Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Email. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into the internationally known televangelist Perry Stone nearly two years after allegations of sexual harassment and assault surfaced against. He shares a scene from the show where The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp's characters trashed Rolling Stone, calling it "irrelevant."' The Weeknd Reacts to Rolling Stone's Story About the Allegations Behind His Upcoming . We are the most trusted source for local news. "What it looked like, that's not what they did, though.". The timeline presented in the letters, and confirmed by two former employees, suggested ministry leaders knew about some of the allegations years before any action was taken. "I will take my life before I let the ministry go down. Kindle. During the April 8, 2020, confrontation, a ministry leader asked Stone what he would do if his daughter was molested by someone in the ministry. Cutshall told an alleged victim in the April 21, 2020, meeting that Stone was acting irrationally and he did not know whether the televangelist could be helped. "Because the reason we're getting a black eye isn't that that person came forward about abuse. My whole family holds hands, rubs backs. Claiming to have spent 80,000 hours studying the Bible, Stone also developed a TV show available in 249 countries and built the $22 million Omega Center International in Cleveland, debt free, the newspaper reported at the time. Stone has hired sheriff's office employees in the past to provide security at his conferences and weekly gatherings. From the stage or to his hundreds of thousands of online followers, Stone has said some people who speak against him are demonic. Internal documents from Stone's ministry have reportedly been turned over to the investigators. The news of the TBI investigation comes three months after it was revealed agents with the Chattanooga office of the FBI were interviewing alleged victims of Stone, who operates Voice of Evangelism, Omega Center International and the International School of the Word, all based in Cleveland. In the spring of 2020, the Voice of Evangelism board of directors received several letters from women employed by or connected to Stone's ministries, the Times Free Press reported in its investigation. "He's got a false reality, and that's the whole thing that bothers me.". "People have taken me hugging and kissing them on the cheek wrong. Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Voice of Evangelism is shown in Cleveland, Tenn., on March 30, 2022. At least two members of the board - Frankie Powell and Wayne Penn - left after allegations were raised. I'm Italian. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. The Prophetic Summit Conference held in June of 2022 with Perry Stone and guest speakers: Bill Cloud, Mark Biltz, Rabbi Curt Landry, and Jonathan Cahn includes some of the latest news and information on End-Time Bible prophecy! Nine people either connected to or employed by Stone's ministry, some of whom were with the ministry for more than a decade, said he would hand out cash to those close to him. Perry has also taken time to write and print a 750,000-word commentary of the Bible, (New . Rodriguez said in the statement that emotions were high during the time the recordings were made. The sermon, which was live-streamed on social media, was later taken down. This came nearly two years after several women contacted Stone's ministry with allegations of sexual assault and harassment, according to a Chattanooga Times Free Press investigation. Charisma News Reports: Perry Stone remains the subject of controversy, but the board of his Voice of Evangelism/Perry Stone Ministries has taken a clear stand in favor of the beleaguered evangelist through the release of a statement of support. For the latest updates, news, and information from Perry Stone Ministries, visit them online at: https://perrystone.org Contact Information: PO BOX 3595 CLEVELAND, TN 37320-3595 Call or Text: (423) 478-3456 Fax: (423) 478-1392 voe@perrystone.org Perry Stone Ministries Channel | Voice of Evangelism - Manna Fest Photo Gallery: number: 3, publisher_id: "7057", Stone, 61, who founded the Cleveland-based VOE in 1979, hosts the Manna-fest TV program and preaches to thousands around the world. As Biblical Prophecy continues to unfold, you will find Manna-Fest with Perry Stone to be a resource to help you better understand where we are now in light of Bible Prophecy and what the Bible says about the future. | Updated April 5, 2022 at 3:12 p.m. That Tuesday night's "special service" was supposed to be a joyous one for televangelist Perry Stone. "This is Satan and his plan against Jesus and those who support him. I'm going to stand in OCI. Perry Stone suicide threat over sexual misconduct allegations. Be sure to tune in each week! Visions Taken From the Private Journal of Perry Stone and Fred Stone Concerning Events Soon to Occur. }); If you have any information you believe can help, please contact Wyatt Massey at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or call 423-757-6249. Your IP: Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. It is unclear what Facebook post Cutshall was referring to in the conversation. Stone has built a media empire in Cleveland, hosting the Manna-fest TV program and preaching to thousands around the world in person. "I just want to tell all you women something, sitting out there and anybody watching," Stone told the crowd. Court Services Lt. James Bradford of the Bradley County Sheriff's Office - who identified himself in an April 22, 2020, conversation as Stone's security director - told someone connected to the ministry the allegations were making him question the organization's leadership. Bradley County Sheriff Steve Lawson said his department had not received any complaints regarding Stone and there were no reports on file. Today, Stone has more than half a million followers on his Facebook page, which sells products, and posts about his talks that he gives around the country and on YouTube. No doubt in my mind," Sears said in the May 13, 2020 meeting. Powell did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Times Free Press. The sheriff's office also used property owned by Stone and his ministry to do K-9 and hostage negotiation training, as well as a