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Tag: Evangelicalism

Christians Say the Darnedest Things: Geri Ungurean Thinks Liberals Have Taken Over the Internet

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brains fox news

Ever since the Internet was given away to ICANN by Barack Obama (basically in the hands of the U.N.) I have noticed that when I do a search using Safari, Google, and many other widely used search engines; I invariably land on the MOST left leaning websites. You too? Well, I found some information today that will make many Conservatives very happy.

No, it’s not duckduckgo.com or any of the “new and improved” search engines. What I found is this: 4Conservative.com Just go to the site and put in your search criteria. You will be amazed!

Example:

Today I went to 4Conservative.com and typed in “Israel, Temple Mount” Here are some of the top websites my search revealed:

Breitbart.com

Americanthinker.com

Jpost.com

Arutz Sheva (Israelnationalnews.com)

Canadafreepress.com

The 15 Best Conservative News Sites On The Internet and More (From the Conservative Read website)

Even though Right Wing News is an opinion site these days, I do still surf the web for news and to find material to write about. Some websites I read for columnists, others I peruse to see what particular bloggers have to say, but when I’m looking for news, here are the websites I check out in order.

15) Twitchy: Michelle Malkin’s Twitter based news site.
14) Doug Ross: Larwyn’s Linx is great.
13) Weasel Zippers: Not as much volume as other places, but quality work.
12) Free Republic: Better known for commenting than news, but still good.
11) Bad Blue: Outstanding Twitter based news
10) The Right Scoop: Videos, links, and heavily updated.
9) Daily Caller: The place to go for original conservative reporting.
8) Lucianne: Old reliable. When I have trouble finding something good, I go here.
7) Gateway Pundit: It’s unbelievable to me that any one person can be this on top of things.
6) Breitbart: The combined Breitbart collective is AMAZING for links and journalism.
5) Instapundit: Glenn Reynolds has been the best known linker in the blogosphere for more than a decade.
4) The Blaze: Beck’s news machine is already a must read.
3) Memorandum: What people are talking about right now on both sides of the blogosphere. (Not conservative per se, but still good)
2) Hot Air: Frequently updated headlines, plus the latest news stories.
1) The Drudge Report: Whatever Drudge links becomes what everyone is talking about.

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Brethren, I hope that this helped someone out there. I know I’m so tired of rooting through the liberal rag sites to get to solid Conservative news sources!

— Geri Ungurean, Absolute Truth from the Word of God: Jesus Has Every Answer, Tired Of Landing On Liberal Websites? Have I Got A Search Engine For You!, July 28, 2017

Ark Encounter: Ken Ham’s Monument to Ignorance Bigger Than Imagination

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Several weeks ago, Polly and I spent a few days vacationing in Kentucky.  We stayed at the Boone Tavern Hotel in Berea. On one of the tables in the main hotel lobby I found a 2017 Kentucky Travel Guide. On the back of the guide was a full-sized advertisement for young earth creationist Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter — a life-sized re-creation of the fictional Noah’s ark found in the Bible. There was also a one-sixth sized ad on the front cover.

Here’s the full-sized ad that was on the back cover:

ark encounter

Anyone want to take a stab at what “Bigger Than Imagination” is supposed to mean?  Perhaps Ham is suggesting that it requires a boat load of imagination to believe that Noah, his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law built a ginormous wooden boat in the middle of the desert; that this boat, filled with animals, floated for a year on a sea that engulfed the entire earth, killing all life save Noah, his family, and the animals on the Ark. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have enough imagination to believe such a fairy-tale.

How about you? What do you think Ken Ham meant with the advertising slogan: “Bigger Than Imagination.” Use your imagination in the comment section.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Hollis Vaughn Accused of Sexually Abusing a Child

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hollis vaughn

Hollis Vaughn, pastor of El Shaddai World Outreach Church and operator of God’s Awesome Army Ministry — both located at the pastor’s home in Harris County, Texas — stands accused of the “continuous sexual abuse of a child.” (I found no web presence for Vaughn or his home-based ministries.)

