S10 Ep137: The Apostle (David E. Taylor)

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Make another smart choice with AutoQ Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try it at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. Close your eyes. Focus. Listen to work.

Relax as AI does the manual work, while your teams are reliant on a single source of truth. Feel the sensation of an AI work platform. Flexible and intuitive. Yeah. for you. Notice you're limitless. Limitless. Limitless. Now open your eyes, go to Monday.com, start for free, and finally breathe. This episode of Swindled may contain graphic descriptions or audio recordings of disturbing events which may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

This little eleven year old boy had rheumatoid arthritis affa affecting his hips and his knees and his uh ankles, wrists, and this is his wheelchair. You mean this is the little boy's wheelchair? Yes. Walk across the stage, honey. Walk across there. Does nothing hurt? Doesn't it hurt? No. You mean it doesn't hurt? Okay, take your your wheelchair. You push it, honey. Go on. There he goes. There he goes. Don't thank me. I do. Do what they're doing.

Catherine Coleman's ministry stood as a testament to resurrection, not just in the spiritual sense she preached, but in the very arc of her own life. In the 1930s, as a young rising evangelist, Coleman married a fellow traveling preacher who had abandoned his wife and children. The decision reverberated through the tight knit Pentecostal community, which ostracized the newlyweds.

Almost overnight, the momentum Catherine Coleman had begun to build disintegrated, and the ministry that once seemed destined for growth collapsed under the weight of scandal. In time, Catherine came to agree with her detractors, who believed she had made a grave mistake. In nineteen thirty eight she divorced her husband. It was a painful and public unraveling that marked the lowest point of her early career.

And what followed, according to Coleman's later testimony, was a season of deep repentance and surrender. She would describe this period, which lasted for years as kind of a death to self. And from that point on, Catherine said, something changed inside of her. Coleman testified that she experienced what Pentecostals call the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I was filled with the spirit, she said. I spoke in an unknown tongue, as he took every part of the

In that moment I surrendered unto him all there was of me, everything. Then, for the first time, I realized what it meant to have power. Catherine used that power to resume preaching. The Holy Spirit became the focal point of her message. She spoke not only of salvation, but of surrender, of yielding completely, so that divine power could operate through an emptied vessel. The healings, she would later insist. Or an unplanned side effect.

One night in 1947, during a service in Franklin, Pennsylvania, a woman stood up and announced that her tumor had disappeared during one of Catherine Coleman's previous sermons. Coleman herself had not known it at the time. There had been no public declaration, no lightning strike, yet the testimony electrified the room, and then a few days later, it happened again. Reports of vanishing pain, disappearing addictions, and even cancer being cured, circulated among the faithful,

What began almost accidentally grew into the defining feature of Catherine Coleman's reborn ministry. Tents, and soon auditoriums, filled with the sick and the hopeful, all waiting for the moment when she would softly say, He's here. She could feel it, his presence, sometimes arriving without warning, in the middle of a sentence or song. Catherine, with her carefully curled hairdo and a flowing white gown, would drift across the stage, arms outstretched, feet barely touching the ground.

The Holy Spirit is healing someone right now, she would declare, while bathing in the light. If you know who you are, her eyes would scan the crowd. It's a diabetic on the balcony. It's a woman in the back who stutters. It's the poor bastard in the third row who is blind in one eye. You've been cured. Catherine would inform no one in particular in a general direction. Stand up and claim your healing. Where's that somebody's getting sight in an eye?

Somebody is getting sight in an eye. Isn't it wonderful that I have too good eyes at you? No, you're sorry. Catherine's assistants would usher the self-identified miracle recipients into the aisle and onto the platform. Canes were lifted, then cast aside. Wheelchairs were rolled forward and pushed back as their occupants rose to their feet.

In front of the astonished audience, the newly healed were urged to move, to bend the knee that no longer bent, to swing the hip that had stiffened, to take a few careful steps in a triumphant lap across the stage. Praise the Lord. Because it was he who had performed the miracle, not Catherine Coleman herself.

Catherine was merely an instrument. There was never a more ordinary woman than the one standing before you, she would tell her audience. I have only yielded my life to him. And for that, she had been anointed. But remember something. And never forget. Catherine Kuhlman has nothing to do with these miracles whatsoever. I have no healing virtue, I have no healing power. That's the reason I resent it very much when I'm in a crowd and there are those who try to reach out and

Never try to reach out and touch me. Reach up and touch you. He is the one who performs these miracles.

By the early 1970s, God had performed a lot of miracles through Catherine Coleman. Two million by the St. Louis Globe Democrat Newspapers count. As a result, Catherine had become one of the most recognizable preachers in the world. Her services were broadcast weekly on syndicated television and radio. She made mainstream appearances, including a guest spot, on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

She authored multiple best selling books, and she filled stadiums to capacity all over the country. Lines would form eight hours before the doors opened. A procession of walkers, stretchers, oxygen tanks, and quiet desperation wrapped around city blocks. For many, Catherine Coleman was their last hope. And they were willing to offer their last penny for a chance to be touched.

by the Holy Spirit. As I walked in this auditorium God performed a miracle. He straightened my body completely up. At one time I thought this was a uh this was a uh Well, it was phony, but when it happened to me, I'd just tell the whole world that this is the the truest thing that ever was. And I've seen healings here that make your hair stand up. I had a healing and my spine is straight and I'm fine and praise the Lord I'm better than I have ever been and I'll never be the same again.

Not everyone was persuaded by the miracles unfolding at Catherine Coleman's services. Journalists and physicians in particular looked on with suspicion, To them, it appeared less like medical marvels and more like emotional manipulation in the midst of a religious fervor, less divine intervention, critics argued, and more theatrical performance. Among the skeptics was doctor William A. Nolan, a small town surgeon practicing in Minnesota,

Nolan had a particular interest in faith healers and did not consider himself a hardened cynic. In fact, he described himself as a Catholic. Not a good Catholic, he admitted, but someone inclined to believe in God, in heaven, even in the possibility of miracles. The supernatural was not automatically off the table. Still, Dr. Nolan was a man of science, so before dismissing Catherine Coleman outright or accepting her claims, he wanted evidence.

If miracles were happening in packed auditoriums, Nolan reasoned, they should be able to withstand clinical scrutiny. as luck or providence would have it, an opportunity soon presented itself to perform that scrutiny. In february nineteen sixty seven, Catherine Coleman was scheduled to appear in nearby Minneapolis. A well connected friend arranged for doctor Nolan to serve as the venue's onsite physician, granting him rare backstage access to the event.

That evening, Nolan witnessed the spectacle firsthand, the music, the anticipation, the miracles, the roar of affirmation from thousands of believers, but he also noticed something else. A pattern. Nearly all of the ailments Coleman announced as cured were conditions invisible to the naked eye. back pain, heart trouble, partial deafness, blurry vision, complaints that could not be immediately verified by observation alone.

Those with obvious, externally visible conditions, such as pronounced deformities or severe neurological impairment, never stepped foot on stage. But what troubled Nolan most, as he later wrote in his book Healing, A Doctor in Search of a Miracle, was not the purported acts of healing. It was what happened after the crowd dispersed, quote.

