Drink_The_Koolaid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Check this out...
>
> A controversial church group is back in the Valley
> and running from
> KRGV News, Texas/October 23, 2010
> By Will Ripley
>
http://www.rickross.com/reference/deeper_life/deep
> er_life28.html
>
> Channel 5 News has been investigating the New Life
> Ministry for 6 years. They're back on street
> corners collecting your cash. You might think
> twice about handing over your hard-earned money.
>
> New Life church members know exactly what to do
> when our cameras start rolling. We spotted them at
> a busy McAllen intersection as drivers dropped
> dollar after dollar into their buckets. One church
> member jumped on her cell phone when she saw our
> cameras. She told the person on the other end of
> the line we were asking questions. Within minutes
> she was running across the street as another
> church member followed her. They ducked inside a
> fast food restaurant down and tried to sneak out
> the back door to a white van is waiting nearby.
>
> Channel 5 News traced the plate numbers of the van
> to a San Antonio address and The New Life
> Ministries church who we've been investigating
> since 2004,
>
> The ministry is a spin-off of the Deeper Life
> Christian Church in Tampa, Florida. Their leader
> is Melvin Jefferson who calls himself Bishop. In
> 2008 we asked the attorney representing the
> church, Dennis Brewer, if Jefferson had any formal
> training as a bishop. The attorney says Jefferson
> is self trained.
>
> Rick Ross runs a church watchdog group called the
> Ross Institute.
>
> "The ministry is using homeless people, the most
> vulnerable people in our country, to raise money
> on street corners," he said.
>
> Deeper Life recruits homeless people from the
> streets and moves them into sub-standard housing
> owned by the church. In San Antonio we found holes
> in the walls, exposed wiring and trash everywhere.
> To pay their way church members have to go on
> fundraising trips to places like the Valley. The
> money in the buckets goes back to the main church
> in Florida.
>
> The bishop and his wife live in luxury. They have
> a mansion, drive at least 5 cars including a
> Bentley and fly in a private jet. Some have
> compared the church to a cult.
>
> We called Deeper Life for comment but are still
> waiting for a call back. As long as this church
> keeps coming to the Valley CHANNEL 5 NEWS will
> keep working to get answers.