PODCAST: Iowa Bishop Dwight Reed in court over marriage to teen girl (BCNN1 05.14.22)

This is Black Christian News Network One podcast. Here are the top stories you need to know about today.

The Devil Is a Lie: 63-year-old Bishop Dwight Reed of the Christ Apostolic Temple in Des Moines Is Defending His Marriage to a Teen in Iowa Court – Bishop Demetrius Sinegal Said, “This Marriage Tears at the Very Fiber of the Social Construct of the African American Family. Children Are Taught to Respect Their Grandparent’s Contemporaries Not to Marry Them”. According to WHO13, Bishop Demetrius Sinegal, the founder of an advocacy organization that works to expose clergy abuse, flew in from Texas and called for a full investigation into the November 15th marriage of Des Moines Bishop Dwight Reed and Jordan Reed of the Christ Apostolic Temple. Dwight is 63-years-old and Jordan is 19. On April 6, 2022, the newlyweds and the Christ Apostolic Temple began protecting the marriage in the court of law by filing a lawsuit together in Polk County against Bishop Sinegal and the Kingdom Church seeking $1.5 million in damages from libel. “If it were to come to that, no statement that we have made is without witnesses,” Sinegal said. Iowa law states the minimum age to marry without parental consent is eighteen but Bishop Sinegal claims Jordan’s paternal grandfather came on one of Sinegal’s many online platforms alleging clergy abuse. “He came on and emphatically condemned this marriage. His words and I quote were ‘Her father sold his daughter out and pimped her out for his own self-gain.’” The lawsuit claims Bishop Sinegal’s allegations have caused severe past and future emotional distress.

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According to the Jerusalem Post, As tensions boil over in the West Bank amid a string of deadly terrorist attacks in Israel, the IDF launched the largest exercise in its history on Sunday. Thousands of soldiers and reservists will take part in the drill, dubbed “Chariots of Fire,” including the air force, navy and regular and reserve forces. The four-week drill will simulate a multifront and multidimensional war against Israel’s enemies in the air, at sea, on land and on the cyber front. “There won’t be a unit that doesn’t take part in this drill,” IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ran Kohav said. The goal of the drill is to improve the readiness of the entire military and examine the ability of troops to carry out a powerful and prolonged campaign against enemy forces. It will also reveal logistics and firepower issues that soldiers might face in a war. The drill aims to improve cooperation between the IDF, government ministries, security organizations and civilian bodies, including their capabilities to transition from routine to a full emergency scenario with multiple areas that are constantly evolving.

According to the New York Post, The Queens woman who was crushed between parked cars in a horror hit-and-run crash on Mother’s Day died early Monday, her family said. Florence Ngwu, 49, who was pinned in front of her daughter in South Jamaica early Sunday when an out-of-control stolen truck slammed into a car, died at Jamaica Hospital, a niece said. “This is the third time and they weren’t able to revive her,” said the 29-year-old niece, who asked to be identified as Nnenna B, on Monday. “We’re all just devastated,” she said, adding that the family was “in shock, grief — everything seems surreal.” The Mother’s Day horror came around 8:30 a.m. when a Ford F-550 slammed into a car while doing a U-turn at 167th Street and 120th Avenue, pinning the nurse as her daughter screamed in horror. “Mommy! Mommy!,” the daughter screamed in footage obtained by The Post as her mom remained unconscious. The niece called the truck driver who fled the now-deadly crash — and was still being hunted Monday — “just so inhumane.” The NYPD confirmed Monday that there had been no arrests.

According to the Christian Post, The Revolutionary Court of Tehran has sentenced an Iranian-Armenian Christian man to 10 years in prison for establishing a house church, which the judge called “propaganda contrary to and disturbing to the holy religion of Islam,” according to reports. Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Afshari, sentenced Anooshavan Avedian, 60, to 10 years of imprisonment, alongside two others who are members of his house church — Abbas Soori, 45, and Maryam Mohammadi, 46 — both of whom are converts to Christianity, Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. Article 18, a U.K.-based organization that promotes religious freedom in Iran, reported that Soori and Mohammadi received a range of non-custodial punishments, including a fine of about $2,000 (500 million rials) and a 10-year ban from membership in social and political groups as well as a two-year exile outside Tehran. In addition, they must regularly report to the offices of the Ministry of Intelligence. Avedian was also given 10 years of “deprivation of social rights.”

According to the New York Post, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors has admitted to throwing two parties at the organization’s swanky $6 million Los Angeles mansion — despite previously suggesting she’d never used the property for personal gain. The 38-year-old told the Associated Press on Monday that she hosted her son’s birthday party and a gathering to celebrate President Biden’s inauguration at the six-bedroom property early last year. BLM faced a torrent of criticism and backlash last month when it publicly emerged that the organization had “secretly” purchased the LA mansion — which boasts a home with six bedrooms and bathrooms, a swimming pool, a soundstage and office space — back in 2020. At the time, Cullors said the property was purchased by BLM to serve as a meeting venue and campus. She also issued a statement denying suggestions she had lived at the property — or taken advantage of it for personal gain. But Cullors, who resigned as BLM’s executive director a year ago after spending six years at the helm, said she used the property twice for events that weren’t business related. BLM confirmed it had billed Cullors for the birthday party and was reviewing its policies to prevent such use in the future.

According to the Christian Post, The pastor of an Evangelical church in French Guyana was shot to death and his church burned down the day after he met with a delegation from the National Council of Evangelicals in France that was visiting to discuss the implementation of a law on “separatism,” according to a report. The 44-year-old slain pastor, identified as Pastor A. Kalloe of the Gado Lobi church in the town of Saint-Laurent du Maroni, was a member of the Guyana branch of the National Council of Evangelicals in France, or CNEF, according to the Evangelical Focus Europe, which said his church was also set on fire and destroyed a few hours after the shooting Tuesday night. At least seven other people, including two sons of Pastor Kalloe, were injured in the shooting and two others were taken to a hospital in critical condition, it added. Clément Diedrichs, the CNEF director, was quoted as saying that when he reached the spot, the church “was still smoking.” “I had never seen a church totally destroyed by fire, we are completely puzzled,” Diedrichs said, adding that the pastor “was very involved in his church and community.” “All our prayers and fraternal condolences to the family and loved ones of this brother in Christ,” the CNEF wrote on Facebook.

According to Page Six, Sherri Shepherd responded to Wendy Williams’ diss over the weekend by saying she’s “truly concerned” about the former daytime talk show host. Williams appeared on Instagram Live with rapper Fat Joe recently and said she wouldn’t watch Shepherd’s takeover of her show because it’s not her “thing.” In response, the former “The View” co-anchor said she was not bothered by Williams’ comments. “I did hear Wendy say she will not watch me on the new show. And that’s OK. You know, I understand,” Shepherd said on her own Instagram Live on Saturday. The “30 Rock” alum, 55, also asked fans to “pray” for Williams, whose health has been the subject of a ton of speculation. “She’s going through a lot,” Shepherd shared. “I’m truly concerned for her.” Debmar-Mercury, the production company behind “The Wendy Williams Show,” announced in February that Shepherd would be taking over Williams’ time slot permanently after Williams had been absent from the show since September.

You can read these stories and more at BlackChristianNews.com

In closing, remember, God loves you. He always has and He always will. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you don’t know Jesus as your Saviour, today is a good day to get to know Him. Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead for you. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Thanks so much for listening and may God bless your day!

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