Ep. 495: ACNA and Stewart Ruch, T.D. Jakes, the ERLC

On today’s program, a third prosecutor has been appointed in the trial of Anglican Church in North America Bishop Stewart Ruch after the first two resigned. The Bishop is on trial with the denomination for welcoming abusers into the church, and minimizing the needs of abuse survivors. A North Carolina church was the victim of an online scam that stole nearly $800 thousand from their new building fund. That was two years ago—we’ll look at where the church is now. Plus, Brent Leatherwood resigns from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, just one year after being fired…then unfired. Leatherwood led the agency for four contentious years. We’ll have details. First, the defense attorney in a lawsuit involving T.D. Jakes has been sanctioned by the court for using artificial intelligence in the preparation of court documents. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Kathryn Post, Daniel Ritchie, Bob Smietana, Katie Ruth Bowes, and Isaac Wood. A special thanks to the Biblical Recorder and The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Christina: And I’m Christina Darnell, in for Natasha Cowden this week, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, a third prosecutor has been appointed in the trial of Anglican Church in North America Bishop Stewart Ruch after the first two resigned. The Bishop is on trial with the denomination for welcoming abusers into the church, and minimizing the needs of abuse survivors. And, a North Carolina church was the victim of an online scam that stole nearly $800 thousand from their new building fund. That was two years ago—we’ll look at where the church is now. Plus, Brent Leatherwood resigns from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, just one year after being fired…then unfired. Leatherwood led the agency for four contentious years. We’ll have details. Christina: But first, the defense attorney in a lawsuit involving T.D. Jakes has been sanctioned by the court for using artificial intelligence in the preparation of court documents. Warren: The attorney is Tyrone Blackburn, and he was defending Duane Youngblood in a defamation lawsuit filed by TD Jakes. Blackburn has been sanctioned by a federal court because he presented documents that contained material fabricated by artificial intelligence. U.S. District Court Judge William Stickman ordered Blackburn to pay over $76-thousand in fees to cover expenses Jakes had to pay to defend himself against the “AI-generated hallucinations and other misrepresentations in Defendant’s motion to dismiss briefing.” Christina: Last year, Duane Youngblood accused Jakes of attempted sexual assault. Jakes has maintained his innocence and filed a defamation lawsuit against Youngblood in November 2024. Jakes noted that Youngblood is on parole after felony convictions for sexual assault and corruption of minors. Warren: According to a statement provided to Dallas Morning News, Blackburn said he purchased an A-I program because he doesn’t employ paralegals and most of his current clients are pro bono. The A-I program generated its own legal prompts and motions, and contained false quotes and case law. Before he could fix the A-I generated errors, Youngblood asked him to leave the case. Christina: But the judge essentially told him that wasn’t an excuse—that he was fully responsible for the accuracy of his legal briefs, regardless of who—or what—contributed to it. It was Blackburn’s signature on the document. Warren: Right. Jakes’ attorney said he spent a lot of time—and therefore Jakes spent a lot of money—responding to the A-I generated misrepresentations. In November, Jakes, who founded The Potter’s House megachurch in Dallas, suffered a massive heart attack while he was preaching. Then in April, he stepped aside from his role as the lead pastor and handed the reins to his daughter and son-in-law, Sarah Jakes Roberts and Touré Roberts. Christina: Next, an update on the Anglican Church in North America trial of Bishop Stewart Ruch. Warren: Three weeks after the A-C-N-A trial of Bishop Stewart Ruch began, another prosecutor has been appointed—this marks the third person named to this role after the first two resigned. Christina: Who is this new prosecutor? Warren: His name is Thomas Crapps, and he’s a Florida-based lawyer with over 30 years of legal experience. In an announcement, he said “Bringing justice to victims is my sole interest in this case. I want to be crystal clear: if they have been sidelined in any proceedings to date, I am committed to faithfully representing their interests going forward.” Christina: Ruch is on trial because he has been accused of failing to prioritize the needs of alleged abuse survivors…and of knowingly welcoming individuals with predatory behavior into churches in his diocese without alerting church members. Warren: The church trial, which has been rocked by controversy since it began, will determine whether Ruch neglected his duties as bishop and violated church bylaws. The denomination has issued a statement voicing confidence in the court’s ability to carry out this trial, which is set to reconvene next week, on August 11. Christina: Our next story involves an Idaho pastor charged with human trafficking and sexual abuse of women in his congregation. Warren: Gregory Wayne Jones, former pastor of Liberty Christian Fellowship Church in Mountain Home, Idaho, has been accused of using his position to abuse women connected to the church. Jones claimed it was a part of the healing process for the victims who sought counseling from him. Christina: According to the affidavit, “Jones exploited vulnerable women through private ‘spiritual sessions’ he called ‘The Process’ at both the church and its affiliated daycare, the NXT Dream Center.” Warren: Jones is accused of abusing women during these sessions, claiming it was part of their healing journey. He claimed to be a "spiritual father” and threatened his victims with public humiliation and demonic attacks. He is also accused of trying to get his victims to find other women for him to counsel who needed “spiritual healing.” The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Jones in January after a woman came forward. Now, at least six women have come forward with allegations against Jones. One alleged victim was only 17 at the time of the abuse. Christina: Next, another pastor who served his time—and is now back leading his church. Warren: Houston megachurch pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell is back at Windsor Village Church. This past Sunday, August 3, he joined the choir onstage to lead worship, marking his first time attending services since he was released from prison last year. Christina: What did he serve time for? Warren: In 2020, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after he and his co-conspirator Gregory Smith, scammed elderly victims out of more than $3.5 million. Christina: Between 2013 and 2014, Caldwell and Smith convinced 29 people to invest in Chinese historical bonds—which are not recognized by the government of China and have zero investment value. But Smith convinced victims they would receive quick returns, and they should sell other investments so they could afford to participate. The money went to a number of bank accounts that Caldwell controlled. Caldwell used $900-thousand of his share to pay loans, mortgages, and credit cards. Warren: Caldwell was released from prison in September 2024. The pastor has reportedly paid back all of his victims, according to the church. He is set to deliver his first sermon since his release at Windsor Village Church this Sunday. Christina: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, a North Carolina church scammed out of nearly $800-thousand has—two years later—begun worshiping in their new facility. We’ll look at how they overcame the setback. I’m Christina Darnell, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.   BREAK   SECOND SEGMENT Christina: Welcome back.  I’m Christina Darnell, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Next, the story we promised before the break, a story about a church in North Carolina that could have lessons for lots of other churches around the country. Warren: After years of praying and giving, the people of Elkin Valley Baptist Church broke ground on a new worship center. But in one day, the pendulum swung from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. In the morning, church staff found out they had been approved for a construction loan through the North Carolina Baptist Foundation. That same afternoon, their hopes were dashed when they found out a cybercriminal had stolen almost $800 thousand out of their capital campaign fund. Christina: That was in November 2022. The church called an emergency meeting to inform members that their building project had skid to a halt. Instead of casting blame, leadership decided to move forward in faith. Now, a little more than two years later, the congregation is meeting in their newly built worship center. Warren: Originally, the goal for the building fund had been $1 million. But after the theft, the church ended up raising almost $1.4 million in pledges. The community showed up,...