MinistryWatch Podcast 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 out last year but has never returned them. The total value of the books exceeds $400.
Baker believes the church’s position “would be far better” by “mak[ing] clear the objection to the books and to seek[ing] some kind of change of policy on the part of the libraries.”
Natasha:
Next we turn to legacy gifts, while asking the questions – are ministries accountable for using bequests as intended?
Warren:
Iris Hensley knew that her aunt, Merle Jose, planned to leave her estate to In Touch Ministries, the ministry founded and led by Charles Stanley until his death in 2023.
Jose had lived in the same neighborhood as Stanley and joined his church, First Baptist Atlanta. Jose also volunteered her time at In Touch Ministries.
Natasha:
She wrote in her will that she was gifting all of her residual estate to the “Messenger Ministry of In Touch Foundation Inc…for its corporate uses and purposes.”
Warren:
It’s not uncommon for ministries to advertise that they accept legacy gifts, or for them to have legacy giving departments that provide sample language for donors to use in their will.
But after Jose died in March 2025, Hensley grew concerned her aunt’s intentions wouldn’t be honored, and she’s questioning who will hold the ministry accountable to use the designated funds as intended.
Natasha:
In other words, will Jose’s gift fund the distribution of Messenger devices—or will it be used at In Touch’s discretion toward whatever it deems appropriate?
Warren:
The Messenger is In Touch Ministries’ flagship solar-powered audio device pre-loaded with scripture and Dr. Stanley’s teachings. It is distributed in countries around the world.
At the probate hearing for Jose’s will on August 14, Hensley said Judge Alice Padgett indicated there is no guarantee Jose’s gift will be used for the Messenger devices.
On its website, In Touch suggests language to use in making a bequest. That language was reflected almost exactly in Jose’s will. Hensley is concerned that In Touch exercised undue influence on Jose when she wrote her will in 2023 while living in a care home after being ill.
David Bea, an attorney who works in many areas of law involving nonprofit organizations, says a general clause like “for its corporate uses and purposes” generally overrides a more specific “Messenger Ministry” phrase in the will.
Natasha:
He suggested that sometimes general wording like that is used alongside a specific request so that if the initial purpose becomes impossible to fulfill for whatever reason, the ministry can still use the funds for something else.
Warren:
Bea advises that anyone wanting to make a bequest to a ministry seek good counsel from their own qualified attorney to draft the language in a way that fulfills their desires.
While a ministry’s attorneys may want to be helpful, their job is to work in the best interest of said ministry, he said.
It’s also better for family members to sit down with the donor before they die to work out details of the gift and how they intend for it to be used, he says. This helps avoid ambiguity and enforcement issues.
Natasha:
Next, religious liberty in the UK and Europe.
Warren:
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has long been preaching the Gospel across the world, but now it is taking steps to ensure the message of salvation in Christ can be spread throughout the United Kingdom and Europe without interference or discrimination.
The Billy Graham Defense Fund will use money that BGEA won when they were discriminated against several years ago. About $650,000. The ministry will add to the fund, bringing the total to about $1.3 million.
Natasha:
An organization related to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is Samaritan’s Purse. SP has recently joined efforts in Gaza.
Warren:
After struggling for months to find partners to help them deliver aid to Gaza, the embattled Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has picked up a collaborator — Samaritan’s Purse,
Since July 26, Samaritan’s Purse has sent eight relief flights for Gaza carrying 169 tons of supplemental food packets that have been distributed through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s four Gaza-based hubs. In addition, Samaritan’s Purse has sent a medical team of six nurses and paramedics to provide first aid treatment at these distribution sites.
Natasha:
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is a private, Israel-and U.S. backed project staffed with U.S. security contractors and financed with $30 million in U.S. tax dollars, and a matching commitment from Israel. It was created to displace the United Nations’ various humanitarian relief efforts, which Israel has prevented from functioning.
Warren:
But since the GHF began its operations in mid-May, more than 1,400 unarmed Palestinian civilians have reportedly been killed by Israel Defense Forces while seeking food aid at or near the GHF distribution sites, known as Safe Distribution Hubs, located in remote militarized zones.
Ken Isaacs, vice president of programs and government relations for Samaritan’s Purse, said he visited several Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites and was impressed with how they were secured and the professionalism of the GHF staff,” Isaacs said. “They are working in a very difficult situation, and I am grateful that Samaritan’s Purse has the opportunity to collaborate with GHF and other partners. We want to help as many people as we can.”
Natasha:
Warren, we’re going to take another break. When we return, our lightning round of ministry news of the week.
