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. Rodriguez said in the statement that emotions were high during the time the recordings were made. By clicking Accept all you agree that Yahoo and our partners will process your personal information, and use technologies such as cookies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights, and product development. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The board said it created a restoration plan 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, the newspaper reported. Click to reveal 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. And I have almost no friends because of s-- like this.". The Times Free Press is continuing to investigate Perry Stone and his ministries. Because you kept touching them.". Cloud DVR with no storage limits. In July, Tennessee criminalized sexual contact between members of clergy and people under their spiritual care. He has also said that secular mediacannot be trusted. And if Pam Stone knows this, Pam Stone will leave me. That's their responsibility," he said. He circled the room singing along to the music. Charisma News promotes Stone's religious teachings through its media channels. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. "I knew it was a spirit attack. We are the most trusted source for local news. (READ MORE: Cleveland evangelist Perry Stone 'acted inappropriately' with female employees). This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. I'm going to shut [Omega Center International] down and sell the building. Bradley County Sheriff Steve Lawson said his department had not received any complaints regarding Stone and there were no reports on file. Cutshall went on to say people in the ministry had been concerned by Stone's conduct for some time. 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 the Cleveland, Tennessee-based faith leader. 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. 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. He cracked jokes about gaining weight over Thanksgiving. Stone told the crowd he had been dealing with serious health issues. Stone did not give an answer. Recent News. Claims of inappropriate conduct involving groping, unwanted kissing and showing women he was aroused were first made in 2020. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Email. A TBI spokesperson confirmed by email the agency is investigating Stone at the request of Steve Crump, district attorney general for Bradley, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties, and that as of this week, the investigation is active. December 25, 2021 at 10:11 p.m. 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. The Times Free Press requested to speak with Stone, but Rodriguez said Stone "has no additional comments on things that happened 20-plus months ago that have already been publicly addressed. Over 32 years I have been involved with television. If you have any information you believe can help, please contact Wyatt Massey at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or call 423-757-6249. 'Perry Mason' Finds Its Mojo in Season 2 . "God is not pleased with it," he said. " Perry Stone lives in Bradley County, Tennessee, where the headquarters of his ministries are located. And I humbly and sincerely ask those who are hurt or offended by my actions to also forgive me. Your IP: 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: He told ministry leaders he would kill himself and shut down the ministry. 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. Talk to News 12 anchors, reporters and meteorologists. 4.6 out of 5 stars 59. "Often it's a chosen victim because of vulnerability, a chosen victim because they may not be believed. "I am not a perfect man," Stone said. Cutshall did not respond to a Times Free Press request for comment. Contact Wyatt Massey at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249. Rodriguez said the ministry was not aware of any federal investigation and no employee or board member has been contacted. Address: Perry Stone, P.O. In the video, Stone said he was sharing his dream to get ahead of whatever attacks were coming. Here are 13 of them. Some of the accusations were withdrawn, some of which were not signed or, identified as to authorship and others of which the ministry leadership team found were not convincing or were otherwise unreliable. Many of the people who spoke with the Times Free Press are worried a lack of accountability and awareness could put others at risk as Stone begins traveling and leading services again. Im involved with media, I know how media works, Stone said in a YouTube video, titled The Truth Behind Todays Media, last December. Some expressed outrage that the board of directors at Voice of Evangelism, Stones international evangelistic outreach, did not involve law enforcement or fully investigate claims of misconduct against the televangelist. 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. 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. "What you just witnessed happened at the trial of Jesus the day before he was crucified," Cutshall said. Stone has more than a half a million followers on Facebook and regularly posts videos interpreting current events through the lens of biblical prophecy.Stone has traveled nationally and internationally preaching for more than four decades. It is my hope that by the grace of God we will all be able to walk in healing and restoration.. The former employees said Stone would also buy vehicles for women and pay for their housing. 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. 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. But you're not just dealing with a moral failure here. 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. ", The statement closed with this: "As we make this statement Pam and Perry are off celebrating their 40-year wedding anniversary. 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. 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. The ministry did not respond to the request. Those interviews helped the Times Free Press identify some of the speakers in the recordings. The state's investigative agency is in possession of a list of at least nine alleged victims as well, according to a recording of a phone conversation obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press. }. