lighthouse church scandal

Members of Lighthouse Chapel have come out to defend Dag Heward-Mills amidst the controversy he currently finds himself in. Jeff Leigh-Jones had only been part of Lighthouse for a few months when his girlfriend Dawn noticed something strange was going on. When Jeff returned and announced he was quitting, Paul Waugh bombarded him with messages, some friendly, some hostile, to try to get him to stay. "Pastor Keion Henderson and I mutually agreed that seasons have changed," said Pugh in a statement shared with The Christian Post. Set up in 2012 by businessman Paul Waugh, it claims to be different from most life coaching groups. "He was interested in the same ideas I was interested in.". LCI further claims that while Bishop Larry was in Madagascar, he illegally sold a Toyota Land Cruiser which was an official vehicle belonging to LCI-Madagascar and that LCI Madagascar has given LCI-Ghana a power of attorney to recover the proceeds of the sale from him. Following her divorce from Shaq, ONeal dated Marion Yates from 2010 to 2015. The cathedral will be a tourist attraction. 1,575 were here. Erin, whose name we have changed, told her mentor that when she was about 13 she had been sexually abused by someone known to her family. He was raised by a single mother who worked at Taco Bell for $7 an hour. 2. Another criticism of the project is the demolition that the government carried out to make way for the cathedral. The fallen pastors and leaders include famous men like Ted Haggard, one of many anti-gay activitists caught being gay, and Tony Alamo, who was Cult expert and social psychologist Dr Alexandra Stein says: "There's a such a strong stereotype that the only cults are in California where people wear long orange robes. A similar pattern has emerged. It was found that between March 2018 and July 2022 about 1.2m was paid to Paul Waugh himself - roughly half the firm's income. Their marriage The Basketball Wives executive producer shared the upload filled with photos and videos of their time together alongside a lengthy caption. While presenting the 2019 budget to parliament, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta promised the cathedral would not put undue financial burdens on the state. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, our podcast series is titled A Very British Cult, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Photo of Princess Charlotte shared as she turns 8, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, Explosion derails train in Russian border region. Paul Opoku-Mensah, executive director of the national cathedral secretariat, said the location of the cathedral is strategic. These days, an estimated $1.3m is used for its annual maintenance even though an average of fewer than 1,000 people attend regular services. We had to find another church to sponsor our loan. Another pastor in the Reddit group complained that he wanted to leave ARC because of recent scandals involving pastors who fail morally but couldnt because his church still owes ARC money. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. II. People are dying. The organization has partnered with sponsors to give away vouchers to 250 veterans and their families to purchase Thanksgiving dinners. They were dangerous. The turning point for Jeff was when he took time off to visit his dad in the US. Samuel Rodriguez Has More Than A Few Words About Pew Survey on the Changing Faith Landscape of Latinos and Hispanics, Rev. "He said it would be the best opportunity for me to succeed," says Jeff. Logic is gone.". And, while there are qualifications available, anyone can claim to be a life coach - thousands do. paragraph 21 in which he avers that his frequent and abrupt transfers led to the loss of employment by his spouse because of the policy of the Defendant church that he was to relocate to his new places of transfer with his spouse, and this was the case because Plaintiffs spouse could not speak the French language. Their former president also dreamt just like our president to build a basilica, so if the Ivorian cathedral didnt live up to expectation, why will a Ghanaian cathedral be different?, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. For further info visit our website. But within six months the calls sprawled to five or six hours long with up to 30 people online. However, that has not been the case. Seven Lighthouse-related accounts were shut down by Twitter for hateful conduct shortly after we first got in touch with Paul Waugh, including one named "Parents Against Trolls". LCI employed him again from January 2020 till April 2020 when he resigned without due notice to the church. "Find them in your journal or find them in your personal mentoring.". The government argues the cathedral will bring enormous long-term economic benefits while transforming Ghana into a religious hub, creating jobs and accruing more revenue for the state. By this, that pastor (if employed by the church) is paid by the LCI of the country he moves to and not LCI Ghana. It wont be a white elephant. Often, they were told they would make their money back quickly through networking opportunities, new business ideas or by becoming mentors themselves. Paul Waugh said on one call to her. The LCI said, contrary to the claim that the Plaintiff worked for the Church and the