I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith. More in a moment.
BREAK
THIRD SEGMENT
Natasha:
Welcome back. I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch Podcast.
Warren, we like to use this last segment as a sort of lightning round of shorter news briefs.
What’s up first?
Warren:
Another church that once was among the largest in the Southern Baptist Convention is selling its 19-acre property and downsizing.
The property of Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala., is now listed for sale for $28.5 million.
Current pastor Lee Merck confirmed to numerous media outlets the sale is part of a strategic plan to rethink the congregation that once was the largest Baptist church in the state of Alabama.
Notable former pastors include Jerry Vines, who went on to become co-pastor at First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla., and president of the SBC; and more recently Clint Pressley, immediate past SBC president who now leads Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C.
When Dauphin Way relocated to its current site in 1988, church membership was listed as 8,000. Today, membership is reported as about 600.
Natasha:
Being part of a local body of believers is something most Christian recognize as a biblically-based directive with far-reaching benefits. Even social scientists have long demonstrated that religious attendance can be good for you. People who go to church are generally healthier, happier and have better social support, according to peer-reviewed research.
But do those effects extend to online services? And how do they compare to in-person experiences?
Warren:
The answer is…not so much.
A study of 43 Christian worshippers by Duke University researchers offers some indications. The small study, published in the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality in July, suggests virtual church services are less effective on some individual measures than in-person worship.
The study, titled “The power of presence: Well-being and biopsychosocial effects of virtual versus in-person religious services,” asked volunteers recruited in North Carolina to attend two Sunday church services — one in person and one online, and to wear Fitbit trackers during both.
The Fitbits measured their heart rate and the number of calories burned, plus other metrics.
Natasha:
Volunteers were also asked to complete a questionnaire recording their feelings immediately after each service.
Warren:
The study found that online services resulted in lower self-reported experiences of transcendence and emotions, shared identity with the congregation and closeness with God, compared with in-person attendance. Well-being scores were similar for both types of services.
It also found that on average, people attending church in person had a higher heart rate during the service. In-person worshippers also burned more calories, an average of 161, compared with watching on their devices, which averaged 127 calories.
“We’re not suggesting that virtual worship is bad, or that it doesn’t bring any benefits,” Patty Van Cappellen, the lead researcher and an associate research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke, told RNS. “What we’re showing is that it doesn’t replicate exactly the in-person experience. There are differences.”
Natasha:
What’s next?
Warren:
In January 2025, at the start of the Trump administration, about 54% of Christian ministry leaders told MinistryWatch they were optimistic about the new administration’s policies having a positive impact. In our August survey, that number fell to 45%, but was up from May when just 39% said they were optimistic.
More respondents believe the administration’s policies may have a negative impact than they did earlier this year, up to 25% from 19% in January.
Some of the change in outlook may be attributable to a related question about the economic horizon for the United States, which is more optimistic than it was during the last survey in May.
MinistryWatch has been conducting its quarterly survey of leaders of the nation’s 1,000 largest Christian ministries since October 2022. We have consistently reported the insights they have provided.
This quarter, we received responses from 118 ministry executives, 92% of whom are in the top role at the organization—CEO, president, or executive director.
Natasha:
And who did Christina Darnell feature in this week’s Ministries Making a Difference?
Warren:
A team from Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C., spent a day during ServeNC serving the residents of one of Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina girls’ homes. The team painted bedrooms in the girls’ cottage, cleaned out gutters, trimmed hedges, played games, and cooked lunch.
Every Father’s Day weekend, a group from Trinity Assembly of God in Fairmont-Whitehall, West Virginia, breaks a sweat engaging in community service projects, like building decks, putting up drywall, and building home additions so people can adopt. This year, as part of its ministry to foster care families, the outreach partnered with New Vision Village to construct two tiny (15 by 28 feet) homes for young men aging out of the foster care system.
At the end of July, 16 men graduated from New Horizons Ministries’ InsideOut Dad class, which helped men wrestle with questions of how to break cycles of incarceration, fatherlessness and abuse. New Horizons helps families in Colorado build healthy homes after incarceration, and supports families affected by chronic imprisonment.
FaithBridge Foster Care is celebrating 18 years of recruiting, training and supporting foster care families through partnerships with local churches. In that time, they say they have served over 6,000 children. FaithBridge is Georgia’s largest, Christ-centered child placing agency, according to the ministry.
Natasha:
Warren, any final thoughts before we go?
Warren:
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Natasha:
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.
I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado.
Warren:
And I’m Warren Smith, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Natasha:
You’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.