The Houston Chronicle reports:

A 67-year-old man who operates two Christian ministries out of his north Harris County home has been charged with sexually abusing a child over several years.

….

Hollis Albert Vaughn faces a first-degree felony charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child, according to court records. It appears to be the first time he has faced a criminal charge in Harris County.

Vaughn’s defense attorney, Tom Zakes, said in a phone interview that Vaughn had “no inappropriate contact with the child whatsoever.” The lawyer questioned some of the specific allegations in the probable cause affidavit, which is not yet public.

The sheriff’s office said in a news release that Vaughn operates out of his home two church groups, God’s Awesome Army Ministry and El Shaddai World Outreach Church. Public records show he lives in the Willowbrook area, near Veterans Memorial and Bammel North Houston.

He was arrested Thursday after a child told a family member that Vaughn spent years sexually abusing and inappropriately touching the child, according to the sheriff’s office and court records.

On Saturday, a magistrate judge granted a protective order in the case. The child’s age and gender are not known.

Vaughn left the Harris County Jail on Tuesday after posting a $100,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 31.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Christians Say the Darnedest Things: Lori Alexander Rages Against Women Who Dare to Have Careers

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lori-alexander

Of course, careers for women came from a godless, heathen world! There is nothing in the Bible that encourages or instructs women to leave their homes for hours every day, their children with strangers to raise, and go to a job. [neither is there anything in the Bible that says women should wear bras and shoes.] If there is one, I have never read it.

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Are older women, as written in the Bible, to be known for their careers? No! They should be known for bringing up children, lodging strangers, washing the saints’ feet, relieving the afflicted, diligently following every good work (1 Timothy 5:10) and teaching the younger women (Titus 2:4). There’s nothing about them having careers.

Widows are not commanded to go out and pursue careers. Their families are the ones who should care for them and if the widow doesn’t have family, then the churches are to care for the widows. (Notice 1 Timothy 5:4 states who in the family should care for widows; “children or nephews” not “children or nieces” – the female children would most likely be married and have husbands who would provide whereas the nephews should help provide, not the nieces.) This is how God set it all up for the provision of women.

Men are the ones in the Bible that God commands to be the providers. This is God’s perfect will from the beginning of time and He reminds us that His commands are not burdensome. Nothing is impossible with Him and if He wants women home with their families, He will provide a way. He instructs us to ask for wisdom and He will give it freely! [In other words, if you are a woman and find yourself destitute, don’t get job. Just wait on Jesus to come through with a pile of cash to meet your every need.]

There are several problems I see with women having careers, even when they are single. After spending all the time and money in pursuing their career, it’s difficult to give it up once the children come along, if and when they do. Also, many husbands like the money their wives make and don’t want them to stop so they insist on their wives keeping the job even when it becomes a strain on the wife. Married women who don’t have children still come home exhausted after working all day. They don’t have the energy to care for their homes or husbands like they would like to do, unless they are high energy women.

I believe one of the main causes of divorce today is due to women having careers. Women put all of their time and energy into their careers and neglect their husbands. [Pity those poor men who are being neglected by their wives.] They were created to be their husband’s help meet but they fail to do what God has called them to do because they can’t do everything and are too tired and exhausted to be helpers to their husbands. This is a recipe for failure and marriage is important to the Lord so it should be a priority for us; for marriage is an example to a lost world of Christ and His Church! Plus, when women have careers, they know that they have the freedom to divorce their husbands since they aren’t dependent upon their husbands for provision but God created wives to be dependent upon their husbands. [ Damn straight, Skippy. Women working means that they no longer are slaves to their husbands; that if their husbands don’t treat them well they can tell them to take a hike.] This is a good thing, contrary to popular opinion.

Women who have careers typically have to work for a boss and the boss is usually a man, therefore, she is living in submission to a man who isn’t her husband which is not God’s plan. Plus, women don’t have the physical makeup that a man has and God created women with a more sensitive and emotional nature in order to be home with their children and/or caring for others, not out in the workforce. [All I can do here is *sigh*.]

