Feds investigate Baptist mega-church pastors

[Joanne98]

In Atlanta, federal authorities are investigating two Baptist mega-church pastors who are linked to a “controversial mortgage scheme” that allegedly preyed on financially troubled homeowners.

As told by CBS Atlanta reporter Wendy Saltzman, at least a thousand people paid Matrix Capital a $1,500 upfront fee based on the company’s promise that it could get their mortgage payments lowered. But according to investigators, “most of them ended up in bankruptcy and losing their homes” instead.

Southern Baptist mega-church pastor Gary Hawkins was "the face of the company's promotional video," and he “vouched” for Fred Lee, the man behind the company. Many of the victims attended a Matrix seminar that was presented inside Hawkins’ Voices of Faith church, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. With 11,000 members, Voices of Faith also claims to be “one of the fastest growing churches in the Georgia Baptist Convention.”

People say they trusted the Matrix representative, Fred Lee, “because he made those promises in the sanctity of their local church.” Now, CBS News reports that people are asking whether these two mega-church leaders got “kick-backs to betray their flocks and expose their congregations to financial disaster.”

http://stopbaptistpredators.blogspot.com/2010/12/feds-investigate-baptist-mega-church.html

[monmouth]

1. They really need to get serious about the education problems down there...n/t