Weird Time for Christians

[BigRedBuster]

 

[knapplc]

They were wearing $1 million in jewelry during church?

 

Flashy Brooklyn pastor and his wife robbed of more than $1 million in jewelry while preaching, NYPD says

A flashy Brooklyn pastor known for wearing designer outfits and extravagant jewelry was robbed along with his wife of more than $1 million while he was preaching at church Sunday, police said.

 

Police say three males entered the Leaders of Tomorrow church Sunday with firearms and removed the jewelry pastor Lamor Miller-Whitehead, who goes by Bishop, and his wife were wearing.

 

Part of the incident was captured on video from inside the church. A portion of the livestream was obtained by CNN affiliate WCBS before it was removed and shows at least one perpetrator holding a gun on the pastor and interrupting his sermon.

 

"All right, all right, all right," Whitehead says in the video, as he raised his hands and lowered himself to the floor.

 

The video is no longer available on the church's livestream, but Whitehead told WCBS what happened.

 

"That -- 'all right, all right, all right' -- is pretty much stating that I don't want, I'm not going to do anything, right, 'cause I know y'all coming for me, y'all coming straight to me. I don't want my parishioners hurt," he said.

 

"I got women and children there. As I got down, one went to my wife and took all her jewelry, and had the gun in front of my 8-month-old baby's face," he continued.

 

"Took off my bishop's ring, my wedding band and took off my bishop chain, and then I had chains underneath my robe, and he start tapping my neck to see if (there was) anything else -- so that means they knew, they watched and they knew that I have other jewelry," he said.

 

Whitehead said there were gunmen with firearms raised to deacons at the door as well. There were about 20 to 25 congregants present, police said.

 

"My church is traumatized," Whitehead said.

 

The NYPD said the suspects took more than a $1 million worth of jewelry and then fled the location on foot. They entered a white Mercedes-Benz vehicle and were seen traveling eastbound on Avenue D, police said.

[Lorewarn]

24 minutes ago, knapplc said:

They were wearing $1 million in jewelry during church?

 

Flashy Brooklyn pastor and his wife robbed of more than $1 million in jewelry while preaching, NYPD says

A flashy Brooklyn pastor known for wearing designer outfits and extravagant jewelry was robbed along with his wife of more than $1 million while he was preaching at church Sunday, police said.

 

Police say three males entered the Leaders of Tomorrow church Sunday with firearms and removed the jewelry pastor Lamor Miller-Whitehead, who goes by Bishop, and his wife were wearing.

 

Part of the incident was captured on video from inside the church. A portion of the livestream was obtained by CNN affiliate WCBS before it was removed and shows at least one perpetrator holding a gun on the pastor and interrupting his sermon.

 

"All right, all right, all right," Whitehead says in the video, as he raised his hands and lowered himself to the floor.

 

The video is no longer available on the church's livestream, but Whitehead told WCBS what happened.

 

"That -- 'all right, all right, all right' -- is pretty much stating that I don't want, I'm not going to do anything, right, 'cause I know y'all coming for me, y'all coming straight to me. I don't want my parishioners hurt," he said.

 

"I got women and children there. As I got down, one went to my wife and took all her jewelry, and had the gun in front of my 8-month-old baby's face," he continued.

 

"Took off my bishop's ring, my wedding band and took off my bishop chain, and then I had chains underneath my robe, and he start tapping my neck to see if (there was) anything else -- so that means they knew, they watched and they knew that I have other jewelry," he said.

 

Whitehead said there were gunmen with firearms raised to deacons at the door as well. There were about 20 to 25 congregants present, police said.

 

"My church is traumatized," Whitehead said.

 

The NYPD said the suspects took more than a $1 million worth of jewelry and then fled the location on foot. They entered a white Mercedes-Benz vehicle and were seen traveling eastbound on Avenue D, police said.

 

 

 

 

You might enjoy the account Preachers N Sneakers

 

https://www.instagram.com/preachersnsneakers/

[BigRedBuster]

26 minutes ago, knapplc said:

They were wearing $1 million in jewelry during church?

 

Flashy Brooklyn pastor and his wife robbed of more than $1 million in jewelry while preaching, NYPD says

A flashy Brooklyn pastor known for wearing designer outfits and extravagant jewelry was robbed along with his wife of more than $1 million while he was preaching at church Sunday, police said.

 

Police say three males entered the Leaders of Tomorrow church Sunday with firearms and removed the jewelry pastor Lamor Miller-Whitehead, who goes by Bishop, and his wife were wearing.

