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    Mafia Ministry: A Crying Shame
    Mafia Ministry: A Crying Shame
    Mafia Ministry: A Crying Shame
    Ebook123 pages1 hour

    Mafia Ministry: A Crying Shame

    By Cheryl Brown

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    About this ebook

    I COME BOLDLY, BUT WITH A HEAVY HEART, TO GIVE TRUE
    ACCOUNTS OF THE ABUSE I EXPERIENCED AT THE HANDS
    OF ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS TELEVANGELIST IN THE
    WORLD TODAY. AS A MOST HUMBLE SERVANT IN HIS HOME,
    STUDIO, AND MINISTRY, I WAS RUTHLESSLY INITIATED INTO
    THE M A F I A MINISTRY. THIS MINISTRY MANIPULATES
    AND ABUSES YOU AND YOUR MONEY WITH INTIMIDATION
    AND ARROGANCE TO FINANCE THEIR JETS, MANSIONS,
    AND LUXURIOUS LIFESTYLES. INITIALLY YOU ARE SO IN AWE
    OF THESE MINISTERS THAT YOU DO NOT EVEN REALIZE
    YOU ARE BEING VICTIMIZED. ONCE YOU ARE CAUGHT
    UP IN THE GAME, THE SNOWBALL EFFECT MAKES YOU
    MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO REVICTIMIZATION BY OTHER
    MINISTRIES. ALTHOUGH I WAS ALMOST ROBBED OF MY
    FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY, I WAS ABLE TO SURVIVE AND NOW
    SHARE THIS STORY WITH YOU IN HOPES THAT YOU WILL
    RECOGNIZE EARLY THE TACTICS, PLANS, AND SCHEMES OF
    THESE PREDATORS AND BE ABLE TO LEAVE BEFORE YOU LOSE
    EVERY DIME, AND YOUR MIND, TO THE M A F I A MINISTRY
    A CRYING SHAME.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateMay 16, 2011
    ISBN9781462009169
    Mafia Ministry: A Crying Shame
    Author

    Cheryl Brown

    Cheryl Brown was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is 35 years of age and a single parent of a 12 year old son. She has worked from the storefront to the forefront of “Christian” ministries. Her desire is to shed light on spiritual, emotional, financial and sexual abuse that takes place in the “church”.

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      Book preview

      Mafia Ministry - Cheryl Brown

      MAFIA

      MINISTRY

      A CRYING SHAME

      MANIPULATION

      ABUSE

      FINANCEs

      INTIMIDATION

      ARROGANCE

      CHERYL BROWN

      iUniverse, Inc.

      Bloomington

      M A F I A MINISTRY

      A CRYING SHAME

      Copyright © 2011 Cheryl Brown

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      iUniverse

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.iuniverse.com

      1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4620-0915-2 (pbk)

      ISBN: 978-1-4620-0916-9 (ebk)

      Printed in the United States of America

      iUniverse rev. date: 05/06/2011

      Dedication

      IN MEMORY OF

      MY LOVING FATHER ROY

      MY BEAUTIFUL NIECE DARNEASHA

      MY TO THE POINT UNCLE SINGLETON

      Introduction

      Hi, my name is Cheryl Brown, and the reason I wrote M A F I A MINISTRY, A Crying Shame is to shed light on spiritual abuse by pastors and televangelists who preach one thing on TV yet live another type of lifestyle off the screen and pulpit. M A F I A MINISTRY, A Crying Shame is a memoir based on the true accounts of when I first came into the world of Christian ministry. I found hope in the prosperity teachings and started to wholeheartedly give my all to the ministry: my heart, money, time, mind, body and soul. The prosperity gospel was being taught to me heavily and I was in it knee deep, devoted to such concepts as naming it and claiming it , sowing seeds of money, and sacrificially giving, all while the pastors are styling and profiling. You can’t even pay your bills because you constantly are pushed to give money. You better not dare ask them for help with anything. I was leaving a domestic violence relationship when I came into the church, and other abuses had taken place in my life from as far back as I can remember. I was a very vulnerable and broken person.

      I went on to work for one of the most famous televangelists in the world today, Pastor Benny Hinn. I worked as a maid for him and his family in his parsonage and television studio. I also was a member of his church at World Healing Center Church at the hands of his unqualified son-in-law Michael Koulianos, and his daughter Jessica. My son and I endured several levels of emotional and spiritual abuses from Benny Hinn Ministries. That eventually led me into the wrong hands of other ministries which ultimately abused me further. It has been five years since I left Pastor Benny’s home, and I have just gotten to the point where I have been able to not constantly live in fear of them hurting me anymore.

