Posts Tagged ‘John Hunter’

As the pastor of the oldest black church in Los Angeles, the Rev. John J. Hunter earned a generous salary, lived in a $2-

Pastor Property Taxes

million home and drove a Mercedes-Benz paid for by the church. His wife earned $147,000 a year running nonprofit organizations connected to the 19,000-member congregation.

But over the last few years, the hilltop church in the West Adams district has fallen into debt.

The First African Methodist Episcopal Church owes nearly $500,000 to creditors. Some vendors say they have not been paid in more than a year.

The financial woes have sparked an ugly battle for control of the church and its nonprofit corporations.

A civil lawsuit filed by the church this week accuses the former pastor, his wife and a small “cabal” of church leaders of “holding dictatorial control over [the church] … for their own personal gain — both financially and for self-aggrandizement.”

Full story HERE

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Tune into The Mo’Kelly Show Saturdays from 6-8pm PDT on KFI AM640 and XM 166 Saturdays and Sundays from 8pm-9pm PST. Contact Mo’Kelly at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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John Hunter

First African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the oldest black congregations in Los Angeles, faces a financial crisis, owing roughly $300,000 to a long list of creditors, church officials said.

Revelations of the money problems come amid declining membership and tithing under the leadership of a controversial former pastor, the Rev. John J. Hunter, who was reassigned following a tax investigation, a sexual harassment lawsuit and questionable use of church credit cards.

The new pastor, the Rev. J. Edgar Boyd, spoke to reporters Wednesday morning outside the storied church that became the pulse of the black community after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. He vowed to restore the image and glory of the church and investigate financial mismanagement that may have occurred under Hunter.

Full story HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Tune into The Mo’Kelly Show Saturdays from 6-8pm PDT on KFI AM640 and XM 166 Saturdays and Sundays from 8pm-9pm PDT. Contact Mo’Kelly at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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John Hunter

Although I’ve not continued my coverage of the AME Church internal scandals for quite some time, dozens of readers have asked me about the latest, regarding John Hunter, formerly of First AME in Los Angeles.

Without offering a lot of conjecture and rumor I will simply point you toward the most recent Los Angeles Times story and the fact that this issue is getting tremendous coverage in the San Francisco area. I will not be so arrogant to believe that my reporting ultimately led to Hunter being disallowed to assume the pulpit at Bethel AME…but I will say, I’m sure I’ve opened some eyes along the way and helped Bethel in some ways be “prepared” for this moment.

A number of press outlets have either contacted me for comment, information on the most recent sexual misconduct lawsuit settled or references for other guests…all to which I’ve either declined (interview requests) or passed along other more suitable names to forward this discussion.

My job here is done and I’ve been tasked by the Lord with something new. My investigation into the illegal activities of the AME church has come to an end. It is now up to the rest of you to keep up the battle, now that you know the truth.

For press and those who have emailed me…this is Mo’Kelly’s only statement.

“I…told…you…so.”

Respectfully,

Mo’K.

______________________________

SAN FRANCISCO — In an unprecedented move, officials of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest black pulpit in the city, have rejected the troubled Los Angeles pastor assigned to lead its flock.

The Rev. John J. Hunter was recently transferred from First AME, one of the nation’s most prominent black churches, after an eight-year tenure marred by a sexual harassment lawsuit, a federal tax investigation and the questionable use of church credit cards.

T. Larry Kirkland

Hunter was slated to make his pastoral debut at Bethel AME this month, but church officials drafted an emergency resolution barring him from taking control. They said the assignment could “impair the legacy, reputation, relationships and goodwill” of the church in the community.

When Hunter, cloaked in his white pastor robe and carrying his Bible, showed up at the church Nov. 4 ready to preach, church officials said, they confronted him in the foyer and demanded that he produce the signed declaration from Bishop T. Larry Kirkland stating his new assignment.

Hunter did not have a copy of the declaration and church officials blocked him from taking the pulpit.

The rejection — unheard of in the AME denomination — pits the small, 650-member congregation against the executive orders of Kirkland and has many churchgoers questioning the ramifications of their protest.

Neither Hunter nor Kirkland could be reached Sunday for comment.

Full story HERE.

RELATED: The Mo’Kelly Report Cited by the Los Angeles Times for its Coverage of The Dealings of John Hunter

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Tune into The Mo’Kelly Show Saturdays from 6-8pm PDT on KFI AM640 and XM 166 Saturdays and Sundays from 8pm-9pm PDT. Contact Mo’Kelly at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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John Hunter

From the Los Angeles Wave…

LORDY, LORDY — Remember how, in November 2009, the Rev. John J. Hunter, pastor of the powerful First AME Church, was sued by the Rev.Brenda Lamothe, one of the church’s associate ministers, who charged that Hunter coerced her into a four-year, cross-country sexual relationship?

