A flashy, jewelry-wearing Brooklyn pastor was convicted Monday in federal court of using a parishioner’s retirement savings and trying to extort a businessman while touting he had connections to the New York City mayor.
Lamor Whitehead, nicknamed the “Bling Bishop,” is a pastor at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries. He was found guilty of five counts, including wire fraud, attempted extortion and making false statements to the FBI. The convictions are from three separate schemes.
Whitehead, known for his Louis Vuitton suits and extravagant jewelry, also made headlines in 2022 after he said he and his wife were robbed of $1 million worth of jewelry at their church.
I will never understand the parishioner’s mentality, seeing him ask for money every week (probably every day) and then seeing him and his wife wear tons of jewelry and expensive clothing. “They sure look great wearing things I paid for, wonder if I will buy food or pay my rent this week”
It’s easy! He’s so rich because of how well he spreads the gospel. Help spread the gospel by giving him money and you will prosper too! /s
Brief answer: prosperity gospel
I understand the parishioners mentality…it’s human greed and we all contain that ability just most have actual morals and won’t act on it.
What I truly don’t understand is blind faith. Why people knowly give money to some grifter when they know they can hardly afford to eat.
Parishioners here are the ones giving him money, not the grifter.
Do they not have faith in the status position that the guy is abusing? They are still wholly guilty of blind faith.
Here OP was talking about the grifter but called them the parishioners, that is all I am commenting on.
Ah, so a misapplied word, I see. Yea, the parishoners are the ones paying with blind faith, not benefitting from rampant greed. Though at least understandable how someone mistakes a domain-specific word like ‘parishoner’ and assume it applies only to the people who run the domain (church staff).
But Jesus said to!