 

Part of the incident was captured on video from inside the church. A portion of the livestream was obtained by CNN affiliate WCBS before it was removed and shows at least one perpetrator holding a gun on the pastor and interrupting his sermon.

 

"All right, all right, all right," Whitehead says in the video, as he raised his hands and lowered himself to the floor.

 

The video is no longer available on the church's livestream, but Whitehead told WCBS what happened.

 

"That -- 'all right, all right, all right' -- is pretty much stating that I don't want, I'm not going to do anything, right, 'cause I know y'all coming for me, y'all coming straight to me. I don't want my parishioners hurt," he said.

 

"I got women and children there. As I got down, one went to my wife and took all her jewelry, and had the gun in front of my 8-month-old baby's face," he continued.

 

"Took off my bishop's ring, my wedding band and took off my bishop chain, and then I had chains underneath my robe, and he start tapping my neck to see if (there was) anything else -- so that means they knew, they watched and they knew that I have other jewelry," he said.

 

Whitehead said there were gunmen with firearms raised to deacons at the door as well. There were about 20 to 25 congregants present, police said.

 

"My church is traumatized," Whitehead said.

 

The NYPD said the suspects took more than a $1 million worth of jewelry and then fled the location on foot. They entered a white Mercedes-Benz vehicle and were seen traveling eastbound on Avenue D, police said.

Should be a good sign to find a different church. 

[TGHusker]

22 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

Should be a good sign to find a different church. 

ANSWER ME THIS:  How does a pastor of 100 people (news video said he had 100 present in the church - perhaps more not there in the service  - lets just round it up to 1000 people for grins) afford $1m in jewelry much less have the the gull (is it high end arrogance or high end stupidity ) to parade it out in public.  Doesn't seem very Jesus like to me.  He said he was targeted because he had turned in a murderer to the police in May and the media mentioned his bling and Rolls Royce.    

[BigRedBuster]

20 minutes ago, TGHusker said:

ANSWER ME THIS:  How does a pastor of 100 people (news video said he had 100 present in the church - perhaps more not there in the service  - lets just round it up to 1000 people for grins) afford $1m in jewelry much less have the the gull (is it high end arrogance or high end stupidity ) to parade it out in public.  Doesn't seem very Jesus like to me.  He said he was targeted because he had turned in a murderer to the police in May and the media mentioned his bling and Rolls Royce.    

I know this is circumstantial evidence and at best third had information.  But, I had some friends play in a golf tournament in Oklahoma a few years ago.  One of the guys they played with was an ex FBI agent.  They said that one of his main jobs was investigating drug trafficking.  He told them that some of the huge mega churches in the south were known to be major funnels for drugs coming into the country.  That's why they had so much money.  Well.........

[TGHusker]

52 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

I know this is circumstantial evidence and at best third had information.  But, I had some friends play in a golf tournament in Oklahoma a few years ago.  One of the guys they played with was an ex FBI agent.  They said that one of his main jobs was investigating drug trafficking.  He told them that some of the huge mega churches in the south were known to be major funnels for drugs coming into the country.  That's why they had so much money.  Well.........

Kind of reminds me of Matthew 7:21-23

 

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

[Scarlet]

Any religion that leaves someone as a lying, hateful, judgemental menace to society who wants to impose their twisted view of reality on other people is not working.

 

I present exhibit A

 

[knapplc]

Brainwashing children. Totally not a cult.

 

 

[Decoy73]

18 hours ago, Scarlet said:

Any religion that leaves someone as a lying, hateful, judgemental menace to society who wants to impose their twisted view of reality on other people is not working.

 

I present exhibit A

 

Bad apple.  

[TGHusker]

34 minutes ago, knapplc said:

Brainwashing children. Totally not a cult.

 

 

WWJD??  Not that video.  Sad how far the American church in many sectors has gotten away from the clear intent of Jesus's teachings.  Man's religion has overshadowed true spirituality.  I can understand why many are turned off by the Americanized, Political evangelical/fundamentalist 'faith' so often presented by 'the church'. Sad thing, it blocks people from seeing Jesus's teachings for what they really are - life giving.  

[Lorewarn]

4 hours ago, TGHusker said:

WWJD??  Not that video.  Sad how far the American church in many sectors has gotten away from the clear intent of Jesus's teachings.  Man's religion has overshadowed true spirituality.  I can understand why many are turned off by the Americanized, Political evangelical/fundamentalist 'faith' so often presented by 'the church'. Sad thing, it blocks people from seeing Jesus's teachings for what they really are - life giving.  

