The Associated Press has reported that Word of Faith Fellowship founder Jane Whaley and other church leaders have been accused of transporting “converts” from Brazil to America and forcing them to work “15 hours a day, usually for no pay, first cleaning warehouses for the secretive evangelical church and later toiling at businesses owned by senior ministers.”
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The allegedly enslaved converts say their passports and money were confiscated by church leaders for “safekeeping.” And if they deviated from the rules in any way, punishment ranged from being shamed from the pulpit to being beaten.
“They trafficked us up here. They knew what they were doing. They needed labor and we were cheap labor — hell, free labor,” charged Andre Oliveira.
Pastors of the Brazilian branch of the church called the former members’ accusations “many lies and distorted facts.” However, the claims made by the trafficked Brazilians have been supported by former American members.
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Federal and state authorities are now investigating these claims. Brazilian authorities now say they are also looking into the claims.