As I stood in the corridor, watching the hopeless cases leave, seeing the tears of the parents as they pushed their crippled children to the elevators, I wished Miss Coleman had been with me. She had complained a couple of times during the service of the responsibility, the enormous responsibility, and how her heart aches for those that weren't cured. But I wondered how often she had really looked at them.

I wondered whether she sincerely felt that the joy of those cured of bursitis and arthritis compensated for the anguish of those left with their withered legs, their imbecilic children, their cancers of the liver. I wondered if she really knew what damage she was doing. I couldn't believe that she did.

Elsewhere, Catherine Coleman had said the burden she carried was worth it, if even one person was made better. But was anyone truly healed? That was the question Dr. William A. Nolan set out to answer. When he left the Minneapolis Auditorium that night, he took with him the names and addresses of 82 people who had gone forward claiming to be cured. Months later, they began following up, hoping to verify that their ailments had, in fact, disappeared. Only twenty-three agreed to be interviewed.

A few who had suffered from conditions highly susceptible to suggestion, such as chronic pain, reported continued improvement. But none could provide medical documentation confirming a reversal of organic disease. Others attributed ordinary physiological changes to divine intervention. One new mother, for example, believed her varicose veins had vanished because of Coleman's prayer, though such symptoms can diminish naturally after pregnancy.

Those with more serious diagnoses fared far worse, none more tragically than fifty year old Helen Sullivan, whose stomach cancer had already spread to her liver and spine. During the service, when Coleman announced that someone in Helen's section had been cured of cancer, Helen said she felt a burning sensation inside of her and tore off the back brace she had worn for four months and made her way to the stage.

There, at Coleman's urging, she bent over, touched her toes, even jogged in place. I felt just wonderful, Helen later told Nolan. I didn't have pain anywhere. I went to bed happier than I'd been in a long time. But at four o'clock the next morning, she woke in agony, drenched in sweat. The following day, hospital x rays revealed that one of her vertebrae had partially collapsed. From that point forward, Helen was largely bedridden.

I still pray a lot, she told Nolan, not to be cured and not even to be free of pain, just to have less pain, so that I can bear it. And God answers my prayers. He never gives me more pain than I can stand. I'm very grateful to him. Four months after she had been cured on stage, Helen Sullivan died of cancer. Taken together, doctor Nolan was left what he called an inescapable conclusion None of the patients had been miraculously cured of anything by either Catherine Coleman or the Holy Spirit.

And he found it difficult to believe that Catherine Coleman was unaware of the gap between the claim she made from the stage and the medical realities that followed. Harder still, he wrote, was believing that everyone around Catherine, her staff, her assistants, her musicians, operated in pure innocence. At some point, faith and financial incentive may have become indistinguishable.

Catherine Kuhlman died following open heart surgery. It's likely, however, that her legacy of love and healing will be an inspiration for generations to town of Concordia, Missouri, made too strong an imprint on too many millions of people to be soon forgotten.

Catherine Coleman's influence would endure long after the Holy Spirit abandoned her in 1975. In the decades that followed, echoes of Coleman could be seen in the ministries of televangelists. Who adopted and amplified her blend of spectacle, charisma, and claims of supernatural power? People like Peter Popoff, Kenneth Copeland. Jim Baker. A binny hen.

Benny Hidden is a faith healer. At every crusade, people claim he's worked a miracle for them, curing all kinds of ailments. Where was the pain? Right here on the back. Ben down. Hold this. Now it's gone completely. In fact, Benny Hinn would later memorialize Catherine Coleman's influence in his best-selling book, Good Morning, Holy Spirit.

In its pages, Hen recounts attending one of Coleman's miracle services as a young man, describing the atmosphere, the stillness, the moment he believed the Holy Spirit entered the room, He presents that encounter as the spark that shaped his own healing ministry. A few years later, in nineteen ninety two, Hinn's book found its way into the hands of a recently reformed

eighteen year old culinary student named David E. Taylor, who had divine dreams of his own. Taylor is said that Benny Hinn's account of Catherine Coleman revolutionized his life. He claims tears were streaming down his face as he learned about the Holy Spirit for the first time. I got on my knees. I said, God, I don't know what this is that this lady got, but I want it.

David recalls kneeling in the cramped closet of his apartment, asking God to grant him the same blessing Catherine Coleman had received. He says he prayed, sank, and fasted for three days straight. until he heard the booming voice of God say, Son, I have already given it to you. Just like that, David E. Taylor said he discovered that he had been anointed too, not only with the power to heal, but with authority for much, much more, including what he described as a

Ongoing face-to-face relationship with the Lord. So what does a man with so much supernatural power do when he becomes literal best friends with Jesus? Let's find out on this episode of Swindled. Millions of dollars. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. March includes International Women's Day, a time to celebrate women's strength, resilience, and progress. It's also a moment to acknowledge just how much women carry every single day, the visible roles.

leader, partner, mother, friend, and then visible labor that so often goes unnoticed. When I think about that, I think about my mom. She worked full time, somehow made it to every school event, remembered every birthday, and still found the energy to ask how I was doing. As a kid, I thought that was just normal. As an adult,

I realize it was extraordinary, and I realize how rarely anyone asked her how she was holding up. This month is a reminder that women deserve care too. If you're listening, take a second to reflect on the roles you play. The expectations placed on you and the pressure you carry. Therapy can be a space to set healthy boundaries, sort through competing demands, and create balance. Not because you're falling apart, but because you're not. Better help has over thirty thousand licensed.

therapists who follow a strict code of conduct. They've served more than 6 million people worldwide, with an average 4.9 out of 5 rating for live sessions based on over 1.7 million client reviews. After you fill out a short questionnaire, BetterHelp matches you with a therapist based on your needs and preferences, and if it's not the right fit, you can switch at any time. Your emotional well-being matters. Find support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com.

Swindled. That's better. H E L P dot com slash swindled.

No. I want to tell you how these miracles A face to face appearance from Jesus. I was against the I was doing all kind of easy. middle paws like you hear and handkerchiefs were sent to from his body. and miracles happen. Began. So stay tuned. Watch this. In December 1989, a week before Christmas. Jesus Christ appeared to seventeen year old David E. Taylor in a dream. He stood about six feet tall, with shoulder length sandy brown hair, and wore the most beautiful white robe you've ever seen.

He had the kindest eyes, David remembers, so full of love, so full of power, yet wrapped in unmistakable humility. Standing face to face, Taylor claims he could feel the very atoms in his body responding to the presence before him. Who was I, he would later ask, that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords would come and appear to me like this, after I had lived such a riotous, worldly, and sinful life.

By his own account, David was not a church going teen. He was part of a gang, no, the leader of a gang. smoking dope and selling coke on the streets of Memphis, Tennessee. Even cursing sometimes, David admits regretfully. He had no space in his heart for Jesus. Jesus was just a myth, his parents believed. And yet here he was, his majesty, standing in a teenage boy's bedroom wearing nothing but a bathrobe. David says Jesus spoke to him without moving his mouth.

