(Photo: Televangelist David E. Taylor was arrested for forced labor and money laundering.)

Is God using law enforcement to remove predators from pulpits and dismantle cults worldwide?

Since the end of August leaders of American, Mexican and South Korean cults have been indicted or charged with crimes. The American indictments follow three multi-year criminal investigations conducted by the FBI.

On the morning of August 27th, FBI agents conducted raids in four states of properties owned by Kingdom of God Global Church and arrested cult leaders David E. Taylor and Michelle Brannon.

Two weeks later, a new indictment of Naasón Joaquín García, head of the Mexican cult La Luz Del Mundo (LLDM) which means “Light of the World” in Spanish, was unsealed revealing charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking conspiracy. It is quite rare for religious leaders to be convicted of racketeering.  He plead guilty to previous charges and went to prison in 2022.

Continue reading “Court Watch: FBI Conducts Three Multi-Year Criminal Investigations of Religious Organizations; Summary of Church and Ministry Court Cases”

Covering Courtroom Scandals

Where were the religion reporters when televangelist Robert Tilton’s corrupt attorney J.C. Joyce delivered an aggressive defense of religious fraud?

Joyce told the court, “The right to believe what we choose to believe is absolute. We even have the right to defraud people with that belief.”

On March 21, 1995, Attorney Gary Richardson reminded a court of Joyce’s prior defense of fraud.

Tragically, that quote has not been reported in any newspapers.

Corrupt attorneys have played a primary role in aiding fraud and coverups in churches and ministries, but their actions rarely receive critical news coverage.

Meanwhile, televangelists have generated massive legal bills which most donors know nothing about. Court reporters should spotlight these legal expenses for religious non-profits filing Form 990s.

Continue reading “Religious Reporting Needs Court Reporters: Updates on Court Actions Involving Second Baptist Church, TBN and Dr. Phil”

What is Christian journalism lacking? Court reporters! Some of the biggest crimes in the religious world are NOT properly reported because no journalist obtained depositions/court transcripts and then the case gets closed.

Philanthropists can close this void by partnering with media to fund court reporters.

Bloggers, YouTubers, and social media commentators may also fill this gap by researching court documents, attending court hearings, and interviewing attorneys to find out how laws are applied. Religion reporters may enhance their investigative skills by covering court cases.

The following cases, while not an exhaustive list, may be viewed as opportunities to examine allegations of corruption in the church world and to learn about America’s court system.

Continue reading “Religious Court Cases to Watch in 2025”

(Photo: Worship band at Gateway Church Southlake campus. The church campus was constructed for $86 million and opened in 2010.)

By Barry Bowen and Pete Evans

Two class action lawsuits filed in 2024 are creating an opportunity to produce court precedents for suing churches engaged in alleged financial fraud.

In July, Mormon donors merged five cases filed against the Mormon Church into one class action lawsuit.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, “A total of nine plaintiffs — so far — are alleging that senior church leaders and their money managers lied for decades about using member tithing donations solely for charitable causes while instead investing the cash in a multibillion-dollar ‘slush fund’ at Ensign Peak Advisors, the faith’s investment arm.”

The Mormon class action case follows another groundbreaking lawsuit. In 2021, Mormon Church donor James Huntsman sued the church for $5 million, alleging that church tithes were used to build the City Mall Center in Salt Lake City.

On September 25^th, Huntsman’s case was heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which has not yet rendered a decision.

In early October, four Gateway Church donors filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Gateway Global Ministries was spending less than $3 million on missions when the total should have exceeded $15 million annually in recent years.  Robert Morris and other church leadership had claimed 15% of money given to the church would be spent on missions.

Precedents created by the Mormon lawsuits may determine the outcome of the Gateway class action lawsuit.

Continue reading “Seeing the Bigger Picture: Making Sense of the Gateway Church Class Action Lawsuit”

Besides shining a spotlight on the bad behavior of religious leaders, court  cases often bring unique attention to church and ministry governance issues. Cross examination frequently provides answers to questions church members have long sought.

The finances of churches and ministries which are often secret may become a matter of public record during litigation.

For organizations filing a Form 990, legal expenses are disclosed on the Statement of Expenses page.

* Evan and Joshua Edwards – Evan and his son are accused of using their non-profit organization ASLAN International Ministry to fraudulently obtain a Paycheck Protection Program loan. According to ProPublica, the ministry received a loan of $8,417,200 in 2020 to retain 486 employees during COVID. USA Today reported the family used part of the money toward purchasing a $3.7 million home in Orlando among other misdeeds.

A trial date has not yet been set. The court docket is available on PACER.

Continue reading “Court Cases to Watch in 2023”