1 Service Interrupted By Member of Congregation
The Daily Mail reports that during a livestream service last Sunday, Whitehead was giving a sermon when a woman in the congregation apparently interrupted him. When she walked past the pulpit, Whitehead seemed to grab her near the neck and shove her. “Grab her out! Grab her out!” the bishop said, before resuming his sermon. Keep reading to learn more and see the video.
2 YouTubers Involved, Pastor Says
Whitehead later released a response on Facebook, saying the altercation followed lawsuits he has filed against two YouTubers who accused him of stealing from his congregation. The allegations followed earlier headlines: Whitehead was apparently robbed of jewelry valued at $1 million during a live-streamed church service on July 24. He was previously convicted of identity theft and served time in New York state prison. Recently, he has been accused of stealing $90,000 of life savings from a parishioner, and New Jersey and New York state courts have levied judgments against him for unpaid real estate debts. According to ot the New York Post, the pastor has filed two $20 million defamation suits against two YouTubers who have alleged he’s a scammer.
3 “Let ‘Em Record”
In the video of Sunday’s sermon, Whitehead discusses the accusations against him. “All we hear is Bishop Whitehead is a liar, all we hear is Apostle Chief, Apostle Bishop Whitehead is a scammer. All we hear is that Leaders of Tomorrow is going to fall,” he says. Whitehead accuses people of “snapshotting and shooting right now,” and vows, “‘Let ’em record, let ’em record.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
4 Pastor Claims to Feel Threatened
In the video, when a woman in the congregation screams at Whitehead, he asks her, “You want to come preach? You want to come preach, come up here.” When a woman in a brown and pink floral top comes forward, he lifts his hands and pushes her out of the frame. “Go over here, go over here,” he says. “Grab her out.” The Daily Mail reported that he later said, “Press whatever charges you want, you’re not going to come in my space. I feel threatened.”
5 Both Parties Questioned By Police
TMZ reported that both the pastor and unidentified woman were questioned by police after the incident. The woman was charged with trespassing and disrupting a service or funeral, both misdemeanors. Whitehead has not been charged.
6 Pastor Alleges Threats to Family
In a resulting Facebook video, Whitehead attempted to explain what happened. He alleged the woman was threatening his family. “I know that everyone’s building a narrative, but it is what it is,” he said. “We had some visitor in the church, and they were sent by two nobodies — two bloggers who are nobodies. And they were sent into my church to disrupt my church.” Whitehead said there are “lawsuits out, and when retaliation is retaliation, this is what it is. They came in videoing, and it was a whole set-up. That’s when I took action and I grabbed the young woman and I escorted her out.”
