A second lawsuit has been filed against the African Methodist Church for allegedly mishandling retirement funds.
The AARP Foundation has joined as co-counsel with the law firm Kantor & Kantor in the Maryland lawsuit against the AME Church.
The suit, filed on March 22 in U.S. District Court in Maryland, is the second against the denomination. The first was out of Tennessee.
Roland Martin spoke with Attorney Scott Lempert, a partner of Kantor and Kantor about the lawsuit filed against the AME Church.
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More than $90 million has been reported missing from the retirement funds of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, one of the oldest and largest African American denominations in the United States. The church is now facing a number of lawsuits from members who have lost their retirement savings.
The AME Church is a mainline Protestant denomination with over 2 million members in the United States, Canada and other countries. The church has a long history of social justice activism and is considered to be a leader in the African American community.
The scandal first broke in 2017 when the church’s board of trustees discovered that more than $90 million had been misappropriated from the church’s retirement funds. The funds were allegedly used to pay for luxury items and personal expenses. The church has since launched an internal investigation to identify the individuals responsible for the misappropriation of funds.
The church has also been hit with a number of lawsuits from members who have lost their retirement savings as a result of the scandal. The lawsuits allege that the church’s board of trustees failed to properly oversee the retirement funds and allowed the misappropriation of funds to occur.
The scandal has caused a great deal of turmoil within the church and has led to a number of resignations, including the resignation of the bishop who was in charge of the retirement funds. The church is now in the process of rebuilding its reputation and restoring trust in its leadership.
The AME Church is a vital part of the African American community and this scandal has had a deep impact on its members. The church is now facing a difficult task of restoring trust and rebuilding its reputation. It remains to be seen how the church will move forward from this scandal and whether it will be able to restore the faith of its members.
They have been led astray sheeple!
Wow being a trustee in the same im very sad that one person was given sole control of this huge duty even in local offerings several members are responsible for accurate amounts so im very disappoint with higher officials who did not check and balance this individual. With noteworthy finance. Facts.
Oh lord. I used to wonder why cme and ame churches could not unite but until sanity prevails maybe separate denominations make sense, sort of.
What is the circumstance that Maryland and Tennessee brought these suits?
Very sad indeed. This is a bruise on the scar remembering how my dad served faithfully for years in AME in Africa and he died without any retirement. My comfort is he has gained more in heaven where he is. What has happened is tantamount to muzzling the oxen. Lord have mercy
They are not the only ones. I have info on Bishop Samuel L Green. My father was a pastor in SC and has since pasted away. I took control of some of his paperwork and I have alleged info that it has been going on in the 7th District AME Church by Samuel L. Green and others
People are not just randomly elected into office. When they campaign/seek office. If they run for a position, it's because they have expertise in the specific office they're seeking. That information is revealed. The person in that office was a General Officer elected by the chosen delegates of the church. However, the ball was dropped with oversight in this case. This is not how the church is set up to function.
The CME Church needs to be investigated as well. When I left I was told I could not withdraw my pension which was paid by churches I pastored because they said I was never "enrolled" in the plan but yet the church was REQUIRED to pay into on my behalf. So since I was not eligible for it and the funds were never returned to the various churches where did the money go and to who?
Our people , Our people ! Not $1M Not $2M but $90M Wow ! How foolish can you be and this is so called professional black folks. I wonder if the person doing the investing was white. But then again you can't trust anyone when it comes to money not even your family.
THEY WILL BRING BACK ALL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS NEXT ELECTION..MAKE MACARONI CHITTERLINGS AND SANNNNNNNNGGGGGGHGG SANGGGGGG SANGGGHHHHHHH!
HOES AND PLANES….STOP BEINGING A DUMB ASS. TAKE THEM HATS AND WEAVES/ WIG OFF YOUR DAME HEAD AND USE YOU BRAINS!!!
This is so sad. If you are required to contribute 12% of your money to this fund, they have a responsibility to safeguard your money. Why are you required to contribute 12%? Maybe encouraged but not required!!
You can't trust a preacher who buys hookers and drinks he screwd the people
They laundered and split that money for all parties involved. Imagine reaching retirement age and finding out that it’s all gone.
The AME church is a religious Mafia were all the money goes to the top.
Those poor, trusting people.
When pastors can not trust the church with their retirements where do you go. This is a sad day for AME church,
I appreciate that this man has clearly read The Discipline.
"And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." (Luke 16:8 KJV)
The heart for a retirement fund for clergy was in the right place when it was insitutied back in 1996. The issue is we Trust and don't verify. For so long people in the church has put sole trust in what the preacher says or does, and now look where that has got us. Ive been told the church is not a business its does not operate like the secular world. Well now that the FBI is involved, you'll see the church is indeed a business. People that are in office positions to make sound decisions shouldn't even be there. Even if Dr. Harris went to the committee about these risky investments the committee would have voted Yes to invest. No wisdom whatsoever.
Period
I am AME and it a shame that our pastor cannot be trusted to do the right thing when it come money
Church the strongest Black Institution not
What a mess theives. In the Temple
One more reason to question everything about Christianity.
Religion pure CORRUPTION