….

But what about the women who do remain single their entire lives and don’t get married? What if careers are causing many more women to not get married since they don’t “need” a man to take care of them? What if this pursuit by women for careers makes them unattractive to men since they become forceful and independent? God’s plan from the beginning is for men and women to marry. He created men to need a help meet.

Colleges and universities don’t help women acquire meek and gentle spirits. Quite the contrary! They teach them to be strong (apart from the Lord), independent (they don’t need a husband), speak their minds, and stand up for themselves which is completely opposite of what the Lord wants for women. They don’t teach them to be gentle, submissive help meets to their husbands or how to raise godly offspring. Neither do they teach them anything about godly womanhood; no, not even the Christian colleges and universities since they push careers on the women. [Can’t have women who are strong, independent, speak their minds, and stand up for themselves, right? Why, such women might think they are equal to men, capable of doing almost anything the penis crowd can do.]

There are many things women can do who aren’t married without getting a job. Culture tell us that there’s only option for young women today but it’s not. The young, unmarried Duggar and Bates women [ Ah yes, Duggar and Bates women. “Perfect” examples for the young women of today.] take courses on-line, serve their families, go on mission’s trips, assist midwives, serve their communities, find ways to make money from home, and many other things that help others instead of pursuing careers which take them away from their homes. This seems the way it should be, in my opinion [How dare Alexander speak when God has not spoken!].

Women working have taken many jobs away from men. Men NEED to work. God created them to have jobs and this usually defines them, whereas women define themselves by their relationships. Men don’t have to take off time when they bear children, their children get sick (if they have a wife at home), and they don’t feel guilt leaving their children all day long like women do because women know deep down that they are the ones who are supposed to be home with their own children.

— Lori Alexander, The Transformed Wife, Not One Bible Verse Instructs Women to Have Careers, July 25, 2017

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Robbie Conn Stands Accused of Social Security Fraud

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busted

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

William “Robbie” Conn, pastor of Jeffersonville Assembly of God in Jeffersonville, Kentucky, along with his wife Tonya, stand accused of Social Security fraud.

Lex-18 reports:

A federal grand jury indicted a Montgomery County pastor and his wife. Both are accused of committing fraud involving the Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicare programs.

The indictments for William “Robbie” Conn and his wife Tonya came down earlier this month in United States District Court for the the Eastern District of Kentucky in Lexington.

They allege Conn and his wife defrauded the government programs of more than $100,000 over six years.

The court documents said William Conn, a longtime pastor at Jeffersonville Assembly of God, learned he had a heart problem that required surgery in May 2009.

According to the indictment, Conn applied for Social Security Disability, and it was granted.

The indictment alleges the church board then agreed to pay William Conn’s salary to his wife Tonya. In doing so, “William ‘Robbie’ Conn could receive social security benefits, while still receiving a salary from Jeffersonville Assembly of God,” the indictment states.

It goes on to allege Conn continued to receive benefits while working until 2015.

Conn and his wife both face seven counts each with a possible five years of prison time or more for each count.

We reached out to Conn and his wife several different times but never heard back.

Churchgoers said off-camera that they were shocked by the allegations. One said Conn called the accusations “not true” at a service Wednesday night.

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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Eddie Hilburn Arrested on a Prostitution Charge

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eddie hilburn

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Eddie Hilburn, an associate pastor for The Woodlands First Baptist Church in The Woodlands, Texas, was arrested yesterday on a prostitution charge.

Click 2 Houston reports:

A pastor in The Woodlands was arrested on a prostitution-related charge.

Eddie Hilburn, who is an Associate Pastor at The Woodlands First Baptist Church, is charged with prostitution.

Hilburn, 52, was arrested on Wednesday.

The church released a statement that read, “The Woodlands First Baptist Church is still gathering information regarding our staff member Eddie Hilburn. We can assure you that a statement will be issued once all facts are known, and administration has had an opportunity to review them. We appreciate your patience in the meantime, and we continue to look to God for guidance.”

