Greater Ministries International

Infobox_Company
company_name = Greater Ministries International
company_|
company_type = church
foundation = 1993, Tampa, Florida, U.S.
location = Tampa, Florida
key_people = Gerald Payne, Director
industry = religion
num_employees =
products =
revenue =
net_income =
homepage =

Greater Ministries International was a church ministry that ran a Ponzi scheme taking nearly 500 million dollars from 18,000 people. Headed by Gerald Payne in Tampa, Florida, the ministry bribed church leaders around the United States to keep "donations" coming in.cite news | url=http://www.adl.org/Learn/ext_us/GMI.asp?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=3&item=gmi | title=Extremism in America: Greater Ministries International | publisher = Anti-Defamation League | date= 2007 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2007-07-18] Payne and other church elders promised the church members double their money back citing Biblical scripture. However, nearly all the money was lost and hidden away. Church leaders received prison sentences ranging from 13 to 27 years.

The group also had ties to Stayton, Oregon-based Embassy of Heaven run by Glen Stoll, which was later closed by the Justice Department. [cite news | url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/212422_corpsole17.html| title=Two Snohomish County men accused of anti-tax scheme |publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | date=February 17, 2005 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2007-02-04]

Their group founded a newspaper, "Greater Bible College" in Tampa, a line of "Greater Live" herbal remedies, cancer treatments ("We actually pull the cancer right out of your stomach," Payne claims), even a supplement called "Beta 1, 3rd Glucan" (to survive "end-times plagues") and plans for "Greater Lands" an independent country (an "Ecclesiastical Domain ... similar to the Vatican,") where other governments will have no jurisdiction. [cite news | url=http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=342 | title=Ministry of Money |publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center | date=Spring 1999 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2007-11-04]

References

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://greater-ministries.com/ http://greater-ministries.com] (GMI former website archived)Injunctions/press releases
* [http://www.com.state.oh.us/press1/99releases/sc0824.htm Ohio Division of Securities Obtains Injunction] , August 24, 1999
* [http://www.psc.state.pa.us/enforce/injunctions/greater2.html Pennsylvania Injunction] , 1999
* [http://www.sec.gov/rules/proposed/s72301/lam1.htm U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission] , February 19, 2002 Legal documents
* [http://docket.medill.northwestern.edu/archives/000870.php Whitfield, David v. U.S. / Hall, Haywood v. U.S.]