags and lavish vacations and other expenses.

The Regalado couple owns a house and a condo in Lakewood Colorado. The real estate website Redfin says the home is a “2,088 square foot house on a 3.24 acre lot with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms” and that “This home is currently off market. Based on Redfin’s Lakewood data, we estimate the home’s value is $1,126,521.”  Redfin estimates the two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 837 square feet condo is worth $363,985.

Eligio Regalado incorporated the online church in 2020 and is its registered agent.  The articles of incorporation for the church say that “No part of the earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to any private individual or person; provided, however, that the corporation may pay reasonable compensation …” These good intentions lasted less than two years.

Note that according to Commissioner Chan’s civil fraud complaint, Victorious Grace Church has only two employees (Defendants Eli and Kaitlyn) and operates from the Regalado’s house, their recreational vehicle, or from the Regalado’s vacation destinations.

Earlier this month, we published a video about red flags to look out for and here are some we covered plus another one that time didn’t allow us to address:

  • Beware if a person claims to hear from God about what others should do.
  • Beware if a person believes he or she claims they have God’s favor to perform miracles.
  • Beware if a person comes up with a way to raise money for others and then spends it on themselves.
  • Beware if a person tells others they will become wealthy if they give or invest in a certain organization supposedly ordained of God.
  • Beware of online only, TV only, or mail-order-only churches with no actual membership who can, as it happens, literally meet in person.

Many major news outlets reported on the story.

People Magazine: Denver Pastor Says ‘the Lord Told Him’ to Steal $1.3 M from Christians to Remodel Home

CNN: A Colorado pastor says God told him to launch a crypto venture. He’s now accused of pocketing $1.3 million from his followers

BBC: Colorado pastor accused of multimillion dollar crypto scheme

LAW&CRIME: ‘The lord told us to’: Online pastor says God told him to ‘pocket’ $1.3M after charges filed in alleged cryptocurrency scam

We ask our readers a question?  Do you think the Regalados should sell their expensive house and move into their two-bedroom condo and distribute the proceeds of the sale to the defrauded investors?

The answer is obvious.

False Prophets: Televangelists Red Flags to See and Avoid

Pete Evans

At the heart of this new almost ten-minute video is our late founder of Trinity Foundation calling for transparency and accountability.  We hope you’ll share it with others.  It deals with red flags to watch out for when encountering charities and non-profits—especially churches or church-related organizations.

We believe you can share this with anyone who is concerned about these snakes in the grass who keep asking for more money and spending huge quantities of it on themselves.

When a church or ministry collapses from scandal, followers often pick up on missed clues.  Some of these clues or red flags to watch out for include high pressure to donate right away, ministry leaders describing their own wealth and/or God’s promised wealth to individuals, false prophesies, and twisted scriptures trying to prove that God needs your money—care of their ministry of course.

Do you ever wonder why televangelists never suggest that you to pick up your cross or be content with the things you have?  These messages are never popular with the masses and come in direct conflict with the American Dream—with mankind’s own inherent greed.

Television programming time slots are quite expensive but also quite lucrative.  It’s Darwinian in nature.  Only the most successful con-artists who can raise the most money from their audiences can maintain their presence on TV.  These include pastors with the best entertainment value, the best music, or the most outrageous actors.

Instead of the true gospel, it has become a kind of anti-gospel which is not really a gospel at all.  It’s little more than a caricature of the truth to tickle one’s ears attempting to maintain a person’s interest.  Please share this video with anyone who cares about the victims of these scammers or with the victims themselves if they are open to watch it.

At the end of the video comes a dream about the Lion of the Tribe of Judah—Christ himself.