      I spent all of these years suffering mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, socially, but most of all spiritually because of all of the abuse I endured stemming from the hands of Benny Hinn and his ministry. He is a charismatic master of deception and manipulation and he is ruthless! He has caused many sheep to suffer as he arrogantly lives in lavishness and steps on the necks of the feeble and poor. He loves to be served. There are many Benny Hinn followers all over the world that send money into his ministry and several other ministries like his. I can give you a firsthand account that your money cannot be trusted with Benny Hinn.

      He curses anyone that goes against his ministry but today I have the boldness to come out and let the chips fall where they may. This has been a journey of recovery for me and my son. I would like anyone that find themselves or knows someone that is dealing with spiritual abuse to get help immediately. Spiritual abuse is on the rise today in every part of the world. These predators must be stopped! This book should be for 18 years and up unless under the direction of an adult.

      missing image file

      Benny Hinn

      Contents

      Dedication

      Introduction

      1 INITIATION INTO THE MINISTRY

      2 SACRIFICIAL GIVING

      3 IN THE PARSONAGE

      4 I AM WATCHING YOU

      5 GETTING PAID?

      6 EXCUSE ME SIR?

      7 FIRED

      8 BREAKDOWN

      9 THE EXIT SIGN

      10 INTIMIDATION

      11 REVICTIMIZATION

      12 HEALING

      Thank You Jesus Poem - Cheryl Brown

      Special thanks to

      Acknowledgements

      References

      missing image file

      I believe that I hadn’t been violated as of yet on this picture , if not it would be my last memory of how I viewed the world as a child, looks as though even then, I was trying to figure out this church business.

      1

      INITIATION INTO THE MINISTRY

      I will never forget the brutality of the beating I endured that night: the punches, the stomping as I was knocked to the ground, the pungent odor of grass and dirt being forced up my nostrils as I was dragged by my hair. I had just been beaten pretty badly due to an altercation with my ex-boyfriend. It was at that moment when I was first initiated into the world of Christian ministry. I had come from a life of total dysfunction that included sexual, physical, and emotional abuses from as far back as I could remember. The abuse came from my mother, family, friends, boyfriends, teachers and a doctor.

      It was spring of 2004 and after this particular episode, I was driving down the street at approximately two in the morning along the southeast side of Chicago near Lake Michigan. Devastated, my life was flashing before my eyes, and I had my young son in the back seat of the vehicle. Sobbing uncontrollably, I was contemplating suicide by driving into Lake Michigan.

      A woman was driving in the opposite direction as me. As she was approaching me I just happened to notice her saying to me, Do you want to pray? I read her lips and everything seemed like a blur. I nodded my head yes, and pulled my car over to the side of the street. We got out of our cars and stood on the sidewalk and she immediately began to pray for me. When she placed her hand on my head I lifted my arms upward, crying out to God in desperation. Having been beaten outside and dragged on the ground, I had dirt all over my checkered black-and-white chef pants and white chef jacket I had worn to culinary school that day. My hair was all over my head and I had bruises all over my face and body. I didn’t care about that at that point; all that mattered to me was that God had sent someone to let me know that He cared for me. God wanted me to live. I began to feel a connection with God like never before and for the first time in my life I felt true love.

      The woman (I will call her Tee) invited me to attend a play called Jesus of Nazareth at her church in Munster, Indiana, called Family Christian Center (FCC) with Pastor Steve Munsey. I was concerned about my appearance but assured by Tee that it didn’t matter. My son and I went, yet I was still feeling embarrassed. I wore sunglasses because my eyes were black.

      The church was spectacular! It was unlike any other church I had been in. The people that stood at the front door to greet you were extremely friendly. They smiled and looked as if they did not have a worry in the world. I couldn’t believe it was even a church … it looked like a theater, with concession stands and Starbucks coffee … wow! It was awe-inspiring. There were a lot of people there.

      As I entered the sanctuary, a different feeling came over me. Tee told me that it was the power of GOD. Nervously I held my son’s hand as we found our seats up in the balcony. The lights were dimmed and the play began.

      They had horses and camels on the set! It was my first time seeing anything like this and I was blown away! The play described everything that Jesus went through before and after he was hanged and crucified on the cross; how he suffered. It touched me deeply because I had never experienced the story told quite like that before. I was moved. Taking note of my reaction, Tee invited me to the church the following day, which was a Sunday.

      My son and I went to church. I was able to put him into their children’s ministry. The choir was awesome! I listened intently to the sermon.

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