church failed to pay his SSNIT contributions from 2005 to July 2008, it paid SSNIT contributions from August 2008, when he was employed to March 2017, since between the periods of 2005 to July 2008, he (Mr Laryea) was a volunteer pastor and he signed the missionary acceptance form in July 2005 with the consent of his guardian. Lighthouse isn't an ordinary life coaching organisation, Dawn explained. WebCathedral of scandals: How a presidential promise divided Ghana The $400m state-funded church has become hugely controversial in Ghana even as the country pursues an IMF loan Most of the great cathedrals are situated near the epicentres of power, particularly parliament because thats where the formal religious rites take place, like the swearing-in ceremonies of presidents, Opoku-Mensah told Al Jazeera. All his salaries and allowances were paid by LCI-South Africa and LCI-Madagascar during this period. WebLighthouse Christian Church - Leadership Joe Castillo Lead Pastor MIke Park Executive Pastor Nancy Sugikawa PASTOR OF DISCIPLESHIP Paul Hwang PASTOR OF STUDENTs & YOUNG ADULTs Patti Yonemura DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S MINISTRY Janet Yip Nursery & Preschool coordinator Ben Higashi DIGITAL MEDIA coordinator Learn more about our staff WebIn January of 1941, the church was completed, and an article appeared in The Dallas Morning News soon after with the grabber of a headline, Lighthouse Church Warns Oak Cliff of Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 3. Jeff handed over the money, and Lighthouse began to take over his life. His book and words are for anyone whos felt sidelined or hurt by lifes left turns and unexpected challenges. WebSix former pastors have sued the church claiming they were exploited and their SSNIT contributions werent paid during their active working years. Together, they say they worked for years for the church, most at times as pastors heading different branches accross Ghana and other parts of Africa without having been formally employed by the church. The Men of God, a bishop, 3 Reverend Ministers and a pastor include Larry Odonkor, Emmanuel Oko Mensah, Edem Kofi Amankwa, Seth Sarpong Duncan, Edward Laryea, and Faith Fiakojo. We spoke to 10 different cult experts from the UK, US and Canada. WebAnd yet, Keion has made the proverbial lemonade out of lemons. Nearly all those who've been part of Lighthouse have told us they think Lighthouse is a cult. (Photo by Leon Bennett/FilmMagic). Thank you for making my 40th Birthday one I will never forget! Its unknown what Felecia is doing currently. When Jeff got frustrated on one call, Jai told him to up his efforts and stop being emotionally "lazy". A portion of the form reads, l,. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Pastor Henderson, founder of the ten thousand member Lighthouse Church in Houston, TX talks about the cathartic process of writing his new book The Shift, about the unexpected shifts and interruptions in our life. As he left the courtroom, Paul Waugh told us he had wanted to close Lighthouse down for a while - but that the group would not be stopping its work. An order compelling LCI to pay their unpaid SSNIT contributions. It is home to the only basilica in Africa and the largest church in the world. Early mentoring sessions with Jai Singh seemed to help, and he eventually handed over 5,000 - half his life savings - for more coaching. We should be building hospitals and schools, actor and activist Yvonne Nelson told Al Jazeera. This ministry was inspired when he met a female veteran living in a Houston shelter. LCI has counterclaimed against the former pastors as follows: 1. The key to success, explained Paul in his calls, was to get to level four. Every morning at five, Jeff would prepare for a daily call where Lighthouse business would be discussed. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Last years lineups included Needtobreathe, Danny Gokey, for King & Country, Sanctus Real, and Kirk Never miss important updates, Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news, Get the news that matters from one of the leading news sites in Ghana, Australia targets Big Tobacco in crackdown on vaping, Qantas names Vanessa Hudson as first female chief executive, Plus-size lady with super curvy look displays her dance moves in video, netizens gush: "Future wife", "Wetin principal wan do?" Although it is His new non-profit, Vet Rocks, will set out to assist women combat veterans. I am determined, come what may, Akufo-Addo said. Veteran Anchor John Stofflet to Retire from NBC15 Madison, Meteorologist Bri Eggers Is Leaving KTVB-TV in Boise, Idaho, News4Jax Anchor Mary Baer Is Leaving WJXT-TV, By: Caroline John - Published: July 7, 2021 at 7:13 am, Keion Henderson at the 34th annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards at the Orleans Arena on March 29, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pretty soon the pair spoke daily, sometime for hours at a time. But then Jeff began spending all day on secretive phone calls and avoiding friends and family - he even sold his house to invest more money in the group. "They've committed too much.". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". WebLighthouse, a Pontiac-based nonprofit dedicated to building equitable communities that alleviate poverty, is pursuing plans to redevelop its headquarters at 46156 Woodward Ave. in Pontiac. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. We can put the money into other things, such as fixing our roads and healthcare issues.. He was a volunteer pastor from 2008 to 2018, till he abandoned post as a volunteer pastor without due notice in 2018. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Joshua Mauney, former national director of church planting for the Association of Related Churches (ARC), is being accused in a But according to the people we spoke to, none of the returns ever materialised. They spoke to the pastors to get details of their predicaments. With his latest hit, "Trade It All," continuing to climb the Nielsen BDS Gospel Recurrent chart and currently ranked at No. Rents, fuel and transport prices have risen, and about a quarter of the population live below the poverty line, according to the United Nations Development Programme and the Ghana Statistical Service. She added, You are my soundboard, youve taught me so much thus far, and you love me and my children unconditionally. He gave His life for us," reads the first of two messages. But she is seemingly no longer involved with the Lighthouse Church. After a while, Jai encouraged Anthony to reduce his medication, even coaching him on what to tell his doctors to convince them his mental health had improved. At one point, the senior mentor dropped to his knees to tie Paul's undone shoelace. One of them is popular actor Majid Michel, also an evangelist. Government investigators told the court that it was "wholly unclear" what Lighthouse actually does. I also fully comprehend that I must find a job and become financially self-sustaining.. "It's just crazy," Karina says. The company also did not appear to pay tax or any ordinary business expenses, such as rent or utilities. In addition to this we are an active place of worship, meeting needs through Gods love. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". a. But yours I will cherish., He reiterated those similar sentiments after reposting the mother of fives initial Instagram upload on his respective page. Jai said Paul counted Bill Gates and Warren Buffett among his contacts. This has led to criticism from a The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The Memphis, Tennessee, native has said that one of his dreams is to launch a non-profit organization for veterans. "It was brilliant at first," Jeff says of these early sessions. Some point next door to neighbouring Ivory Coast for a cautionary tale. 22 Comments. There is time for everything, Fred Korankye-Mensah, presiding bishop of the Accra-based Transformation Assembly Church, told Al Jazeera, arguing that building the project at a time of economic turmoil is insensitive to Ghanaians. ., Henderson appreciated the romantic gesture by writing underneath her comments section that he will cherish ONeals birthday wish the most of the countless congratulatory messages he received. The house became "absolutely filthy" and every bedroom had been converted into a bedsit. I was inspired.". One of the affected private firms is in court demanding compensation. The spiritual coach and commentator revealed that Keion had filed for divorce and the ensuing child custody battle was a bitter one. Former mentees say they were encouraged to borrow money to pay for courses. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But construction of the presidents pet project, due to cover 3.5 hectares (9 acres) of prime Accra real estate, has stalled since June due to lack of funds. "I have literally been employed in some musical capacity at a church since I was 18 years old. Funding for the national cathedral has been shrouded in secrecy, but last year, the secretariat in charge of the project said the cost, initially estimated at $100m, has now quadrupled due to inflation. But talk of business opportunities turned into revisiting her difficult past. Erin, who became a Lighthouse Associate Elect at the same time as Jeff, tells a similar story. LCI-Burkina Faso claims that while he was heading the LCI-Burkina Faso between 2018 and 2019, he misappropriated to himself the sum of $57,403.21 and that LCI Burkina Faso has given LCI-Ghana a power of attorney to recover the sum from him. The church, run by Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, also failed to consistently pay their Social Security (SNNIT) contributions throughout the years they laboured for the church, leaving them facing financial ruin as they edge closer to retirement. His dreams of an NBA contract were snapped in a few seconds during a college basketball game after a career ending injury. Hendersonwrote, I will accept all congratulatory messages but yours, @shaunieoneal5 will I cherish forever. Relationship troubles. In the past few years, Lighthouse - formally known as Lighthouse International Group and based in the Midlands in England - has received hundreds of thousands of pounds from mentees. Attacking critics seems to be part of the group's modus operandi. Counsel for LCI, Rodney Heward-Mills then dropped the bombshell which left the court in shock. He recalled playing golf with Paul Waugh and watching a senior mentor scurrying after him carrying his equipment. There are an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people working in the field. Felecia Marcel married Keion Henderson on August 7, 2010. On 3rd August 2021, which was the last adjourned date of the trial, the presiding Judge Justice Frank Aboagye Rockson repeated an earlier suggestion he had made to the parties to settle the matter amicably. Return to homepage. Shaunie ONeals Instagram followers believe she has a new beau. "All families have difficulties and Lighthouse would find them," says Jeff. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. These, if heeded, would have made our project more achievable. "We've had private investigator reports into Lighthouse," she says. She has not commented on her exs alleged relationship with the reality star, but that hasnt dimmed the attention on her. WebA former bishop of Lighthouse Chapel International, Larry Odonkor, is uneasy about his birthday, which falls on July 9. Read about our approach to external linking. Today, the Ivorian cathedral has become a white elephant, Ablakwa said. Nine years into their marriage, the pastor reportedly spoke about difficulties in their relationship in an interview. WebPast Lighthouse Baptist Church member James Earl Lovett was charged, pled guilty, and was convicted in 2004 of sexual battery and aggravated sexual battery, a Class E Felony against Things start off well - and happy mentees invest more money. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. The plaintiffs are seeking the following reliefs against the church: He never became an employee of LCI-Ghana. She accepts it can be extremely challenging. We've now spoken to 20 people who've left Lighthouse. Jeff asked for a refund, and the group responded by saying it would be "stepping up" investigations into Jeff and his girlfriend Dawn. Six former pastors of the Lighthouse Chapel International, now known as United Denominations, have taken the church to court for being exploited for years whilst working for the church. Lighthouse wanted her to take her parents to court and "make them pay for not taking better care of her". LCI is counterclaiming for the stolen monies and has also reported the matter to the police for investigation. WebDetails are emerging as to how the six former pastors of Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI) allegedly demanded a whopping $12 Million as a settlement from the church. The day after his firm was shut down by a judge, Paul Waugh went on Twitter. Jeff became something called a "Lighthouse Associate Elect". Jeff shut himself in a room deep in concentration, eyes locked on his laptop - following a peculiar ritual of transcribing Paul Waugh's thoughts and ideas. Are you affected by issues covered in this story? The pastor himself announced it in an interview with BlessedBeatz Media. In November 2021, Dawn contacted the BBC. Henderson, who has been a part of the ministry for over 25 years and founded Lighthouse Church and Ministries in 2009, was previously married toFelecia Henderson. At the end of that weekend, Pugh will celebrate his 50th Birthday Gala at the Renaissance Potomac View Hotel with an A-list guest list of friends and celebrities. A post shared by Felecia A. Henderson (@statementsbyh). LCI churches worldwide share a common vision of propagating the gospel worldwide and training leaders and pastors to take the gospel to the four corners of the world. After investigating it since June 2022, the business secretary argued the company was working against the public interest. They were also told they were helping to fund Lighthouse's charity work in Africa. (Paul has since said a handful of other Lighthouse "seniors" have finally reached level four after more than a decade with the group). [6] St Matthew's Catholic Church in the Ballantyne neighborhood of Charlotte, Happiest Birthday to the man that has made me The Happiest Girl In The World! Felecia,WiiN Worldwide Founder and President Earlene Buggs, and The BossLady Network CEO and Founder Christina Murray cohosted the series featuring unfiltered talks about all-things womanhood. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Early this week, Heward-Mills was seen in new photos chilling with politicians including Alan Kojo Kyereman, the Minister of Trade and Industry in spite of the controversy. He continued that the senior clergymen found the demand so outrageous that they abandoned any hope of settling the matter. Lighthouse also pushes the idea that the greatest obstacle to climbing the levels is often a person's family and friends. Deloitte has yet to submit its audit report. The honor is mines. 9:30am and 11:00am Children's programming available during both services for children birth through 6th grade. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Logos Theater, A Disney Alternative, Raised For Such A Time As This, Rev. His past. Before he joined Lighthouse, 30-year-old Anthony Church had struggled with anxiety and depression, suffered a breakdown and attempted suicide. It accused the BBC of being part of a smear campaign, and went on to target online people who it suspected we had interviewed, including Jeff and Dawn. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. A post shared by Deitrick TV (@deitricktv). Pugh recently announced that he was leaving his position as worship pastor at Houston's Lighthouse Church. Jeff says he was looking for inspiration from someone successful and Jai - a former property developer in his late 30s with a calm and engaging manner - seemed to be just the man. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. Details are emerging as to how the six former pastors of Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI) allegedly demanded a whopping $12 Million as a settlement from the church. The lay system has been in operation since the church was founded in 1988 and has continued till date. Gospel singer Earnest Pugh Leaves mega-church and starting a new initiative, 2016. Pastor Edem Kofi Amankwah was a volunteer pastor from October 2007 to 2018, when he resigned as a volunteer pastor without due notice to the church. Gospel Singer Earnest Pugh Exits Megachurch Ministry to Pursue New Veteran Non-Profit. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. ONeal and Henderson have known each other for years stemming from the BBW alum attending his church dating as far back as 2019. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. WebOctober 18, 2021. I'd so love to have him back". They didn't want to let their loved ones go and they would sabotage mentees' potential, Jeff was told. She was nervous. He also, with the written consent of his biological father, Mr Prosper Fiakojo, signed the Missionary Consent form on 11th November 2013. Lighthouse told him to wait two years for any return on his money and warned him that creating controversy could jeopardise his investment. Dad's battle to save daughter from cult's clutches, 'I escaped abusive jungle cult - then rescued my son', Nxivm sex cult leader jailed for 120 years, 'Raised in a doomsday cult, I entered the real world at 15', AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. A month later, parliament blocked a budget allocation of $6.3m that the government had wanted to continue the project even as Ghana struggles to restructure its debt to qualify for a $3bn loan from the International Monetary Fund. Jeff was told he needed weeks of work to get there and achieve his goals. I. LCI claims he resigned without making full account of books he took from the church to sell for a commission. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. And for many of them, Paul Waugh's promised high life remains out of reach. When Anthony began querying whether Lighthouse was helping him, Jai said he was being paranoid as a result of withdrawal symptoms from his medication. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Certain decisions can be taken today, and the people around can never understand why those decisions have been made until maybe 10 years after, he told Al Jazeera. Its website says it now trades as "Lighthouse Global", which promises to share "our 18 year journey from personal development into Christ and the persecution we have suffered along the way". A Saskatoon judge ordered the immediate removal of Lighthouse Supported Living Inc. executive director Don Windels from the organization in December due to controversial financial dealings. He was never an employee of LCI. May 18, 2021 3:32 pm. It is therefore a palpable lie for Oko Mensah to say his wife followed him to Burkina Faso and Benin and therefore lost her job; unless Oko Mensah is talking about another wife he had that went with him on the mission. Our home church refused because they found it shady. "I asked the judge to close our old company down," he wrote, triumphantly. The cathedral secretariat denied the allegation, saying the amount was repayment for a loan taken from Boatengs company to pay contractors. Those who became part of Lighthouse were told slightly different things about what the money they had paid was for. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. One woman who rented a six-bedroom house to Paul Waugh, said she ended up with eight Lighthouse team members living there. But weeks became months, and months became a year. And when she did eventually leave, Paul made good on his threats in a YouTube video, where he named Erin. She Looks Just Like Her Mama But Plays Like Her Father: A Video of Shaquille ONeals and Shaunie Hendersons 6-Foot-3 Daughter Has Fans Doing a Double Take, Your Classmates Was Gonna Figure it Out: Shaquille ONeals 6-Foot-10 Son Shareef Says He Hid His Fathers Identity Until He Was Outed at a Basketball Game, Fans Are In Disbelief, I Thought It Was Gonna be Really Boring: Shaunie Henderson Says She Didnt Think Her Husbands Christian Lifestyle Would Allow Him to be Fun. Life coaching is not a regulated industry with strict professional codes like psychotherapy. WebBefore he joined Lighthouse, 30-year-old Anthony Church had struggled with anxiety and depression, suffered a breakdown and attempted suicide. WebFelecia Marcel married Keion Henderson on August 7, 2010. The Church in its defence argued that it had paid in full all SSNIT contributions owed Bishop Oko Mensah for his 16 years as an employee of the church, contrary to his claim that the church owed him over 14 years of unpaid SSNIT contributions. Families, said Lighthouse to Jeff, were narcissistic and controlling. These religious leaders who fell from grace shocked the world when their crimes and scandals became public. They even staged a coup against him. Pastor Keion Henderson and I mutually agreed that Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic?

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