He said, Follow me. I knew he wanted me to give my light to him. I knew he wanted me to come out of the world of sin and give my heart to him. And that's exactly what David did. In an instant he repented and received salvation, a radical and immediate transformation. Quote. It was an overnight, 380-degree turnaround. No more drugs, no more guns, no more thug life. From that moment forward, David E. Taylor committed himself to serving the Lord, but he still had earthly ambitions.

David enrolled in culinary school at Johnson and Wales University, even as his spiritual life intensified. It was there David claims that another dream altered his course. In this vision, he says it was revealed that he had been called into ministry. not the quiet, ordinary kind behind a modest pulpit, but something larger, something supernatural, the kind of ministry pioneered by the likes of Catherine Coleman, whom David says he had also met in a dream, as part of a spiritual inheritance.

Yes, David E. Taylor had been marked for something greater. How you doing after it's saying, Lord, I'm gonna tell you something. Jesus Christ is the greatest man that you ever heard about. I'm gonna tell you something. There's no man that has ever made history like he has.

Resurrection Media Ministries was established in nineteen ninety-seven in St. Louis when David E. Taylor was just twenty-two years old. According to Taylor, the choice of location was anything but accidental. He had traveled to Missouri to conduct a revival at a local church when he says an angel appeared and instructed him that this is where he should sow his seed.

For most people, such a visit would be life-altering and almost unspeakable. But by that point, David E. Taylor said such encounters were routine. Taylor claimed that Jesus himself was stopping by on a regular basis. What began as a single dream in nineteen eighty nine had developed into an ongoing, face to face relationship. The Lord did not just inspire David E. Taylor, he spoke with him, mentored him, worked through him.

That's because David was uniquely commissioned, not simply a pastor, not merely a teacher, not only a prophet. He was, he said, an apostle, personally ordained as a healing shepherd, called to carry forward a ministry of divine connection. Fire, lose her! Spirit of death, come out! Breathe in. Your breathing is better. Unfortunately, David was spending so much time with Jesus that he forgot to file his ministry's annual financial transparency form, which led to its disillusion.

Resurrection Media Ministries was resurrected as Resurrection Media Ministries International in two thousand one, but it too was dissolved a year or two later for the same reasons, plus bankruptcy. But once again they would rise from the dead. From that time on said wow, what if Jesus would go to people who were unsaved to get them saved? A ministry that introduces you to them face to face like that. And so he started doing that.

I will go to places and Christ would just start appearing to people in their dreams, in their sleep, by the hundreds, by the thousands, and now by the ten thousand. David E. Taylor founded Joshua Media Ministries International in two thousand three. In the years that followed, everything amplified, the presentation, the message, the miracles. During his sermons, he would bring an armful of discarded crutches on stage and hold them up as evidence of bodies restored and sickness erased.

He claimed entire villages suffering from a deadly disease had been healed after he mailed them prayer cloths. Hospitals, Taylor reported, were shutting down simply because he drove past, offered a prayer, and cured everyone inside. Even more extraordinary, the apostle said he could raise the dead with nothing more than a text message. Cancer is healed! AIDS is healed! Diabetes is healed! SAGNET is destroyed!

And that was only the beginning of Apostle Taylor's expanding catalogue of astonishing feats. not including the miraculous return of his hairline. He's claimed he can command the sun and the moon. He can travel through space and time. He can see what lies ahead before the rest of the world catches up. I saw the United States is gonna be attacked by Russia. Those nuclear submarines Nuclear disaster is coming to this country if we don't turn this around. It is not an option. Millions will die.

The end is nigh. But relax. Apostle Taylor had been handpicked by God to prevent World War III. And you gotta admit, so far so good. Arrest that weary little head of yours and turn your attention to more pressing matters. This is your friend David E. Taylor. In a dream that was given to someone near me, it was shown to me that the Broncos are going to win this 2014 Super Bowl February 2nd. The Broncos did not win that Super Bowl.

In fact, they were actually completely humiliated by a score of forty three to eight, courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks. and an abomination of a game that was an insult to the sport of American football itself. God himself changed the channel. But you know what? You show me an apostle who hasn't completely whiffed on a prophecy, and I'll show you one that lacks the boldness and the courage of a great man like David E. Taylor. He's not afraid to be wrong.

He's not afraid to make a mistake, because he does not answer to man. He answers to the man himself, and the man himself thought no less of Apostle Taylor, after such an embarrassing mistranslation of inside information.

As a matter of fact, according to David, he and Jesus had met over a thousand times and had become best friends. And not only did the Saviour continue the face to face visits, he even made a rare and the flesh appearance at one of Apostle Taylor's services, During this moment, a woman in the crowd decided to take a picture. Incredibly, Jesus was seen in the photo in his glorified body. You can actually see this photo on the swindled Instagram page if you want to confirm for yourself.

Or you could. I don't know. Just have a little faith. My God. Oh yeah, speaking of the devil. Wait, no, that doesn't work. Speaking of which, David Taylor claims he has met God. Jesus took him home to heaven to meet the parents. David says they traveled at the speed of thought. They were greeted by eight foot-tall angels.

and he was escorted to a vast, library like chamber, that contained enormous white and gold books that were, quote, written by God of his plans and his purposes for every one's life who had ever been born, or who would be born. David says he was only allowed to thumb through his own though. From there, the apostle was taken to the throne room to meet the author. Words can't even describe the overwhelming beauty, but Mr. Taylor has certainly tried.

And I had been to the throne room of the Father, the electricity coming out of his throne, the blue electricity with the blue electricity. But God the Father got blue. It ain't even red. It's blue coming out of his throne. I've seen him up close. All of his skin and his whole body is made out of jewels. His body has stones and diamonds. His body is made out of pure diamonds. The skin. Diamonds. And jewels. God's skin is made out of jewels and stones.

Don't ask me and explain it, I can't. That's what it that's where the rainbow come from. All them stones on God's body when the light comes from out of him and on him. I can't even explain that because I don't know where it's coming from. But when the light hits his body full of diamonds, a rainbow shoots out of his body. That rainbow do not belong to the LGBT or the homosexual community. It's my father's rainbow.

The popularity of David E. Taylor's Joshua Media Ministries International, or JMMI, surged during the second decade of the 2000s. At its peak, Taylor claimed his movement included eighteen million people, connected through more than three hundred thousand churches across one hundred and eighty-nine countries. Those numbers are almost Unbelievable. But much of that expansion was tied to the apostle's spiritual memoir, in which he detailed his alleged ongoing personal encounters with Christ.

The book didn't merely recount visions. It offered instruction, promising readers that they too could cultivate their own face-to-face relationship with the Lord. And who doesn't want that? Well, the apostle could give that to you. But there was just one thing the apostle needed from you. Money. And lots of it. Right now we need an immediate two million dollars. So right now.