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. From the stage or to his hundreds of thousands of online followers, Stone has said some people who speak against him are demonic. As biblical prophecy continues to unfold, you . "I'm going to preach come heaven, hell, highwater. Some individuals, including people who declined to speak with the Times Free Press, received threatening text messages or found their property vandalized in recent weeks. Your email address will not be published. His voice held steady for a few more words before he began yelling, "You've talked to people who told 16 lies on my wife and I! Stone has sought to explain that the victims misinterpreted his social behavior which he described as normal in Italian culture. Stone has hired sheriff's office employees in the past to provide security at his conferences and weekly gatherings. In recent months, alleged victims have shared their experiences with FBI and TBI investigators, as well as local lawyers. The board of directors 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 six months. On Nov. 30, after the disturbance at the Tuesday night service, Bryan Cutshall, a longtime employee of the ministry who had just been promoted to lead another of Stone's organizations, compared the woman accusing Stone of sexual misconduct to the crowd heckling Jesus before he was crucified. We celebrate community and we tell your stories. For more information, contact us at (423) 478-3456. "The VOE board stands firm in its decision and unwavering support of Perry and Pam Stone and will continue to operate in true biblical Godly integrity," the ministry said in a statement released by spokesman John Rodriguez. The ministry's statement did not answer questions from the newspaper such as whether Stone would continue to lead the organization if a criminal prosecution begins and whether the ministry is providing a defense attorney. Most TBI cases begin at the request of a local district attorney, though the state investigative agency can launch its own cases if the situations involve things such as human trafficking, organized crime or fugitives. Around the same time, Remnant, the young adult dance team that traveled with Stone, announced it would no longer be connected with the ministry. "Do we believe that there's a problem? 165.232.190.218 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. We ask that friends and supporters operate by Scripture in Luke 6:43-45, "For every tree is known by the fruit it bears." Stream live TV from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN & popular cable networks. Voice of Evangelism has contributed $36,560 to the Bradley County Sheriff's Office since 2018, according to donation records provided by the department. According to the Times Free Press, "Stone has made a multimillion-dollar career as an evangelist who claims to predict major events, such as George W. Bush being elected president, the attack on the World Trade Center and Osama Bin Laden's death. The members of Stone's board, as of December 2019, were Booke, Rick Towe, Gary Sears, Grant Dunnam Sr., Frankie Powell and Wayne Penn. Stone has said Christians should not trust negative things said about others and said people who challenge him are demonic. Stone has built his religious reputation through television and social media, saying he has converted tens of thousands of people to Christianity through his multimedia outreach. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. In some instances the speakers were identified by others in the conversation. I didnt know you can look at somebody and say, Hey, how you doing? and they can take it wrong.. The TBI has interviewed at least five people who claim to be victims or who are connected to Stone's ministry, according to three people who were present for the conversations. 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. 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. virtual: false, | Updated June 8, 2022 at 11:35 a.m. Marquette has said through her social media channels she is gathering information from alleged victims. The crowd gave Stone several standing ovations. In the recorded conversation, Bradford said he had not personally witnessed anything criminal but said he was concerned by Stone's alleged conduct and the possibility of him returning to ministry. To use modern technology to teach and preach the Word of God. Stone operates Voice of Evangelism, Omega Center International (which has partnered with The Ramp) and the International School of the Word. Rodriguez said in a statement the board determined "no one has made any accusations of any misconduct which would involve any considerations other than civil considerations.". The truth will prevail.". Start a Free Trial to watch Manna Fest with Perry Stone on YouTube TV (and cancel anytime). Shop on Amazon.com and a portion of your purchase can be donated to Voice of Evangelism Outreach Ministry. Some are angry at the board of directors at Voice of Evangelism, believing the ministry did not involve law enforcement or fully investigate claims of misconduct against Stone by women in his ministry, which included groping, unwanted kissing and showing women he was aroused. 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. "This was something that was going to be detrimental to everyone's jobs there. I quit that. Because [] We live, work and play right here in the Tennessee Valley. Later in that meeting, Cutshall agreed with an alleged victim who said Stone seemed to make up situations that never happened. 6 accounts per household included. He sparked some controversy this spring when he preached that God told him that the Covid-19 pandemic was a judgement against the United States for ousting him from schools, abortion laws and gay marriage. Four people with connections to the ministry said Stone would threaten the employment of loved ones or remove opportunities in his ministry if women rebuffed his advances. The Russian political and military machine has been active behind the scenes, in Iran, Syria . The news comes more than two years after the allegations surfaced. As Stone's following grew, he flew around the country in a Voice of Evangelism plane to preach, the newspaper reported. March 31, 2022 at 7:43 p.m. Televangelist Perry Stone spoke out against secular media on December 27, 2021. In the conversation, Bradford said he thought Stone should resign, otherwise Bradford would. Pam Stone - in her 2005 memoir with Perry titled "We're Not Finished Yet!" 2, to correct the ship when it's going the wrong way. submission: { and they can take it wrong," Stone told his audience, according to the newspaper. Several women said Stone would tell them he was lonely and his wife was not pleasing him sexually. This statement comes in response to a March [] He wanted to warn his employees since leadership was not addressing it, he said. Jezzy will show up. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. 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. He said the judicial system is run by "ungodly people" who would want to tear down the organization. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Pam wrote that while she and Perry "consider the male and female workers dear friends in whom we have confidence and trust," she has stopped two women from trying to seduce her husband. Be sure to tune in each week! In the spring of 2020, the Voice of Evangelism board received at least nine letters from women employed by or connected to Stone's ministry. (READ MORE: Leaked audio: They defended televangelist Perry Stone in public. The sermon, which was live-streamed on social media, was later taken down. Karen Wheaton, founder of The Ramp, is married to Towe, a board member who was present in multiple meetings discussing the allegations against Stone. 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. 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