Ep. 503: David E. Taylor Arrested, Kentucky Church Encourages Members to Take Library Books, Flagship SBC Church Sells Property

On today’s program, David E. Taylor—the self-appointed apostle of Kingdom of God Global Church and head of Joshua Media Ministries—was arrested this week for forced labor and money laundering. If convicted, he could face more than 20 years in prison. We’ll have details. And, a Kentucky church has encouraged their members to check books out of their local library, and not return them—ever. The books, many of them geared toward children, promote LGBTQ lifestyles, and the church is framing the thefts as an act of civil disobedience. We’ll take a look. Plus, Dauphin Way Baptist Church used to be the largest Baptist church in Alabama. Now, it is selling its property and plans to downsize. But first, a PCA church in Newport Beach, California, is reeling after one of its elders was arrested for sexual assault. Redeemer Church of Orange County in Newport Beach, California, a 325-member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), informed its congregation last week that one of its elders, Michael Maxwell, had been arrested by Irvine police for sexual crimes against a minor.  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, Daniel Ritchie, Yonat Shimron, Mark Wingfield, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to Baptist News Global 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. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, David E. Taylor—the self-appointed apostle of Kingdom of God Global Church and head of Joshua Media Ministries—was arrested this week for forced labor and money laundering. If convicted, he could face more than 20 years in prison. We’ll have details. And, a Kentucky church has encouraged their members to check books out of their local library, and not return them—ever. The books, many of them geared toward children, promote LGBTQ lifestyles, and the church is framing the thefts as an act of civil disobedience. We’ll take a look. Plus, Dauphin Way Baptist Church used to be the largest Baptist church in Alabama. Now, it is selling its property and plans to downsize. Natasha: But first, a PCA church in Newport Beach, California, is reeling after one of its elders was arrested for sexual assault. Warren: Redeemer Church of Orange County in Newport Beach, California, a 325-member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), informed its congregation last week that one of its elders, Michael Maxwell, had been arrested by Irvine police for sexual crimes against a minor. Natasha: What are the charges? Warren: Hahne was charged on August 19 with 18 felony counts of sexual assault against the victim over the course of seven years. He is scheduled to be arraigned on September 12, according to the L.A. Times. Natasha: How has the church responded? Warren: Maxwell has been removed from his position as an elder and will no longer be allowed to act in any ministry or leadership capacity at Redeemer. He has also been suspended from the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The alleged abuse did not take place at Redeemer nor at any other ministry or event associated with the church. Nevertheless, Redeemer has secured the services of G.R.A.C.E. (Godly Response to Abuse in a Christian Environment) as it works through the process of dealing with Maxwell and the accusations against him. Redeemer has requested that GRACE perform an independent audit of the church processes, policies, and leadership. Natasha: Next, a forced labor and money laundering case involving a ministry we’ve been covering here at MinistryWatch for the past few years. Warren: David E. Taylor, the self-proclaimed apostle and leader of Kingdom of God Global Church and Joshua Media Ministries, has been arrested in a “nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization,” according to a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) press release. Taylor and Michelle Brannon—executive director of Kingdom of God Global Church—are facing a 10-count grand jury indictment “for their alleged roles in a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that victimized individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.” Natasha: How did they do it? Warren: Taylor, 53, and Brannon, 56, established call centers in Michigan, then later in Florida, Texas, and Missouri, in which they forced their victims to work long hours in the call centers without pay. They also set unobtainable monetary donation goals. If victims failed to reach fundraising goals, they were subjected to “public humiliation, additional work, food and shelter restrictions, psychological abuse, forced repentance, sleep deprivation, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, and eternal damnation,” the DOJ press statement explained. Natasha: According to the DOJ, Taylor and Brannon controlled every aspect of their victims’ daily lives. Victims slept in the call center facility or in a “ministry” house, and were not permitted to leave without permission. Warren: While Kingdom of God Global Church was taking in millions of dollars in donations and allegedly mistreating its workers, Taylor and Brannon were allegedly using the money to purchase luxury properties, luxury vehicles, and sporting equipment such as a boat, jet skis, and ATVs. Natasha: The ministry has taken in approximately $50 million in donations since 2014. Warren: If convicted, the two face severe penalties. The forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor charges each carry up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000, while the conspiracy to commit money laundering charges carry up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $500,000, or twice the value of the properties involved in the money laundering transactions. MinistryWatch has reported in the past about a civil lawsuit against Taylor and his ministries for not paying for a $2 million stage set he ordered. In the MinistryWatch 1000 database, Joshua Media Ministries has a donor confidence score of zero, meaning donors should withhold giving. It does not file a Form 990 with the IRS. Natasha: And we have another troubling story. Warren: A federal complaint for charges of distributing child pornography has been issued against Michael Deckinga, the vice president of advancement at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana. Natasha: An affidavit referred to in the complaint appears to be under seal with the federal court. Warren: According to its website, Mid-America was founded in 1981 and is “closely associated with confessional Reformed and Presbyterian churches; however, it is not governed by the rules of any denomination.” It is located about 30 miles from downtown Chicago and is a member of The Association of Theological Schools. If found guilty, Deckinga could face between five and 20 years in prison. Natasha: Let’s look at one more story before our first break. Warren: The senior pastor of a Nevada church has been caught in an FBI sting aimed at capturing child predators. Neal Creecy, 46, the pastor of Redemption Church in Las Vegas, has been arrested for allegedly using a computer to lure children for sexual contact. Natasha: For the past few weeks, the FBI collaborated with local Nevada law enforcement officials to catch child predators. Undercover officers posed as children online while carrying on conversations through social media apps. Warren: According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, undercover officials used TikTok and other social media platforms to converse with potential child predators. In-person meetings were then arranged. Seven other men were arrested as a part of the law enforcement operation that apprehended Creecy. Creecy was released on a $10,000 bond. Upon being released, he immediately resigned his position at the church. His first appearance in court will be on September 2. Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, a Kentucky church has urged its members to check out LGBTQ books from the library and not return them. I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.   BREAK   SECOND SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Next, the story we promised before the break. Warren: A church in Shelbyville, Kentucky, has encouraged its congregants to check objectionable books out of the public library and not return them … ever. Reformation Church describes itself as “a confessionally Baptist, culturally engaged, and evangelistically zealous fellowship in the heart of Shelbyville.” Three of its leaders confirmed that it has encouraged “civil disobedience.” Natasha: Hunter Baker, provost and dean of faculty at North Greenville University, disagrees with this approach. Warren: He told MinistryWatch that the acts are theft. “With civil disobedience, the classic understanding is that you do it openly and you are willing to accept the penalty as part of committing the act. I would only consider this civil disobedience under those conditions,” Baker explained. “They take the books, make clear their intent not to return them, and suffer any consequences the law imposes,” he added. According to Shelby County Public Library Director Pamela Federspiel, the library has “lost” 16 books to a church member who checked them ou