In a highly publicized series of events, Lamothe sued Hunter, First AME Church, the 5th Episcopal AME District and the national AME body — just about everybody. Remember how at the time of the lawsuit, and in an equally public forum, the church’s officials vehemently denied Lamothe’s claim and even cross-sued her for telling such “lies” about Hunter? Remember how last year rumors began circulating that a hefty settlement had been reached between Lamothe and the parties she sued and the church leadership rose up again and vehemently denied that any accord that been reached with Lamothe?

Well. Rumors began circulating anew last week. The new rumor has it that a multimillion dollar settlement was reached last month between Lamothe, Hunter, the church et al. I was told that this settlement is in the millions of dollars — “and not for one million and not for two million.” I went to one of FAME’s leaders who knows everything about the place, but he knew nothing about this latest rumor. My contact said he would ask Hunter about it and get back to me. Shortly thereafter, I received the following email from him: “Hey Betty, I talked to Pastor Hunter about the question you asked.

Pastor Hunter tells me all he can say is the matter has been resolved and he can’t comment further on advice from his attorney. He couldn’t even elaborate with me because of the agreement restrictions.” Uh huh. So we can deduce that the settlement is for at least $3 million.

Story HERE.

Lawsuit Docs HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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John Hunter

“It is resolved.”

That is the only statement either side can make regarding the outcome of the lawsuit of Rev. Brenda Lamothe against First AME of Los Angeles’ Rev. John Hunter.  There is a confidentiality agreement in place which precludes either side from remarking on the issue publicly (or privately) beyond the singular statement…

“It is resolved.”

Obviously, there would be no resolution without some multi-million dollar agreement being in place.  Prior to this moment, it was revealed to The Mo’Kelly Report that negotiations had been ongoing for quite some time, quite possibly to the point of a financial reward which exceeded First AME’s insurance policy.  If true and (bet the house it is) this would have required personal funds from the Hunters to make up for the rest.

And by “personal funds” we mean the church’s funds…their personal piggy bank (allegedly.)

As The Mo’Kelly Report further researches this agreement, it can be best surmised that John Hunter, who originally claimed complete innocence and argued that Lamothe was trying to extort him and the general AME church, decided to instead go the Eddie Long route and settled with no public acknowledgment of wrong-doing or sexual impropriety.

How “innocent-like” of him.

Developing…

Original lawsuit HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Last week pastor Xavier Thompson of Southern Missionary Baptist Church met with

Xavier Thompson

other members of the Los Angeles-area clergy to pray and protest the FAIR Education Act (Senate Bill 48), which was signed into law in July by California governor Jerry Brown.

The law ensures that California public schools will include the historical contributions of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people in the social science curriculum.

Prior to the meeting (which I did not attend) Thompson offered the following:

Let me be very clear, this is not an attack on the LGBT people or any particular group. I believe I am taking a stand for Biblical principles and righteous standards as outlined in the word of God. This is a big issue because you cannot sexualize history. The underlying impact of SB 48, I believe, is the advancement of a pro-homosexual, world-view in the public classroom,”

I don’t even know where to begin.

The “Black Church” as we’ve historically called it, (AME, Pentecostal, Baptist, COGIC, etc.) has long involved itself within the political debate and issues of societal importance…almost to a fault. Historically it was the place where African-Americans got news updates, health statuses of fellow members and recognized young people as they matriculated to college.

Today…not so much.

The call for a city-wide “prayer meeting” in protest of the FAIR Education Act exemplifies the desperation of the Black Church to remain relevant and typifies the extreme, hypocritical lengths in which it will go to generate media coverage.

This is not about whether the FAIR Education Act should or should not have been signed into law. This is about the gross negligence of the Black church locally and more broadly.

If “Biblical principles and righteous standards as outlined in the word of God” were the litmus test for city-wide prayer meetings and calls-to-action, then why was there no such gathering with respect to Proposition 19, the measure to legalize marijuana in California? Of all the issues which disproportionately and directly affect African-American young people (and would be in direct contradiction to what’s outlined in the word of God,) the Black Church community should have been all over it.

With the exception of Oakland’s Bishop Ron Allen…there was absolute silence.

Rev. John Hunter of the venerable First AME in Los Angeles and NINETEEN other local ministers, INCLUDING XAVIER THOMPSON recently “protested” the treatment of Dodgers owner and multimillionaire Frank McCourt by Major League Baseball.

Actual letter HERE.

Really guys…that’s the best idea that anyone could come up with in terms of ministerial outreach and Christian service?  That’s a meaningful use of resources, influence and social capital in accordance to the word of God?

John Hunter at McCourt Press Conference

And speaking of John Hunter, he’s STILL in court regarding a potential 7-figure sexual misconduct lawsuit due to the alleged abuse and coercion of a minister on his own staff. Where was the city-wide prayer meeting to protest the mistreatment of women in the church or the rampant sexual misconduct of ministers both near and far? Again, if “Biblical principles and righteous standards as outlined in the word of God” were the litmus test for city-wide prayer meetings and calls-to-action, then the FAIR Education Act needs to get to the back of the line.