….

ABC-13 added:

Hilburn appeared in court Thursday morning just hours after he had been arrested in a hotel.

Charging documents allege Hilburn paid an undercover Harris County Sheriff’s deputy $80 for sexual activities. Soon after the alleged money exchange, deputies moved in to arrest him.

According to Hilburn’s bio page:

Eddie began serving at The Woodlands First in July of 2012. He has served as Senior Pastor of churches in Texas, has planted a church in Wisconsin, and has served as student pastor.

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In addition to graduating from East Texas Baptist University, Eddie also earned a Masters of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

At the Woodlands First, Eddie coaches other staff members as they live out their calling, leads the reFresh Wednesday night event, and occasionally preaches on Sunday. Eddie feels like he wins when the other staff members win.

Update

On January 8, 2018, CBS-13 reported:

A pastor in The Woodlands who was arrested last summer on a charge of soliciting a prostitute pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year of probation.

Eddie Hilburn, 53, was arrested at a hotel in July 2017 during a sting operation.
READ MORE: The Woodlands pastor charged with prostitution

According to charging documents, Hilburn paid an undercover Harris County Sheriff’s deputy $80 for sexual activities. Soon after money changed hands, deputies moved in and arrested him.

Hilburn served as an associate pastor at the Woodlands First Baptist Church. After he was released on bond from the Harris County Jail, Hilburn resigned from his post.

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Christians Say the Darnedest Things: Ladies, Your Clothes Are Talking by Zana Reichen

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dressing modestly

Ladies, your clothes are talking. I hope I can help you know what they are saying. Proverbs 7:10 says, “And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot and subtil of heart.” Quite simply, a harlot wears clothing that purposely draws attention to her body, especially certain areas of her body -bust, legs and backside.

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Before I comment on the immodest clothing some women wear, I would like to point out one example that is too familiar to all of us. That example is the Christian woman who appears this way far too often: t-shirt not tucked in, jean skirt or old, casual, yet comfortable skirt, socks and tennis shoes. There may even be a run in her hose. Most likely her hair is pulled back in a ponytail, if given any attention at all. You ask, “If she is modest, what is wrong with that?” My answer is, “Nothing, if she is planning to clean out the closet or go hiking with her kids.”

1. Too many Christian women bring criticism to Christianity because they look sloppy in their appearance.

When they dress this way frequently, they are giving off the message-“I don’t care how I look.” Of course, as daughters of the King, we want to look our best.

2. The tight-fitting garment.

The following is a way to know if a garment fits too tight on top. If your garment cups under the bustline or around the bustline, it is too tight. You can test this in any full-length mirror. You will be surprised at what you see. If your garment cups your bustline as described, you are giving off this message-“Look at my bust.”

3. The too-sheer garment.

The way to know if your garment is too sheer is to see if your undergarment straps (bra and slip straps) can be seen through your outer garments. If they are visible, this could cause thoughts in the mind of a man that you really do not intend. The message your clothes are giving if too sheer is-“Look at my undergarments.”

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4. The skirt or dress with a slit.

We all know there is rarely a time when we can purchase a garment with a slit and find that it is already sewn for us to meet our Christian standards. Perhaps you are thinking, “What’s the harm of a few slits? I wear skirts and dresses. That in itself is a big change for me!”

May I give you a good rule of thumb which will answer the above question. A good rule is that your slit should be no higher than two inches from the floor when in an upright kneeling position. Anything higher than that reveals your thigh. Remember, the harlot reveals her merchandise to drum up business. If your slit is higher than the standard given above, you are giving off this message-“Look at my legs.”

5. The too-low neckline.

It is quite frustrating sometimes to shop for a garment which has a high enough neckline to meet our standards. So, many times we settle for what the stores have to offer because we want to stay in style. We can be in style in a modest way without lowering ourselves to the world’s standards.