We're in need of three million dollars. If you out there and you can sow a two million dollar seed, three million, four million, God wants you to be obedient. Amen. Right now we need way over three million dollars. to do what we're doing. We actually need thirty million dollars, thirty six million to be exact. thousands of dollars, but wouldn't sow into a ministry. that people are getting healed of cancer. Why would you give your money to chemotherapy?

has power to heal the sickness. So the whole Bible is about exchanging income. Listen, I ain't taking no vile poverty. God didn't call me to do that foolishness. And that's why some of you Catholic priests, that's why you're gay right now and you you bust little boys in their booty. Funded by donations and tithes.

JMMI grew into a multimillion dollar operation. David Taylor used some of the money to move the ministry's headquarters to Taylor, Michigan, the suburb about twenty minutes west of Detroit. He also used the funds to hire a small staff, most notably Michelle Brannon, a former, quote, high income vice president of a major oil and gas company, who, quote, laid down her lucrative career and beautiful mansion to live a life of sacrificial service.

In other words, Michelle, a true believer who has detailed her own face to face encounters with Christ. became JMMI's executive director. She wore many hats at the ministry, including handling the organization's money, counting the organization's money, and soliciting additional money.

Ushers give your offering bring the offering envelopes and pass'em out. Raise your hand if you need an offering envelope and every single person in here should be giving something. I don't care if you don't have but a nickel you put that in there. Lay your possessions at the apostle's feet, the ministry's mailers urged, and God will bless you one hundredfold, whatever they are worth.

Life insurance policies, retirement accounts, property deeds, precious metals, all came pouring in. Because donors believed they were funding a righteous cause. According to JMMI, the bulk of those offerings would go toward humanitarian efforts, such as feeding and clothing millions, drilling water wells, building refuge homes for trafficked children, even assisting Holocaust survivors through a partnership with Helping Hand Coalition.

an NGO founded by a Polish man who fled to Israel to avoid extradition after it was discovered he had stolen hundreds of millions of dollars through a Czech kiting scheme. Oh, that doesn't sound good. However, the silver lining is that if JMMI did send any money to the Helping Hand Coalition, it was minimal. The Trinity Foundation, the watchdog group that investigates religious fraud,

reviewed JMMI's own IRS filings, and found that over a ten year period, the ministry reported no financial assistance to domestic or foreign individuals or organizations. Zero. So if David E. Taylor wasn't spending the money on charitable causes as promised, where was it going? That was the question many were asking. And when the opportunity arose, one man executed a plan to find out.

The following is a paid advertisement for the Swindle Valued Listener Rewards Program. Are you tired of hearing advertisements in Swindle like this one? Do you wish there was more swindled content to Distract. you from your miserable existence. Don't settle for those other inferior podcasts with the annoying hosts who laugh at their own jokes. Become a swindled valued listener. Easy access. Episodes and To bonus episodes that are not a Advertisement free.

The whole family, but don't take our word for it. A lot of people ask me, Pastor Thorpe, how can I get closer to God? Well, I'll tell you how. Become a swindled valued listener. Trust me. Millions of my congregation's donations on frivolous material possessions and shameful. Shameful sexual excursion! But I've never felt the Holy Spirit more than when I became a valued man. Hallelujah! Millions of swindled fans have discovered the secret-

Try it in your own home today. Also, act now to receive the valued news for valued lessons. Yeah. Extra cause. Five thousand dollars. $4.99. Go to valued listener.com to sign up using Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Patreon. No long-term commitments, satisfaction guaranteed, foreign currency accepted, cancel anytime. Please, just give us your money.

Support for Swindled comes from Simply Safe. If you're like me, you're probably desensitized to the dozens of notifications on your phone every day. But if that latest ping is from your security camera, ignoring it could spell disaster. Picture this someone's breaking in while you're giving a presentation, sitting in a movie theater, or stuck on a flight at thirty thousand dollars. You'll see the footage eventually, but by then it's too late. That's why I chose Simply Safe.

SimplySafe is a customizable whole-home security system backed by 24-7 monitoring agents I can rely on to take action even when I can't. Here's why I love it. I don't want to be the single point of failure for my own home. Cameras alone are passive protection. If you're asleep, in a meeting, or out of cell range, that notification doesn't do much.

With Simply Safe, if an alarm is triggered or their AI powered cameras detect trouble, real monitoring agents step in. They call you, check the camera feeds, and dispatch police if needed. The burden isn't all on me. And I'm not the only one. SimplySafe protects over 4 million people. They have 20 years of experience in home security and were just named Best Home Security System of 2026.

By US News and World Report. Right now, listeners of Swindled can get 50% off a new system by visiting SimplySafe.com slash swindled. That's simplysafe.com slash swindled. There's no safe. Like simply safe.

But for those of you who don't know, it was last year, the end of March, that um I was under a lot of stress and I wasn't feeling quite right, so I went and got my blood drawn. And it turns out that I was having an autoimmune disease startup within a matter of just weeks. um my body deteriorated so badly that I was in a wheelchair. Um I actually came to a set of services at um Joshua Media Ministries with Apostle David E. Taylor and at these services um here in Taylor, Michigan

I felt the power of God so strong. This time the power of God was so strong and I'm sitting in that wheelchair and at the end of service I stood up. I'm a walking living witness. Katie Frazier says she was 18 years old when David E. Taylor healed her. An autoimmune disease had ravaged her body to the point where she could no longer walk. But thanks to the apostles' prayers and the power of God, Katie rose triumphantly to her feet.

Katie and her mother, Debbie Frazier, have been attending services at Joshua Media Ministries International for several years. Both placed unwavering faith in Taylor's spiritual authority, and after Katie's recovery, that faith only deepened. Debbie was overwhelmed with gratitude, and she expressed it the way the ministry encouraged its followers to do, with a generous gift.

Debbie Fraser reportedly liquidated her six hundred thousand dollar four hundred one K and donated every dollar. She mortgaged her fully paid off home and handed over the equity. She even pledged the entirety of her divorce settlement, estimated to be worth up to seven figures before the divorce had even been finalized.

Rick Frasier, Debbie's recently estranged husband, and Katie's father, objected He believed his ex wife had fallen under a dangerous influence and secured a court order, barring her from giving any more marital assets to David E. Taylor. Debbie kept donating anyway, even after losing her home to foreclosure. In total, Debbie had reportedly contributed more than one point six million dollars to the apostle, and she was already asking her ex husband for more.

Rick Frazier was livid, but there was little he could do directly. Accepting donations, even large ones, isn't illegal for a ministry, but he was convinced that something wasn't adding up. So during the Frager's divorce and custody battle, Rick paid his lawyers to subpoena JMMI's directors to appear for videotaped depositions as witnesses in the proceedings.

In twenty fourteen, for the first time ever, David E. Taylor was compelled to answer detailed questions about how Joshua Media Ministries was spending its money.

