Broken Faith by Mitch Weiss

Author:Mitch Weiss
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Published: 2019-12-19T15:57:43+00:00

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By late 2008, Jane Whaley had built an empire. Her two churches in Brazil and the one in Ghana were thriving. She had several thousand followers on four continents: North America, South America, Africa, and Europe.

But something happened that Whaley couldn’t control: America’s worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

The problems cut across all economic sectors. Banks and insurance companies failed. Tens of thousands of businesses across America were shuttered. Companies and consumers had trouble borrowing money. No one was spared, not even the “chosen” of Spindale, North Carolina.

In addition to tithing at least ten percent of their incomes, members had historically showered Whaley with “love offerings”—gifts of property, jewelry, or cash. But the recession was cutting deep. Some of the business owners pleaded with Whaley for relief.

Cutting back on tithes was not an option. So Whaley and her lieutenants discovered a solution. They called it “God’s plan.”

Randy Fields’s construction company was in deep financial trouble. Fields hated asking Jane Whaley for anything, but his family’s well-being was at risk. Over the years, he had seen many Word of Faith Fellowship members file for bankruptcy. Leigh Valentine, one of the most high-profile members, had asked for bankruptcy protection in 2006, listing more than $500,000 in assets and more than $1 million in debts. Josh and Andrea Farmer were bankruptcy attorneys. They had filed hundreds of cases. (The couple would later file for bankruptcy protection themselves.)

Fields couldn’t stomach the thought of that, but if he didn’t do something fast, he’d lose his business, and probably his house, too. His daughter, Jessica, was engaged to John Cooper, and the couple planned to move in with the Fieldses after the wedding. He could tithe thousands of dollars a month during good times, but not now.

Fields was a gruff, no-nonsense guy with big calloused hands. So when he walked into Jane’s office, he blurted out the words “Jane, I’m having financial trouble.”

Jane stopped him. She said they had found a way he could continue tithing and keep his company in business. Kent Covington would explain it all. When he did, Fields saw that “God’s plan” was an unemployment scam.

Covington told Fields they could make it look like they laid off their workers due to the poor economy. Their employees would be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Laid-off workers could receive up to ninety-nine weeks of unemployment with a maximum weekly check of $535. Employees who were members of the church could quietly continue working while collecting unemployment. The business owners wouldn’t pay the employees their usual salaries even though they continued to work. Bottom line: their unemployment checks would replace their paychecks, Covington said.

Fields was skeptical. Workers would have to show proof to the North Carolina Division of Employment Security that they were actively looking for another job.

They’d thought of that, Covington said.

Church members owned nearly two dozen businesses in Rutherford County and the surrounding area. Employees “laid-off” from Covington’s businesses could simply say they looked for a job at a company owned by another Word of Faith Fellowship member.

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