Find the “U” right below your neck and at the top middle of your collar bone. Now, place your four fingers closed together at the bottom of your “U.” If skin is showing below your four fingers, your garment is too low. Anything worn with a low neckline draws attention to your chest area. Just remember this: “The lower the neckline, the more curious a man gets.” Surely we do not want to put men in that position. I believe many Christian women are ignorantly doing this. When your neckline is too low, you are giving off this message-“Look at my bust.”

6. The tight skirt or tight-fitting part of a dress below the waist.

The following test will determine if your garment fits too tightly below the waist. Stand in front of a full-length mirror. If your skirt cups under your backside or abdomen, it is too tight. One thing I have seen that is a turn-off and quite unbecoming is panty lines showing through a skirt. If the skirt would have been looser, I would not have had to view this, and neither would our Christian men who are trying hard to keep their minds clean. Also, we want to avoid being sensuous. When your skirt is too tight, you are giving off this message-“Look at my backside.”

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It would seem that there are only two reasons why women dress immodestly:

1. A mind problem.

Women do not think through how they look each day in front of a full-length mirror. They should take a few seconds each morning to quickly check the bustline, backside, slits, etc.

2. A heart problem.

Women are now aware of the messages they give when they wear certain types of garments or wear them are an immodest way. Some women continue to wear immodest apparel or try to hide behind excuses or simply know better but do it anyway. They need to be reminded that the harlot was “subtil of heart.” “Subtil” means “cunning” or “clever.” In other words, she knew exactly what she was doing. Christian women need not be “subtil of heart.”

— Zana Reichen, Instructor at Hyles-Anderson College, Crown Point, Indiana, Quote found in A Christian Lady’s Dress and Appearance by Art Kohl

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Walter Williams Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Sexual Assault

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walter williams

Walter Williams, pastor of Walk of Faith Church of Christ in New Haven, Connecticut, was sentence today to three years in prison for “second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.”

The New Haven Register reports:

A New Haven pastor has been sentenced to serve three years in prison for second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

Walter Williams, who was 59 at the time of his arrest last July, lives in Northford section of North Branford. He is senior pastor at the Walk of Faith Church of Christ in New Haven, according to the church’s website.

Police said he was accused of having as many as six sexual encounters with a minor who was a member of the church. According to police, the incidents occurred between July 2015 and April 2016.

The victim’s mother contacted police after she discovered text messages between her daughter and Williams on her daughter’s phone, police said. The mother told police she also saw a graphically disturbing Facebook message from Williams to her daughter.

The encounters happened at Williams’ home and at the church, police said.

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When he was arrested, Williams was charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault, fourth-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor and two counts of illegal sexual contact.

Under the plea arrangement he made with the state, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. Both are felonies.

The agreement specified Williams was to receive a sentence ranging from nine months to five years in prison. His attorney was given the right to argue for a lenient sentence.

After hearing the arguments from Paz and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Mary SanAngelo, Superior Court Judge Philip Scarpellino imposed a total sentence of 12 years, to be suspended after three years served, with 10 years of probation.

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Williams’ bio on Walk of Faith’s website states:

Pastor Walter Williams III is the senior pastor of Walk of Faith Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ in New Haven, Connecticut. He is a native of Newburgh, New York and the fifth child of seven children. Pastor Williams attributes his teaching in ethics, morality, hard work, character and integrity to his parents, William and Sadie Tallie.

Pastor Williams’ spiritual foundation was developed at Mt. Carmel Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, under the leadership of Bishop George W. Johnson, where he was an active member of the choir and the youth group. While in the United States Air Force and stationed in Las Vegas, pastor prayed for God to help him with his gambling challenge. With a heart to live a committed life to God, shortly after his prayer, Pastor Williams recommitted his life to the Lord and he answered God’s call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

At the age of 24, Pastor Williams served as the senior pastor of a 34 year old congregation in New Haven, Connecticut. After four years of intense pastoral on-the-job training, the visionary within Pastor Williams founded the Walk of Faith Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ in 1986.  As a man of vision, Pastor Williams is committed to: serving God with the spirit of excellence, community activism, equipping saints for ministry and creating an atmosphere where the power of God and deliverance will have full reign in the lives of believers as they fulfill their ordained kingdom purposes of God.