SWAT training in 2017, according to a statement from Bradley County Sheriff Steve Lawson. The Times Free Press requested any such information but the ministry has so far not provided it. In the video, Stone said he was sharing his dream to get ahead of whatever attacks were coming. Duration: 01:43s 10 months ago 3 shares 76 views. At first, Stone denied being around the women, then told the ministry leaders when he shakes the hands of women they think he is coming onto them, according to a recording of the conversation. But you're not just dealing with a moral failure here. And someone is going to suffer greatly. In response, Rodriguez said the "extensive and appropriate investigation by the board contains supported and unsupported positions of individuals and allegations, some of which were completely refuted. And I have almost no friends because of s-- like this.". Citing multiple sources connected to Stone and hisPerry Stone Ministries, the newspaper claimed in an earlier report that the Federal Bureau of Investigation began looking into sexual misconduct claims against the minister last November. "This is for the benefit of the citizens and visitors to Bradley County," Rodriguez said in a statement. He became. In July 2020, the Times Free Press published audio from a private gathering in which Stone told his followers multiple times his misconduct was because of the stress of ministry and ongoing health issues. That's their responsibility," he said. The recent news article against the ministry bears no new information or allegations. Stone has said Christians should not trust negative things said about others and said people who challenge him are demonic. If you have any information you believe can help, please contact Wyatt Massey at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or call 423-757-6249. "How do you restore that? The truth will prevail.". Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Charisma News promotes Stone's religious teachings through its media channels. Nearly all people interviewed in previous reporting by the Times Free Press asked their names not be made public for fear of retribution from Stone or his followers. }. There would be retribution for those standing against the ministry, Stone said in the video. In November 2021, speaking from the stage of Omega Center International, Stone said the allegations against him were misinterpreted hugs and other things because he is Italian. Bradford said if he resigned he would put in writing his reason for leaving. The Chattanooga Times Free Press contacted Voice of Evangelism spokesperson John Rodriguez on Tuesday, providing Stone's ministry two days to offer comment on the investigation. Stone, in explaining his behavior or attempting to undermine those making accusations against him, claimed an alleged victim had a mental illness and that someone was stealing gold from him, in recorded conversations obtained by the Times Free Press. Longtime Tennessee-based televangelist and Bible teacher Perry Stone warned his followers against trusting secular media Monday, days after a local publication accused him of sexual misconduct. 2, to correct the ship when it's going the wrong way. He did not respond after the quotes and questions were sent. During the evening announcing the new role, Cutshall compared the situation of a woman accusing Stone of sexual misconduct to the crowd heckling Jesus before the crucifixion. "Often it's a chosen victim because of vulnerability, a chosen victim because they may not be believed. Talk to News 12 anchors, reporters and meteorologists. His Cleveland, Tennessee-based ministry, Voice of Evangelism, announced in July that he had taken a leave of absence after admitting that he had acted inappropriately with female employees. The letters, whose existence and content was not previously reported, included two letters from employees of the ministry with previous knowledge of the alleged misconduct, according to an individual in the room when the letters were distributed. by Perry Stone. David Moye 9 hrs ago. The letters detailed allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Stone, including groping, showing that he was aroused while fully clothed and rubbing himself, asking women in his ministry about their breasts, kissing the women on the neck and lips, asking them to kiss him in similar ways, messaging them to send him pictures and asking them to massage him. Here are 13 of them. 2 min read. Abusers then groom their audiences by putting on a show of being a caring person or by telling others not to trust anything negative that is said. "The investigation revealed that no acts of adultery were committed. What started as a normal audition for 21-year-old Trey Louis took an emotional turn when he wowed the judges with his cover of Whiskey Myers' 2016 song "Stone" and shared a horrible m The former employees said Stone would also buy vehicles for women and pay for their housing. Several women said Stone would tell them he was lonely and his wife was not pleasing him sexually. And if they repent, they truly repent, you move on. virtual: false, The other members of Stone's board, as of December 2019, were Rick Towe, Gary Sears, Frank Booke and Grant Dunnam Sr. Bryan Cromer, who worked in information technology for Stone for a year until May 2020, said Voice of Evangelism employees were called into a meeting in the spring of 2020, and the allegations were mentioned in vague terms. