NC Church Accused of Bringing in Brazilian Worshipers to Use as Slaves

[NeoGreen]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/07/24/nc-church-accused-of-bringing-in-brazilian-worshipers-to-use-as-slaves/

NC Church Accused of Bringing in Brazilian Worshipers to Use as Slaves
July 24, 2017 by Hemant Mehta

A North Carolina church has been accused of siphoning slave labor from its branches in Brazil. It’s just the latest awful development for a church that’s already been in the news for shaking babies to banish their demons, screaming into the ears of members to banish their demons, and kidnapping and beating a gay man to eradicate his “homosexual demons.”

The devil was never as bad as the leaders of Word of Faith Fellowship in Spindale, North Carolina.

The latest accusations, courtesy of Mitch Weiss, Holbrook Mohr and Peter Prengaman of the Associated Press, say that the church brought in any number of members from their local congregations in Brazil, took their passports and money, then kept them in Spindale to perform menial tasks for little or no pay. While the AP spoke directly with 16 victims, there may have been many, many more.

Trapped in a foreign land, [Andre Oliveira] said he was forced to work 15 hours a day, usually for no pay, first cleaning warehouses for the secretive evangelical church and later toiling at businesses owned by senior ministers. Any deviation from the rules risked the wrath of church leaders, he said, ranging from beatings to shaming from the pulpit.

…

“They kept us as slaves,” Oliveira said, pausing at times to wipe away tears. “We were expendable. We meant nothing to them. Nothing. How can you do that to people — claim you love them and then beat them in the name of God?”

…

Although immigration officials in both countries said it was impossible to calculate the volume of the human pipeline, at least several hundred young Brazilians have migrated to North Carolina over the past two decades, based on interviews with former members.

Word of Faith Fellowship was founded by Sam and Jane Whaley in 1979, with Jane being at the center of the myriad accusations:

They are listed as co-pastors but all of those interviewed said it is Jane Whaley — a fiery, 77-year-old Christian Charismatic preacher — who maintains dictatorial control of the flock and also administers some of the beatings herself.

She has scores of strict rules to control congregants’ lives, including whether they can marry or have children. At the top of the list: No one can complain about her or question her authority. Failure to comply often triggers a humiliating rebuke from the pulpit or, worse, physical punishment, according to most of those interviewed.

Under Jane Whaley’s leadership, Word of Faith grew from a handful of followers to a 750-member sect, concentrated in a 35-acre complex protected by tight security and a thick line of trees.

The group also has nearly 2,000 members in churches in Brazil and Ghana, and affiliations in other countries.

Whaley, the AP says, visited Brazil frequently and told church members they would have a better life in the U.S., not to mention a better relationship with God. The reality was very different.

[Lordquinton]

1. This should make every furious

Hope they face punishment for this.

[mountain grammy]

2. I'm sure gorsuck will understand the need for 1st amendment religious rights

in this case. Taking away their slaves will violate their deeply held religious beliefs.

This is truly sickening. Where are the Christian leaders denouncing this behavior?

[Lordquinton]

3. A Brazilian Worshipers?

I can't even count that high!

(Sorry, couldn't resist, and laughter is the only thing I can provide in this tragic situation)