There’s plenty wrong with L.A. public schools and of far greater importance than this minor portion of the social science curriculum.

Of the ten worst elementary schools in all of California, Los Angeles County boasts 4 of them. Yes, four of the worst elementary schools in all California are right here in these ministers’ own backyard. But Xavier Thompson wants you and me to gather in prayer and strategize to help repeal a law which effectively translates to some 10 minutes of social science per week…if that.  Ignore the other 6 educational hours of the school day, just deal with these ten or so minutes.

Do the math…pun intended.

Again, this isn’t about whether one should agree with the FAIR Education Act; don’t miss the point. This is about understanding the reality that the issue is comparatively of minimal and marginal importance. Our priorities are hideously out of kilter, wasting resources and social capital for the purpose of generating ephemeral media coverage.

Where was the city-wide prayer and protest meeting to decrease the violence or increase the number of teachers hired in Los Angeles schools to help improve the educational environment?

John Hunter has a wanton history of “allegedly” sexually abusing a member of his own staff, yet none of the influential Los Angeles clergy publicly will say a mumbling word about it.

The reason why so many churches in Los Angeles and beyond are empty and struggling to survive, is tied to biblical hypocrisy and the worldly aspirations of its leadership. Standing on the word of God only when it is politically expedient or makes for good copy in a press release is transparent and self-serving at best and sacrilege at worst. Instead of publicly condemning the Hunters and Eddie Longs of the Black clergy, they’ve opted to push the hot-button of gay rights to rile up church members…again, under the guise of acting in accordance to the word of God…again.

Here’s a question…will Eddie Long be now taught in social science thanks to the FAIR Education Act?  It only makes sense to highlight the contributions of all gay people, right?

Just posing a question…

What also makes sense is that we save our protests for use against the Black Church itself, until it  stops using the word of God to serve political and personal goals of self-aggrandizement.

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For the most recent posts of Mr. Mo’Kelly, visit http://mrmokelly.com.  Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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So First AME pastor John Hunter, who calls himself “Dr.” although he is neither an M.D. or PhD is protesting the treatment of Frank McCourt, the owner of the Dodgers? Of all the problems to address or positions to take in the city of Los Angeles, John Hunter has chosen the plight of a multi-millionaire sports franchise owner.

L.A. Times story HERE.

Not exactly feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.

Remember this is the same John Hunter who racked up $122k in unapproved personal expenses on the church’s credit card and is presently embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal by “allegedly” forcing another minister on his staff to engage in repeated sex acts.

The Black Church is in a sorry state…still.

Major League Baseball? Preachers are giving press conferences regarding Major League Baseball…

Pastor Dion Evans of Oakland eloquently outlines the silliness in The Hinterland Gazette, acknowledging the more pressing and present issues such as the gang-related mauling of Brian Stowe at Dodger stadium opening day.  Or how about the early release of Oscar Grant’s killer?

Black church…silent on these issues, but all-in on Frank McCourt.

Really?

It seems it’s time for Mo’Kelly to start back in on John Hunter…

Hunter lawsuit documents HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For more Mo’Kelly,http://mrmokelly.com. Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Although it has been relatively quiet on the African Methodist Episcopal

John Hunter

corruption front, the wheels of justice began to turn this week with the inception of the sexual harassment lawsuit trial between former First AME minister Brenda Lamothe and present presiding minister John J. Hunter.

If you’ve noticed, Mo’Kelly doesn’t refer to Hunter as “Rev. Dr.” John J. Hunter.  As he as listed as being a “doctor” Mo’Kelly can not find any record of him obtaining either an M.D., PhD or EdD… anywhere…from anyone.  The last educational degree Hunter received according to Mo’Kelly’s research was a JD from Boston University Law.

John Hunter’s bio HERE.

And speaking of phony and nonexistent degrees.  First Concubine Denise “Hunter” (they’re not legally married) now also uses the title of “Dr.”…though there is no record anywhere of her attending any university…

EVER.  Check out the link HERE.

Dr. Denise Hunter

Lets Grow L.A. Radio Show

Thursday, 1:00 PM PST to 2:00 PM PST – The FAME Lets Grow L.A. Radio Show is meant to pique the interest and challenge the thinking of our listening audience. Our goal is to provide information and access to resources that will help our listeners improve in every area of their lives. We will explore topics related to health and welfare, political and civic engagement, community activism, education and employment. Our hope is that by raising awareness on important issues that affect us all, we will equip our listening audience with the tools they need to be positive change agents in their homes and their communities.

Really, you can call yourself “Dr.” without having to go to college?  Wow.  So if both John Hunter and Denise “Hunter” lie about being married, lie about their credentials…what do you think they’re going to do when they hit the courtroom and are asked to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

You got it…they’ll lie then too.

Lawsuit DOCS HERE (link fixed)

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