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. These allegations included groping, showing that he was aroused, asking women about their breasts and unwanted kissing, the newspaper reported. The struggling mom, who can barely make it to church and can't keep her kids under control because her husband just left her? 423-785-1200 | news@wdef.com3300 Broad Street, Chattanooga TN 37408. Im Italian. and they can take it wrong," Stone told his audience, according to the newspaper. The 10th Judicial District covers Bradley, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties. Your IP: People have taken me hugging and kissing them on the cheek wrong. The board created a restoration plan for Stone in the spring of 2020, which included professional counseling, medical care, removal from social media and absence from ministry for between six and 12 months, with some exceptions. Stone operates Voice of Evangelism, Omega Center International (which has partnered with The Ramp) and the International School of the Word. (READ MORE: Cleveland evangelist Perry Stone 'acted inappropriately' with female employees). The Russian political and military machine has been active behind the scenes, in Iran, Syria . Over 32 years I have been involved with television. Why so much outrage over the burning of an LGBT Pride flag? Biden Moves To Bind U.S. To Future WHO Pandemic Policies. The law enforcement officer described Stone as exhibiting "a predatory lifestyle." According to records provided by the Bradley County Sheriff's Office, Stone or his ministries regularly hire several off-duty sheriff's office employees to provide security for events. The Times Free Press reported in December 2021 the board had received letters from nine women in the spring of 2020 detailing allegations of misconduct. No reason was given, he said. The recordings reveal board members and ministry employees considered forcing Stone into retirement and shutting down his ministries, specifically the youth ministry Omega Center International. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Shop on Amazon.com and a portion of your purchase can be donated to Voice of Evangelism Outreach Ministry. The sheriff's office said the donation was used to purchase in-car cameras and body cameras. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Updated Feb 27, 2023 at 11:11am. Stone later said he was away from the public eye to focus on his family and because he was working on a project about a "great treasure" that would soon be discovered. The board of directors failed, Cromer said. Im involved with media, I know how media works, Stone said in a YouTube video, titled The Truth Behind Todays Media, last December. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Somebody in that seven is going to suffer greatly. He said he was concerned the negative media attention could cause donors to stop supporting the ministry and, if so, the shipping department could face job cuts. He told ministry leaders he would kill himself and shut down the ministry. discovery: { "Do we believe that there's a problem? Click Manage settings for more information and to manage your choices. "Statements made by Perry, at the time of the recordings, were made by a hurting and distraught man who was in fear of losing his family and ministry over accusations," Rodriguez said in the statement. The ministry asked Stone to take a sabbatical, but expect him to return. Known for his lengthy revivals, Stone began preaching at a young age, the Times Free Press reported in a 2013 profile. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. However, in a May 13, 2020 meeting, board member Gary Sears said the ministry's board would gather documentation of allegations but said statements from alleged victims would not need to include the alleged victims' names. Meanwhile, more than a dozen people connected or formerly connected to Stone's ministry told the Times Free Press they are becoming more concerned about the perceived lack of accountability for the internationally known spiritual leader a year and a half after allegations of inappropriate conduct involving women were first made public. "I'm going to make sure that it is on record on why I resigned because I am not going to let him control the narrative," Bradford said, referring to Stone. Website: www.perrystone.org. Former employees of Stone identified in the recordings declined to answer questions from the Times Free Press, stating they could not talk about the situation. Because you kept touching them.". Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. | YouTube/Perry Stone. The Voice of Evangelism board said in a December 2021 statement it conducted an "appropriate and intensive" internal investigation of the allegations. In a statement to Charisma News, the Voice of Evangelism board said the Times Free Press story about the allegation was "lacking in true journalistic substance, and most of all the sources were offered and granted anonymity, allowing the story to be sensationalized." There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. It could be all of it," he said. Televangelist Perry Stone spoke out against secular media on December 27, 2021. As of Tuesday, the investigation was active and ongoing. Federal investigators with the Chattanooga office of the FBI have been questioning people connected to Stone's ministry for about a month, according to five people with direct knowledge of the conversations. ", The statement went on to say, "In the heat of the moment and with emotions running high, words that were expressed in a private setting out of sincere concern for Perry are now being used to malign the ministry.". Booke, reached by phone, declined a Times Free Press request for comment. "To the knowledge of the Board of VOE, there is no such investigation," his statement said. I need to shut OCI down and sell the building and forget everything I'm doing. Rodriguez said the ministry was not aware of any federal investigation and no employee or board member has been contacted. Stone told the crowd he had been dealing with serious health issues. The Ramp's founder, Karen Wheaton, is married to Rick Towe, who acts as CEO of The Ramp and was on the Voice of Evangelism board when the allegations were brought. The nearly six hours of audio obtained by the Times Free Press offers a glimpse inside Stone's internationally known Voice of Evangelism ministry in the spring of 2020 as Stone, his board of directors and other employees learned about the allegations of sexual harassment and assault against the televangelist. "Their responsibility was to ensure Perry was, No. I need to. "I confess at times I've been inappropriate in all this weariness of just non-stop ministry," he said at the time. "It's a lust problem. . All rights reserved. Start a Free Trial to watch Manna Fest with Perry Stone on YouTube TV (and cancel anytime). In November 2021, speaking from the stage of Omega Center International, Stone suggested allegations against him were misinterpreted, the Times Free Press reported. The stage or to his hundreds of thousands of online followers, Stone has built a media empire Cleveland... Your IP: neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in computer. 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