The result was nearly seven hours since As Rick Fraser's attorneys press him about the financial records they've obtained, their questions narrow in on the ministry's fleet of automobiles. BMW, a Bentley, a Range Rover, and a Mercedes that JMMI reportedly paid fifty thousand dollars to have chopped in half and stretched into a limousine. There's a series of documents that total almost fifty thousand dollars um to Limo land in two thousand thirteen and fourteen. Um

You have to answer yes and yes. Uh-huh. Okay. Okay. What was that for? That uh was to cut the Mercedes into a limo. It was to cut the Mercedes into a limo. And who needs that? Taylor insisted the vehicles were necessary to host and impress high profile guests, and is telling the expenses were legitimate because they constituted church business for

He offered the same rationale for another line item, roughly thirty grand spent on clothing over a two year period. Two thousand and thirteen and fourteen you spent over GMMI spent over thirty thousand dollars in your clothes. Does that sound about right? What what year was that? Thirteen and fourteen. Oh god, yes,'cause I was traveling so much. And and w sweating through all my clothes.

six thousand dollars at Louis Vuitton, thirty five hundred dollars at Versace, zero dollars for antiperspirant. You don't see that there's any problem when you're ministering to the poor, the sick, the needy, to be appearing in Louis Vuitton and Versace. Well, that ain't something I purchase all the time. Um, it looks like you did several times and uh I mean, I I'm a very frugal person when it comes to this.

The apostle had no choice but to be frugal, because according to his twenty twelve personal tax return, his annual salary was a little less than twenty-eight thousand dollars, and according to that same tax filing, he was supporting Ford dependence. None of whom were his children. Who is Brooklyn Mitchell anyway? A niece. Brooklyn? I don't know. You don't know who Brooklyn Mitchell is? No. Mm mm. You have no idea? No.

Never heard of that person? No. Brooklyn Mitchell. No. I don't know if it's uh there must be someone Um I don't know who that is. Uh Michelle probably can answer that. And on that salary you're saying you supported these four people? Yes. These four people? Yes. In including Brooklyn, who you don't know. Yes. The apostle's incredible act of belt tightening.

seems even more impressive after reviewing JMMI's contribution report for the following year, which revealed that David Taylor himself had donated forty two thousand dollars back to the ministry. Is that true? If that's what the report says. W how can you donate more than you actually have made in the last several years after a bankruptcy?

That was only scratching the surface of the apostle's financial irregularities. For instance, why was Debbie Frazier's donation recorded as$700,000 less in the ministry's reports? Why was there no documented record of more than one million dollars in non cash contributions reportedly given by another follower in twenty fourteen? Why did the ministry need a two point eight million dollar mansion in St. Louis?

David E. Taylor rarely provided a straight answer. Ask him anything, and he would defer to JMMI's executive director, Michelle Brennan. Who's on the ministry's board of directors? I'm not sure you can ask Michelle. Who pays for the cars? You can ask Michelle. She's Who files your taxes? Like I say, you need to go ax Michelle about No, I mean it's your life. It may be my life, but I have somebody taking care of this part. Rick Frazier got everything he wanted out of the depositions and more.

But because the matter was confined to a civil divorce proceeding, there would be no immediate criminal consequences for the apostle's questionable financial practices, but that wasn't the point. The point was to force his answers into the public record, to scrutinize the spending, to record the contradictions, and most importantly, to expose the apostle as a fraud, under oath.

And in that sense, the mission succeeded. David E. Taylor attempted to contain the fallout, filing a motion to seal the deposition and keep the records from public view. A judge denied the request, emphasizing that a ministry operating in the public sphere should not be able to shield its financial dealings from scrutiny. Emboldened by the ruling, Rick Frazier quickly uploaded all seven hours of the footage to YouTube and then spent$96,000 on Google ads to promote it.

The most absurd clips quickly went viral, and David E. Taylor spent the 2015 holiday season working to reassure his followers and steady their faith. Merry Christmas, everybody. Also want been so loving and the the the support has been so overwhelming. Through this trial that a lot of you've seen. Deposition those. videos that was released out on me to attack my character that was spliced and Uh and they didn't tell you every They didn't show you everything already.

You know, per our legal team, I can't say too much about it right now, but I want you to know that I would never miss God's money every day. I would never In a statement posted to his ministry's Facebook page. The apostle doubled down on the claim that the deposition tapes were edited in a way to make him look bad. It was a quote, calculated and malicious attack designed to injure the man of God's reputation by a man named Rick Frazier.

JMMI's parade of damage control continued, with that man's daughter, Katie Frazier, speaking out in a series of YouTube videos in which she defends the apostle and accuses her father of an unspeakable act.

Hey you guys, it's me, Katie Fraser, and I'm coming to you to share some things today that I know that you guys have seen on the internet. Um it's regarding these lies that have been spread about my pastor, Apostle David E. Taylor. When I was younger my dad um sexually abused my sisters and I. I am the youngest the oldest of four children that my dad had um sexually abused other men and even younger boys here a closet homosexual on record of

how he misuses monies from the charities that he gets. I mean my dad even dressed up our family dog is a KKK member. Debbie Frazier soon followed her daughter's videos with one of her own, affirming that Katie's claims were accurate, while adding some more to the list. Despite repeated assertions that documentation existed to substantiate their allegations, none of it has surfaced publicly. However, at least one of their accusations does have some context.

Rick Frazier, a longtime charity consultant, has faced numerous lawsuits and accusations from multiple nonprofit organizations over the years, alleging financial improprieties dating back to the late 1990s. Some complaints have claimed misappropriation totaling millions. All litigation was settled out of court. It seems everyone in this story has a few skeletons in their closet.

Turns out the apostle had a few hundred more of his own. And that's what I love about this ministry. I've just been just been acquainted with you just today. But I want to tell you that don't ever think his hand's ever lifted from you. His hand is all over you. His hand is all over you. And you are his mouthpiece. You are his voice to this generation. Vicky Yoy was so unbothered by the women's march that took place in Washington DC in january twenty seventeen.

that she posted a meme and response on her Instagram account. It was a depiction of Jesus lugging four suitcases under his arms. The text read, On my way back to the White House. Vicky included a caption underneath the image. March all you want, protest all you want. President Donald J. Trump is our president for at least four years. You know you are doing something right when there is so much opposition, she wrote.

The backlash was swift, because Vicky Yoe, a white 51-year-old award-winning gospel singer, had a predominantly black audience. Her fans felt blindsided. In a follow-up post, Vicky wrote, I never want to ever hurt anyone, and that has never been my intention, but added that she believed President Barack Obama's policies had gone against what most Christians believed. Soon, concert dates began disappearing. Invitations to church services dried up.

The community that had sustained Bicky's career appeared to be giving Bicki exactly what she voted for. Then came an unexpected message. A minister she had never worked with privately reached out. His name was David E. Taylor. He empathized with someone who was being publicly attacked for nothing more than serving Christ. Later that year, Yoi would accept an invitation to perform at the Apostles' Birthday celebration, where they exchanged phone numbers.

OMG, you're beautiful, David wrote to her after the festivities ended. Are you dating anyone? Whoa, Nelly, Dickie wrote back. I'm a lion, he responded. I move fast. I liked how that skirt fit tight on your body tonight. Dicki Yoe returned to perform at GMMI on several occasions over the next few months. Before long, she too was meeting Jesus face to face, both in church and in the apostles' bedroom. Look at that. She saw Jesus tonight. She saw Jesus walking tonight. you this is amazing.

