2 church leaders with Michigan ties charged in multi-state forced labor conspiracy
Officials say 53-year-old David Taylor and 56-year-old Michelle Brannon, leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church, formally known as Media Ministries International, used physical and psychological abuse to control their victims to get donations.
Taylor and Brannon were reportedly arrested today in North Carolina and Florida in “a nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization.”
Taylor opened the first call center in Michigan and then ran call centers across the U.S., including in Florida, Texas and Missouri, officials say.
Officials say the pair coerced victims to work at the call centers without pay and serve Taylor around the clock. Victims reportedly slept in the call center facilities and were not allowed to leave without permission. According to the indictment, Taylor referred to himself as “Apostle” and "Jesus's best friend."
Taylor also allegedly demanded his victims transport women to his location, and to make sure they took emergency contraceptives.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the call centers would bring in millions of dollars in donations each year. Officials allege Taylor and Brannon used the money to buy luxury properties, luxury vehicles and sporting equipment.
https://www.wxyz.com/news/2-church-leade...conspiracy
Officials say 53-year-old David Taylor and 56-year-old Michelle Brannon, leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church, formally known as Media Ministries International, used physical and psychological abuse to control their victims to get donations.
Taylor and Brannon were reportedly arrested today in North Carolina and Florida in “a nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization.”
Taylor opened the first call center in Michigan and then ran call centers across the U.S., including in Florida, Texas and Missouri, officials say.
Officials say the pair coerced victims to work at the call centers without pay and serve Taylor around the clock. Victims reportedly slept in the call center facilities and were not allowed to leave without permission. According to the indictment, Taylor referred to himself as “Apostle” and "Jesus's best friend."
Taylor also allegedly demanded his victims transport women to his location, and to make sure they took emergency contraceptives.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the call centers would bring in millions of dollars in donations each year. Officials allege Taylor and Brannon used the money to buy luxury properties, luxury vehicles and sporting equipment.
https://www.wxyz.com/news/2-church-leade...conspiracy
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
