ATLANTA, Georgia, USA – Gone are the days when one can blindly trust the church for advice, especially when it comes to financial decisions. The massive megachurch may not have gained its wealth only from tithes and charitable donations, but may also be a beneficiary of some underhanded schemes aimed at undermining its congregations’ giving spirit and goodwill, as seen in this metro Atlanta story.
The leader of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, GA, pastor Eddie Long, is being sued by former members of his church. These members allege that their money totaling nearly $1million was invested and lost in what is now assumed to be a Ponzi scheme. They also state that megachurch pastor Eddie Long encouraged the church’s members to invest money in the company and even described the recipient of the $1million loan, Ephren W. Taylor, as Long’s ‘friend” and “brother.”
Members suing the pastor argue that they never would have invested in the scheme, had it not been for Long’s endorsement. Long’s urging members to invest in the company was questionable, since he had previously been told that the investor was operating under a $3million deficit in capital.
Long also did not invest his own money into the company.
Taylor is alleged to have contacted over 1,000 investors, the majority of whom are church members. He told the church goers that he was a self-made millionaire by age 16.
Some members of the congregation lost their entire savings, such as plaintiff Lillian Wells who invested $122,000. As a result of the suit, filed in late January 2013, church members are hoping that their funds will be restored.
My uncle always said, “the devil is sitting in the first pew at church.”
Where have I heard that before?
It’s about time folks began to realize that God doesn’t double money; God is not a bank; He’s not a wealth multiplier; and He’s certainly not raining food down His grocery store in heaven.
You wonna eat? Work! You wonna make money? Work harder! You wonna be rich? Be smart and work even harder!
For how many times is the Bible going to tell us that if you don’t work, don’t eat? You reap what you sow – a natural law, or we like to call it a Godly law. If you break it you will be broken; if you are not broken, your children or your children’s children will be broken!
oh noooo… eddie again? why?
The biggest miracle in life, and Christians seem to forget this, that when you work, some measure of renumeration is assured unto you.
Fellas, that’s a miracle! For me, that’s how God works in mysterious ways!
Looking for a short cut, well, good luck.