Church refuses to refund after judge's order

Pennsylvania officials promise aggressive action toward a Tampa church if it does not follow a court's orders.

The Tampa Tribune, February 26, 1999
By Michael Fechter

TAMPA - The defiant leader of Tampa's Greater Ministries International Church has notified a Pennsylvania judge that he will not comply with her order to refund church donations, and will not abide by her ban on solicitations.

The move sets up a confrontation between the religious and financial organization headquartered in Sulphur Springs and Pennsylvania law enforcement officials who say Greater Ministries sells unregistered securities. Authorities suspect that Greater is a Ponzi scheme masquerading as a church. A contempt hearing in Harrisburg is set for Monday.

Greater Ministries founder and president Gerald Payne could be jailed for contempt, and his ministry could be fined millions of dollars.

Commonwealth Judge Eunice Ross found Greater Ministries in contempt Jan. 21. She did so after Greater ignored a November order banning the solicitation of ``gifts'' and other financial trading with anyone in Pennsylvania. Greater held a rally in Lebanon, Pa., that attracted more than 800 people.

Ross ordered Payne to appear before her this Monday, armed with proof the ministry refunded all money from Pennsylvanians since the November injunction, and to promise to abide by the court rulings.

Ross threatened to jail Payne if he failed to do that.

Payne says he won't, maintaining the funds belong to God.

``I would have to deny my Lord and recognize another as sovereign over the church and its ministry,'' Payne wrote in a statement submitted to the court Wednesday. ``I would have to steal from God, because all gifts, tithes and offerings given to the Church belong to God and I do not have the authority to return the gifts, tithes and offerings, or to pay fines or penalties as directed by this court.''

Payne was unavailable for comment, said Greater Ministries elder Jack Hudson, who also declined to comment. Greater's lawyer did not return a telephone message.

Greater Ministries runs a financial program that claims to double a person's ``gift'' to the church in 17 months or less. Pennsylvania regulators and federal investigators suspect that it is a Ponzi scheme, in which money from new participants is used to pay earlier investors.

Ross could fine Greater Ministries $5,000 for each injunction violation from November through Jan. 25. Changes in Pennsylvania law allow her to issue fines of up to $10,000 for each violation since then.

``If we get a judgment for money, we'll do whatever we can to collect,'' Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General Mark Stewart said. Liens against Greater Ministries' Sulphur Springs headquarters and other properties were possible, he said.

And state officials say the violations continue. The group aired a series of television programs Feb. 1-8 that state regulators say promoted the financial program. A motion filed Thursday sought criminal contempt charges against Payne and Greater Ministries pastor Don Hall, who also appeared on the programs.

That could lead to 15-day jail sentences in addition to the possible warrant against Payne if he fails to shut down operations in Pennsylvania and refund money already collected, as ordered by the judge.

Stewart said Payne's religious persecution claim is nonsense. Supreme Court rulings say religious beliefs don't justify illegal acts, he said, because otherwise a person can create his own law.

``It's definitely not God's money. It's the people's money,'' Stewart said. ``He collected from them in violation of the order and they should get it back.''