Pastor Williams is married to Dorothy Fay (Lady Fay) and they are the proud parents of six children and four grandchildren.

UPDATED: Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Alexander Roesly Asks 13-Year-Old to be “Friend With Benefits”

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alexander roesly

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Alexander Roesly, youth pastor at Praise Chapel Church of God in Union City, Indiana, has been charged with one count of child solicitation.

Channel 4 reports:

A youth pastor in Randolph County has been accused of using Snapchat to send juveniles sexual messages.

In the messages, the sheriff’s department says 19-year-old Alexander Roy Roesly asked a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl if they wanted to become “friends with benefits.”

Deputies say Roesly is a youth pastor at the Chapel Church of God in the northeast side of the county. The 15-year-old girl was reportedly an attendee of the church.

The sheriff’s department says it began investigating on July 5 and interviewed Roesly on July 19. During the interview, the department says Roesly “admitted that he was the person who had sent the messages to the juveniles.”

Roesly was charged with one count of child solicitation as a level 5 felony for the messages sent to the 13-year-old girl. In Indiana, a person must be over 21 years of age for the child solicitation charge to apply to messages sent to a 15-year-old.

Roesly was booked into the Randolph County Jail and held on a $8,000 bond.

In 2018, Roesly pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a one-year suspended sentence and one year of probation.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Pastor Walter Diggles Set to Stand Trial on Fraud Charges

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walter diggles

Walter Diggles, pastor of Lighthouse Church of God in Christ in Jasper, Texas, was arrested and charged with fraud, as were his wife and daughter.

In December 2015, the Beaumont Enterprise reported:

The executive director of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments schemed with his wife and daughter to illegally divert more than $1.3 million in federal grant money intended for hurricane assistance, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Walter Diggles, Rosie Diggles and Anita Diggles were jointly charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Walter Diggles, 62, was charged individually with eleven counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft from a program that receives federal funding, and three counts of money laundering.

Rosie Diggles, 61, his wife, also was charged individually with 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Anita Diggles, 39, faces only the conspiracy charge.

The government also seeks the forfeiture of $1.3 million, which approximates the amount of the Diggles’ theft.according to the federal indictment.

All three pleaded not guilty Monday in a Beaumont federal courtroom.

Attorneys for the Diggles family called the charges “sensational, but unsubstantiated.”

Walter Diggles has been DETCOG director since 1990 and pastor of the Lighthouse Church in Jasper County since 1980, the indictment stated.

He also ran the Deep East Texas Foundation, a non-profit created in 2005, according to the indictment.

DETCOG, though not a government agency, operates on behalf of an association of city and county governments. It received federal, state and local grant funds to finance and administer programs throughout a 12-county region.

According to the indictment, the Deep East Texas Foundation received about $4.4 million in Social Service Block Grant funding from 2007 to 2012.

The foundation continued to conduct operations even though the Texas Secretary of State forfeited its charter around 2007, according to the indictment.

Walter Diggles defrauded the federal government by inflating the amount his foundation needed for social service programs and taking the difference for personal use, the indictment alleges.

Walter Diggles had single-signature authority over the foundation’s bank account at First National Bank in Jasper, where he also received monthly payments for his service on the bank’s board, according to the indictment.

In a brief statement on the courthouse steps before the hearing, the Diggles’ attorneys characterized the indictment resulting from the government’s 2014 raid of DETCOG headquarters in Jasper and the two-year investigation as a “fundamental misunderstanding of how federal and state block grants work.”

Ryan Gertz, lead attorney for Walter Diggles, said the DETCOG block grants are given on a reimbursement basis rather than by contract and that “the entire indictment reflects a misunderstanding of this simple fact.”

….

According to a July 19, 2017 article in the Beaumont Enterprise, jury selection has begun, with opening arguments expected later today.