In her heart, Vicky knew what they were doing was wrong. I would say stuff to David like, David, this ain't right, she later recalled. He'd say, It's okay. I'm best friends with Jesus. Dicky wasn't interested in friendships, though. She was divorced. She had children. She wanted a serious commitment.

The apostle, also divorced, told her that he did too. David promised Vicky they would get married eventually, but he also wanted to keep their relationship a secret for now. You know how messy church people can get, he would remind her. For a time, Vicky believed him. David E. Taylor showered her with attention and gifts. They carried on a long-distance relationship for more than a year, but then things started to cool off.

Vicki says she invited David to spend the holidays at her home, but he never came. The daily text messages slowed to once or twice a week, then once a month, and just before the relationship completely fizzled out. Vicki received a message on Facebook from an unknown woman who claimed she had been having an affair with the apostle for the past thirteen months. That woman shared screenshots and everything. I literally froze reading them, Dickie remember something.

Was the apostle a womanizer? If only there had been a sign. And you women need to listen. You need to get in your place. Stop being Jezebels! Really? Any sign at all? Because they're giving more power to women that's wrong. And I'm not a male chauvinist. It is evil. And you're causing these women to become Jezebels. The man is the pursuer. And you are the bait. Eventually, Vicky Yoy confronted David Taylor. I thought you loved me, she asked him. You believed the lie, he replied.

Vicky warned she planned to go public with their relationship. If you do, the apostle threatened, you will die of cancer. Heartbroken. He told me I was gonna get cancer. He told me if I if I came against his ministry that it's he's I wanna get cancer. I'm gonna die. Despite the threats, Vicky Yoe publicly confessed to her relationship with David E. Taylor on social media in December 2018. Instantly, her inbox filled up with women from all over the world in the same situation with the same man.

Vicky said she stopped counting after one hundred. situation with David E. Taylor, but I'll do a really quick. We dated for sixteen months. I was a secret. Uh I found out about a couple women. I went on social media and I confessed to my relationship with him and forty women from all over the world reached out to me.

They all told the same story. Now the apostle contacted them on Facebook, telling them they deserved a king. He said they carried a Catherine Coleman type anointing, and that he wanted them as his wife. It was destiny. Some of the relationships lasted for months, others stretched for years. A few of the women said they had been persuaded to leave husbands, families, entire lives behind. It was God's plan.

Even David Taylor's ex-wife of 13 years, Tabitha, came forward with allegations of her own. She described a marriage marked by control and violent. She said she had discovered he was involved with multiple women in the congregation, and that he had even asked her to lie to their husbands to conceal the affairs. But most of the people, people of God, that left our ministry, left because he was sleeping with their wives.

In Vicki's case, it was obvious in hindsight that David Taylor used her. She had 1.2 million followers on Facebook, and he was always begging her to promote his book, she says, just another one of his strategy sets. She began to question everything.

The apostle kept her at a distance, but Vicky had seen enough to sense that things weren't as they appeared. The ministry revolved around optics, image, influence, and money. It was a cult, she said, point blank. It's it's it's the biggest everything about the JMMI movement is a fraud and it's all lie.

From the apostle's miracle healing claims, to the exaggerated size of his congregation, to the earpiece and his assistant's ear that Vicky says wasn't even connected to anything. It was also theatrical. David E. Taylor was never a gangster. Michelle Brann wasn't an oil and gas executive. These backstories, like everything else, Dickie concluded, were part of the performance. The entire Joshua Media operation was built on illusion, and everyone involved was complicit and wicked.

They're very, very, very, very wicked people. And so I will continue to sound the alarm. The cult is called J M. M. I. Joshua Media Ministries International. Naturally, David Taylor responded. He claimed he had foreseen Vicki Yoe's betrayal, that Jesus had revealed it to him in a dream. The apostle said that when he first met Vicky, he felt compassion because she was suicidal and on drugs.

And his ministry stepped in to restore her. And this is how she chose to repay him. How dare you, Vicky Yoi? How dare you? They that live by the sword shall die by the sword. And that was my message to Vicky. All this crap she's saying about this is a code and all this and we manipulate and control her. All that's false. That stuff is not true. Former members of Apostle Taylor's ministry beg to differ.

Support for swindled comes from Quince. A thoughtfully built wardrobe comes down to pieces that mix well and last, that's where Quince shines. Premium fabrics, considered design, and everyday essentials that feel effortless to wear and dependable, even as the seasons change. has the everyday essentials I love with quality that actually holds up. Lightweight cashmere sweaters

Linen bottoms and shorts, T's and 100% Pima cotton, and European jersey linen, and even accessories like their classic sunglasses. These are the versatile staples that make your wardrobe work year-round instead of falling apart after one season. They work directly with top factories and cut out the middlemen, so you're not paying for brand markups or fan. Stores just quality products. Their pieces are rated between 4.5 and 5 stars by.

That meets rigorous standards for craftsmanship and ethical production. Those sunglasses have become my go-to, they're lightweight, well-made, and Together without feeling over designed. Didn't cost a fortune either. Stop overcompensating. Your wardrobe. You don't need a closet full of options. You need a few pieces that actually work. Right now go to quince.com/slash.

Swindled for free shipping and three hundred sixty five day returns. That's a full year to build your wardrobe and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. Go to QUINCE dot com Slash Swindled for free shipping and 65 day returns. Quince.com slash swindled.

I got everybody trapped in the a ale with uh in a attic with chains and the balls to their to their legs and they can't get out of here. They don't eat, they don't drink. And Monday through Friday. I'm nodding him in the morning. till ten AM at night, and I'm making'em work like slaves. In april twenty nineteen, the News Herald of Southgate, Michigan, published a lengthy expose of David E. Taylor and Joshua Media Ministries.

The headline read, Pastor accused of running his multi-million dollar tailor church as a cult. The newspaper spoke to several former members who described the operation as a quote, slave labor cult operating on an unholy trinity of intimidation, manipulation, and greed. Among them was a man named Chris Sorensen. Sorensen told the News Herald that after reading one of Taylor's books and engaging with a JMMI Facebook post, he received a private message from the apostle himself.

The message claimed that Jesus had instructed Taylor to contact him personally and invite him to join the ministry. I thought this was my calling, Chris said. He packed his belongings into his car and drove from Minneapolis to Taylor, Michigan, to become a full time staff member. But almost immediately after arriving, Chris says, he became dismayed. He realized that the Facebook message he received

hadn't come directly from Apostle Taylor at all. JMMI Headquarters housed a call center and a media team whose job it was to send that exact message to thousands of people every day. The people who worked those jobs were unpaid, Chris claimed. He said they worked long hours on little sleep, chasing impossible quotas or risk of being punished for the day.

