Greater Ministries International
Encyclopedia
Greater Ministries International was a church ministry that ran a Ponzi scheme
taking nearly 500 million dollars from 18,000 people. Headed by Gerald Payne in Tampa, Florida
, the ministry bribed church leaders around the United States
to keep "donations" coming in. Payne and other church elders promised the church members double their money back, citing Biblical
scripture. However, nearly all the money was lost and hidden away. Church leaders received prison sentences ranging from 13 to 27 years.
The group also had ties to Stayton, Oregon
-based Embassy of Heaven
, run by Glen Stoll, which was later closed by the Justice Department
.
Their group founded a newspaper, the "Greater Bible College" in Tampa, a line of "Greater Live" herbal remedies, cancer treatments ("We actually pull the cancer right out of your stomach", Payne claims), even a supplement called "Beta 1, 3rd Glucan" (to survive "end-times plagues") and plans for "Greater Lands", an independent country (an "Ecclesiastical Domain ... similar to the Vatican") where other governments will have no jurisdiction.
Injunctions/press releases
Articles
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, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
taking nearly 500 million dollars from 18,000 people. Headed by Gerald Payne in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, the ministry bribed church leaders around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to keep "donations" coming in. Payne and other church elders promised the church members double their money back, citing Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
scripture. However, nearly all the money was lost and hidden away. Church leaders received prison sentences ranging from 13 to 27 years.
The group also had ties to Stayton, Oregon
Stayton, Oregon
Stayton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, located southeast of the state capital, Salem, on Oregon Route 22. It is south of Sublimity and east of Aumsville. Located on the North Santiam River, Stayton is a regional agricultural and light manufacturing center. The population was...
-based Embassy of Heaven
Embassy of Heaven
Embassy of Heaven is a Christian based organization based in Stayton, Oregon that seeks to separate from secular government. Its members profess themselves to be literal citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven and reject any ties to what they refer to as "worldly governments"...
, run by Glen Stoll, which was later closed by the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
.
Their group founded a newspaper, the "Greater Bible College" in Tampa, a line of "Greater Live" herbal remedies, cancer treatments ("We actually pull the cancer right out of your stomach", Payne claims), even a supplement called "Beta 1, 3rd Glucan" (to survive "end-times plagues") and plans for "Greater Lands", an independent country (an "Ecclesiastical Domain ... similar to the Vatican") where other governments will have no jurisdiction.
External links
- http://greater-ministries.com (GMI former website archived)
Injunctions/press releases
- Ohio Division of Securities Obtains Injunction, August 24, 1999
- Pennsylvania Injunction, 1999
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, February 19, 2002
Articles