 

 

That videogame does unwittingly present a good representation for how evangelicalism missed Jesus.

 

That entire framework is predicated on building up a castle against the evil forces of the world. Whereas Jesus was a pretty chill nomad, inviting people to walk with him through the wilderness, risk the weather and the chaos, be ready to encounter naked beggars on the side of the road, etc. 

[TGHusker]

14 minutes ago, Lorewarn said:

 

 

That videogame does unwittingly present a good representation for how evangelicalism missed Jesus.

 

That entire framework is predicated on building up a castle against the evil forces of the world. Whereas Jesus was a pretty chill nomad, inviting people to walk with him through the wilderness, risk the weather and the chaos, be ready to encounter naked beggars on the side of the road, etc. 

One version:  Closed, Risk aversion, escapism - think of the Rapture.   The center of the universe is still the "self"

The other version:   Open, risk indifference, inclusion -  think of the parable - Go into the streets and invite everyone into the banquet  The center of the universe is: Others and Christ's command to love God first and we do that by fulfilling the 2nd command by "loving our neighbor as ourselves' - and we know from the parable of the rich young ruler that neighbor is everyone - regardless of color, political party, faith or no faith, wealthy or not, etc. 

[DevoHusker]

 

 

 

[TGHusker]

17 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

 

 

 

This just saddens me.  It appears he can't shake his issues.  He has been down this road before.   Too many guys become pastors of mega churches who haven't been proven and tested in life.  Some shouldn't be pastors at all - if they really knew themselves.    My older Son lived in Co Springs when the below occurred.  New Life Church was a respected church in the community - just down the street from where he worked at the time.  The whole community was shocked.  Haggard was President of Nat'l Assoc of Evangelicals - which again rewards 'success' not tested character (never heard of a faithful small church leading the association).  

 

From Wiki: 

Quote

 

Ted Arthur Haggard ( born June 27, 1956) is an American evangelical pastor. Haggard is the founder and former pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and is a founder of the Association of Life-Giving Churches. He served as President of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) from 2003 until November 2006.

Haggard made national headlines in November 2006 when male prostitute and masseur Mike Jones alleged that Haggard, who had advocated against the legalization of same-sex marriage, had paid him for sex for three years and had also purchased and used crystal methamphetamine. Haggard resigned his post at New Life Church and his other leadership roles shortly after the allegations became public. Later, Haggard admitted to drug use, some sexual activity with Jones, and an inappropriate relationship with a young man who attended New Life Church.

In 2010, Haggard and his wife, Gayle, founded Saint James Church in Colorado Springs; as of September 2018, Haggard continues to serve as founding pastor at Saint James Church

 

 

https://religionnews.com/2022/07/26/disgraced-pastor-ted-haggard-faces-new-allegations/

Quote

 

RNS) — Former Colorado megachurch pastor Ted Haggard, who fell from grace in 2006 after a gay sex-and-drug scandal, is now facing some of the same allegations at another church.

Haggard, 66, is being accused of using methamphetamine and behaving inappropriately with young men at St. James Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a church he founded in 2010, The Denver Gazette reported.

A onetime president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Haggard resigned from New Life Church in Colorado Springs in the wake of a scandal involving a Denver male prostitute. Haggard admitted at the time that he bought methamphetamine and paid the prostitute for massages. Later, it also emerged he’d had an inappropriate relationship with a young man at the megachurch he founded.

Haggard went through a “spiritual restoration” process, and his wife, Gayle, wrote a book about the experience, called “Why I Stayed.” (New Life Church continues under the leadership of Brady Boyd.)

---

 

---

The most recent allegations were made by Kirk “Seth” Sethman, who was ordained as a minister by St. James Church in 2012. Sethman recorded the statements of two young adult men who said Haggard touched them inappropriately on several occasions at the church. One of them was a minor at the time the touching began in 2019.

Sethman said he first approached church elders with allegations about Haggard in 2020.

St. James has declined in membership in recent years and earlier this year sold its building. Haggard is still head pastor but has moved the church’s services and study sessions to his home and is now calling his new congregation the Storyhouse Church.

Haggard was first ordained as a Southern Baptist but is now part of the Free Methodist Church. His new church does not appear to be affiliated with the denomination.

In 2016, Haggard helped found the Network of Redemptive Churches. In a sermon, he explained the group would “train church boards and church leadership in how to respond redemptively to the worst possible day, so that someone else’s sin is an opportunity to model the gospel, instead of someone else’s sin being a point of shame.”