According to Sorensen, underperformers were publicly berated, sometimes physically assaulted or deprived of sleep and food. When they were afforded rest, it was on air mattresses or sheets of plywood laid across the floor. When staffers ate, they had no one to think but themselves. They were forced to apply for government assistance by claiming to be homeless, then surrender their benefit cards to ministry leadership, Chris Sorensen told the paper he only lasted six months before escaping JMMI.

Others had a more difficult time walking away.

Police in Taylor, Michigan were responding to wellness checks and missing person inquiries from concerned family members on a seemingly daily basis. Former members described a culture in which skepticism was framed as rebellion and the outside relationships were discouraged. Isolation and control, they said, was the name of the game. Anybody, I don't care who they are, anybody who defects or betray me, cut them off. That's right, I said it.

If you're gonna be with me and God, you gotta cut them off. Once again, Apostle Taylor responded to the ever-growing criticism of his organization. It was an unfair persecution, he claimed. All the quote, high school newspaper articles accusing him of being a cult. Couldn't even write a darn newspaper rights. It looks like a darn high school newspaper.

All the photoshopped images and gossip on Facebook. Do you understand many people are going to hell over Facebook? All his fellow pastors who even dared speak out against the way he operated his church. Your pastor is an idiot! If he talks against this, if he talks against the presence of God, he's worthy of death. Anybody who dared challenge the apostle was in for a rude awakening, or worse.

David Taylor shared an anecdote about one man who was decapitated in a car crash after making enemies with him. His head gets decapitated. Done. I dreamed it before it happened. God does not play. And besides Don't you think with all the finances that God has blessed this ministry with, if I was doing something wrong, the federal government would have been and invaded me.

Despite mounting controversy, David E. Taylor's mission had not been derailed. Joshua Media Ministries was planning its biggest crusade ever heading into twenty twenty. The plan was to take Apostle Taylor's miracle healing crusade on the road and fill massive arenas from coast to coast, with loyal supporters and fresh converts ready to experience the supernatural for themselves.

to match the scale of the ambition. The Apostle commissioned a fifty foot tall custom stage that featured giant columns and sculpted lions that would dwarf even the larger than life character in the spotlight. And so this thing is massive. It would be on the stage and all of our arena crusades. Everything is being built. That's the balusters that you see. Isn't that amazing? And they aren't they doing a great work?

The stage's price tag eventually ballooned to two point two million dollars and would become the subject of a future lawsuit after JMMI stopped making payments midway through construction. Most likely because something happened not even the apostle had foreseen. A global health crisis that resulted in the ministry's arena tour being abruptly postponed. There it is, that prophecy on the screen you see there. God said it to me that the coronavirus will start to dissipate by the month of April.

Unlikely, but there was a silver lining. Stimulus checks were in the mail, and what better way to demonstrate obedience to God than by sewing that unexpected blessing straight into the Apostles' Kingdom of God Global Church? That's right, the ministry changed its name, because in twenty twenty one, Joshua Media Ministries International lost its tax exempt status for failing to file its IRS Form 990 three consecutive years in a row.

But not even that was enough to slow him down. In the years that followed, the Kingdom of God Global Church, or KOGGC, took a different approach to spreading its message and started aggressively purchasing property around the country Among the most notable, a ten thousand square foot mansion in Wildwood, Missouri, formerly owned by rapper Nelly, In Tampa, KOGGC purchased an eight point three million dollar, twenty-nine thousand square foot ten bedroom estate described as a school of discipline.

And in Houston, the ministry acquired a sixty seven room former hotel, announcing plans to convert it into a campus for the harvest. a ministerial training center where Apostle David E. Taylor would personally impart spiritual gifts to students, including the power to heal through divine miracles. God is calling people of all ages and cultures to relocate and come under David E. Taylor's mentorship to Revolutionary break. in true kingdom ministry, training and equipment.

When students arrived at the campus for the harvest, however, the man at the center of it all was conspicuously absent. David E. Taylor was nowhere on the grounds in Houston, or at any of the other ministry owned properties. In fact, he had stopped preaching in person altogether. Instead, the apostle appeared on a towering LED screen, streaming live from an undisclosed location, part of what he called a voluntary shut away, a season of isolation, devoted to prayer and consecration.

For many students, the missing apostle was only the beginning of the disillusionment. Turns out Campus for the Harvest was less like a ministerial academy, and more like the slave labor camp there had been rumors about. Students were required to work the phones of twenty four hour call centers where they interpreted dreams, fielded prayer requests, and solicited donations, all without pay.

They were told this was the cost of spiritual advancement, a necessary sacrifice, one step in a twenty year process designed to prepare them for the ultimate promise, meeting Jesus face to face.

Campus for the Harvest was just one of several call centers that Kingdom of God Global Church operated around the country. Despite his physical absence, Apostle Taylor's authority was never too far away. From behind the scenes he maintained tight control over daily operations, issuing directives via text message and memos through his trusted vessels.

Chief among them was Prophetess Michelle Brannon. But I want to say to Michelle, she's she's the one that took this group and have have really helped me to groom them. As the operation expanded, so did the fundraising quotas, and the consequences for failing to meet them. Tell them all to stand and throw water on their faces, Taylor texted Brandon, who oversaw the Tampa location. Make them sleep in the garage.

Assigned them to mow the football field size lawn with a push mower, ordered them to pick up trash outside for twenty-four hours straight. Public humiliation, psychological abuse, and threats of eternal damnation were utilized to control every aspect of workers' daily lives, and it was effective, even though most of the time the workers felt like they were already living in hell. Meanwhile, David Taylor and Michelle Brann were living lives of luxury.

Since 2014, Joshua Media Ministries and the Kingdom of God Global Church had collected more than$50 million in donations. While his students survived on food stamps, the Postle Taylor spent ten thousand dollars on crab legs and received yachts. Helicopters and Bentley's. David E. Taylor also had a staff of unpaid personal servants that he called armor bearers.

They were expected to meet the apostle's demands around the clock, whether that meant bringing him a snack in the middle of the night, washing his car, or ensuring that his women make it to the airport on time with their required dose of Plan B.

Later, David E. Taylor added another duty for his workers, because deep down inside, he knew he was running afoul of the law. the apostle was hiding for a reason, and he had a feeling call it a prophecy, that federal officials were going to come looking for him eventually. You kill them on contact if they come in here with that foolishness, you understand? Taylor instructed his followers. They need to die. His staff allegedly responded in unison. Yes, sir. Fine.

Everybody in the house needs to come to the front door with their empty hand and be in. All residents of two five two three South Miami Boulevard. This is the FBI with a search warrant for this location. All right, some breaking news right now out of Northeast Houston where federal agents have raided a motel overnight owned by an international ministry.

Also a developing story right now. Two church leaders with ties to Florida are facing federal charges. The FBI is raiding homes right now, including one in Marion County. Right now, federal agents Or at a home in one of Tampa's most exclusive neighborhoods, the Avila Golf and Country Club. We're following a federal raid on a church in Taylor. The Feds moved in on the Kingdom of God Global Church formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International.

or JMMI. The feds say the organization is led by David E. Taylor, who they say solicits people to work at call centers across the U.S. His executive director is Michelle Brannon. They are accused of running a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy On august twenty seventh, twenty twenty five. following a multi-year joint investigation by the IRS and FBI known as Operation Divine Deception.

