A Church Scandal

“Good evening. I’m Kylee Williams and thank you for joining WKPT’s 6 pm news broadcast.

Breaking News: Pastor Marcellus J. Atkins, Senior Leader of Gates of Praise International Ministries, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of racketeering, fraud, and conspiracy related to the illegal misuse of ministry funds.”

“Oh. My. God!” Tiffany shouted as her feet twisted on the treadmill belt, causing her to fall off. She struggled to regain control to avoid crashing headfirst into the wall. With her wig lopsided, she clambered to her feet, grabbed the remote control, and turned up the volume.

“This is a live shot of Pastor Atkins in the custody of federal agents as they arrive at the Carson Federal Detention Center, where he will be booked and held until he is released on bond or until the trial begins. According to Special Agent in Charge Daniel McIntosh, the well-known mega pastor’s first hearing will take place within a matter of hours.”

Tiffany instinctively reached for her cell phone before remembering it was charging. She sprinted to the living room, snatched up the landline phone, and feverishly dialed her niece, Tracey.

Seeing Tiffany’s number flash across the screen, Tracey answered, “Hey, Auntie. What’s up?”

“Where are you? Are you watching the news?” she barked, her breath coming in rapid huffs.

“No. I’m stuck in traffic on my way home. Why, what’s wrong?”

“Pastor Atkins has just been arrested by the feds for stealing ministry funds!”

“Pastor Atkins? What Pastor Atkins are you talking about?”

“Your corrupt pastor, Pastor Atkins.”

“What! Oh my God. Let me pull over to the side of the road before I have an accident.” She rammed her way through the gridlock to reach a safe spot on the side of Highway 285.

Hearing wheezing and knowing that Tracey had asthma, Tiffany asked, “Are you okay? I hear wheezing. Bird, say something to me.” Bird was Tiffany’s nickname for Tracey because her legs were as thin as a bird’s.

Tracey grabbed the inhaler out of her purse, shook it, and pumped it three times. Almost immediately, the medicine helped her breathe easier. 

“Tracey, are you okay?” Tiffany yelled into the phone.

Slowly regaining her breath and vocal strength, she responded, “I’m good now. What in the world of Hades is going on?”

“Girl, it’s on the news. I’m watching it now.”

“I can’t believe this,” she said, dazed.

“I don’t know why not. I’ve been telling you for a year that joker is a crook.”

“Jesus, keep me near the cross. Poor First Lady. I can only imagine what she must be going through.”

“Poor First Lady? What about the poor seniors who gave him their last dollar hoping God would bless them? Or the poor people who signed the deeds to their properties over to him, believing they were blessing the work of the ministry. What about them?”

“This has to be a mistake.”

“Tracey, really? Please give the denial routine a rest. My sister didn’t raise no fool. Ever since you started going to that church, it’s like you’ve been under some kind of spell or something. Either you can’t see the truth, or you just refuse to acknowledge it. I don’t know which one it is at this point.

“Auntie, please don’t start. This is devastating.”

Ignoring her plea, Tiffany continued. “I wonder how long it’ll take before he creates a GoFundMe page to raise money to pay for his attorney fees.”

“What’s wrong with that? I’m sure he’s innocent. People just hate him because he has nice things, and they think preachers should be broke instead of prosperous.”

“Girl, please. Spare me the talking points. I don’t mind preachers being prosperous or having nice things. I do mind, however, preachers being super-sized greedy manipulators, exploiting the poor and vulnerable. That, I mind.”

“You just don’t understand him.”

“I understand all I need to understand about him. He’s a charlatan, plain and simple, a heathen in sheep’s clothing leading people away from God.

What about all those so-called prophets he paraded through that ministry? There was a different flavor coming through every week. I know there are real prophets, but there was nothing real about those cats he brought in.

You had to pay $100 to get a prophecy. And that was just for what seemed like a 10-word prophecy. Now I didn’t attend school on a math scholarship, but according to my calculations, that equals $10 per word.

If they told somebody, ‘Jesus loves you,’ that person had to cough up $30 on the spot. And if you wanted a long, glowing prophecy, you had to flash five Benjamins or more to get a word like that.”

 “Auntie, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this with you right now.” She hung up the phone.

“No she didn’t just shut me down,” Tiffany said, looking at her phone in disbelief.

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After a long walk in her neighborhood to clear her head and calm her heart, Tracey decided to stop by her neighbor Peg’s house. Peg introduced Tracey to Gates of Praise but had left six months ago.

“Hey, Tracey,” Peg said compassionately as she opened the door and hugged her guest.

“Have you heard the news, Peg?”

“Everybody’s heard.”

“Peg, why did you leave Gates of Praise?”

She sat on the porch steps, and Tracey joined her.

“Honestly, Tracey, I had a serious “Come to Jesus” meeting. Holy Spirit had really been dealing with me for a while. I was in denial at first; I won’t lie. And I had my own resistance movement to His convictions going on, big time. But the more I saw and experienced, the less I could resist Him any longer.

The bottom line is that I started worshipping a man. And that’s idolatry. I was willing to put him above Jesus and the truths in His word because I wanted to be a part of Pastor A’s family. I felt “special.” He had a way of making you feel like “somebody” when you did what he wanted you to do. The more I gave, the more attention I received from him. I guess, no, I know that that was appealing to me because I didn’t grow up in a family where I felt special.

“But what things really opened your eyes? What truly set off your internal fire alarm?”

“For one thing, how he handled the Senior Living Community Project. You remember how the budget was $6.5 million for 200 units and the land, right?”

“Yeah.”

“But, after that goal was met, he continued to raise money, talking about it was for Phase 2, except plans for Phase 2 always seemed to get postponed. But what wasn’t postponed was his purchase of five houses around the country, luxury cars, and the 24-karat gold chains he wore around his stiff neck. And coincidentally, he bought these things while raising money for- she made air quotes and said- Phase 2.”

Tracey pulled her knees to her body, wrapped her arms around them, and dropped her head.

Peg softly rubbed Tracey’s back and added, “You have to make your own decision, Trace. All I can tell you is that no man loves and accepts you the way God, your father, does. And no man laid down his life for your sins and gave you the gift of eternal life but Jesus. That’s who you owe your utmost allegiance to.”

With tears cascading down her swollen honey-brown cheeks, Tracey looked at Peg and squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Peg.”

“You’re welcome, love. May I pray with you?”

The End

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