Ephren Taylor, a man who is notoriously konwn as the youngest-ever black CEO of a publically traded company has been charged by federal authories for running a scam, a Ponzi scheme to be exact. To those who are unfamiliar with the “Ponzi Scheme” a ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors.
In an incredible twist in this unfolding scandal it has been reported that Taylor targetted many African American churches. During multiple visists to churches Taylor swindled more than $11 million from church goers. As a tactic to lure in investors Taylor promised investo(rs that their money would go to charitable organizations. Court documents obtained by the SEC(Securities and Exchange Commissions) show that hundreds of thousands of dollars of investor dollars went to publishing and promoting his books, hiring consultants and funding his wife’s singing career.
Earlier this week the pastor of one of many of Taylor’s “victims”, Pastor Eddie Long made a public appeal asking members to pay back members $1,000,000. While Long’s appeal seems sincere should any of this ever happened?
As pastors of large congregations or congregations in general it is important that pastors serve as gatekeepers to protect their people Sunday after Sunday. If pastors served as gatekeeprs their would be no need to ask for their members to pay back, you know why? Because pastors would have done their own in depth research to know the motives and deception that lied behind those they allowed to come speak into their church on “financial” responsibility. I’m not saying everyone who isn’t directly tied to your church is full of deception but what I am encouraging is that pastors step it to protect their members from the power of deception that can so easily creep into the doors of the church.