Federal agents executed coordinated raids on multiple Kingdom of God Global Church properties in Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, and North Carolina.

In Tampa, fifty six year old Michelle Brannon was taken into custody. She had been residing in a sprawling estate on the property. Her expansive bedroom suite included two walk-in closets, exercise equipment, a refrigerator, two showers, and four vanities. Investigators recovered approximately five hundred thousand dollars in gold bars, sixty thousand dollars in cash, designer clothing, and high end jewelry secured in a safe.

Authorities also discovered a sexually explicit video on one of Brandon's devices, depicting a female worker crying while masturbating and apologizing to Apostle Taylor for the delay in completing the assignment. Elsewhere on the property, agents discovered fifty seven victims living in cramped, makeshift quarters. Many of them sleeping on the floor, including multiple children who also worked in the call centers, some of whom had been separated from their parents for years.

One by one those workers were led out of the mansion through the courtyard, where two Bentley sedans and seven Mercedes bins were parked. The feds are calling Brennan the enforcer of Pastor David Taylor's rules. According to the indictment, victims were forced to work at those call centers and solicit donations. They weren't allowed to leave. They were cut off from friends and family, couldn't date or have jobs. If they did not meet those donation goals, they were punished.

Brennan was responsible for inflicting that punishment.

The FBI found fifty-three year old David E. Taylor hiding out in a rented house in Durham, North Carolina. Inside, federal officials found multiple boxes containing financial ledgers and call center memos. There was also a safe in the house that had six cell phones inside it. Outside, agents discovered one of the apostles' armor bearers sleeping on an air mattress in a makeshift structure, next to Golden Thrones and other equipment Taylor used for his broadcast.

In total, federal authorities seized more than four point two million dollars in money, jewelry, cars, and clothing. Yeah, one of two suspects claiming to be religious leaders was arrested here in Durham this morning by the FBI. And as you could see behind me, there are several FBI agents going through evidence, documents, and everything they've recovered from a home here in South Durham.

Both David E. Taylor and Michelle Brennan were charged with ten federal counts, including forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each count carries a potential sentence of up to twenty years in prison. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty and were extradited to the Eastern District of Michigan to face prosecution.

On September 30, 2025, a judge granted Michelle Brennan bond after determining that her deteriorating health, including a reported heart attack while she was detained in Florida, warranted release under strict conditions. David E. Taylor, who lied to investigators about where he was living, was not granted the same leniency. The judge ruled that he was a danger to the community and a flight risk, and that detention was warranted.

Taylor's attorneys appealed the detention order, claiming that the call center operation was a boot camp, voluntarily attended by every participant. And that the apostle wasn't hiding in North Carolina for the past five years. He was just writing books and looking for a life partner. for KOJGC or JMMI is a victim. Whether they have come forward and admitted to themselves and to the government that they are a victim is another question.

A third defendant was arrested on february thirteenth, twenty twenty six. Fifty-three-year-old prophetess Kathleen Klein was charged for her alleged role in overseeing the organization's network of call centers. Kathleen's claim to fame is that she saw God's face appear in the clouds once while in the drive-thru at Wendy's.

No trial date has been set for any of the defendant. Despite the racism and injustice That Apostle Taylor has been Constantly experienced throughout the forty years of ministry, he still loves and honors the Caucasian culture. And Apostle Taylor and his executive, Miss Michelle Brandon, they are beautiful people. So no, we're not just gonna stand by and silently uh allow the media and the government to lie about this ministry and lie and try to assassinate their character.

This is not right and we will not be quiet and we are going to fight because the government is trying to lock our pastors up for the rest of their lives. It's an abuse of power from the FBI, and this is motivated by greed and racism. Supporters of David E. Taylor gathered outside the courthouse during the hearings. They held signs and wore t shirts that read, I am not a victim. The FBI took our Bibles. Free, David E. Taylor.

Members of the Kingdom of God Global Church insist the ministry is not a cult, that participation has always been voluntary, and that the accusations stem from media distortions and anti-Christian hostility within the government. They point to one fact as proof that they aren't victims. The ministry continues to operate in the apostle's absence. And so do the miracles, which are only a phone call away. Apostle Taylor, you are back on the line, sir. Can everybody hear me? Yes, sir.

Joanne, the Lord is healing. I give you praise. Thank you, Lord. Wonderful Jesus. Someone named Elizabeth is being healed. I give you praise. Wonderful Jesus. A chest condition, breathing condition is being healed. I rebuke the sickness in the lungs. God, open the lungs in Jesus' name. I rebuke all asthma. I rebuke all breathing.

In Jesus' name, somebody's lungs are being healed. I give you praise. You're feeling heat on your body. Lift your hands and receive God's power. I give you praise. That power is flowing over the phone right now. Thank you. Uncondition is being healed. I give you praise. Somebody with a problem with your lips, a lip disease. Thank you. Thank you, Lord. DC or I need to praise back this.

Written, research, produced and hosted by me, a concerned citizen, with original music by Trevor Howard, aka the former, aka The Blue Electricity. electricity. For more information about Swindled, you can visit swindled podcast dot com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok at Swindled Podcast. Or you can send us a postcard at P.O. Box 2045, Austin, Texas, 78768. But please no packages. We do not trust you.

Swindled is a completely independent production, which means no network, no investors, no bosses, no shadowy moneymen, no Jezebels. And we plan to keep it that way, but we need your support. Become a valued listener on Patreon, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify at valuedlistener.com. For as little as five bucks a month, you will receive early access to new episodes and exclusive access to bonus episodes that you can't find anywhere else.

and everything is one hundred percent commercial free. Become a valued listener at valued listener dot com. Or if you want to support the show and need something to wear while being anointed, consider buying something you don't need at Swindled Podcast dot com slash shop. Through t shirts, patches, hats, hoodies, posters, coffee mugs, and more. Swindled podcast dot com slash shop. And remember to use coupon code Capitalism to receive ten percent off your order.

If you don't want anything in return for your support, you can always simply donate using the forum on the home page. Thanks for listening. I want to see. Walk in your Hi, this is Kelly. And Jeremy from Universal City, Texas. Hello, my name is Zola from the Pacific Northwest. Hey um My name is Spencer. Uh I'm in Texas. I'm a concerned citizen and a valued listener. I work for a a major luxury company here and I see the hypocrisy and evil that comes with money every day.

I can't stand it. Um, I look forward to your podcast every day. Um, but uh I appreciate you and everything that you do. Um I do not trust you though. Price and want to tell everyone. Yeah, so do we. Here at Designer Shoe Wear Home. lifestyles from brands you love or the trends everyone's obsessing over. DSW.com today. DSW, let us surprise you. Store is making packing and shipping Easter gifts quicker than ever this year. Quicker than a walk.

Quicker than eating all the- Quicker than finding a golden... No is stuffed with the When you ship UPS Air at the end. Your items arrive on or your money back. Send Easter joy on time at the store.