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Protest held as Taylor church leaders are arraigned in federal court
A hearing held Tuesday for Taylor church leaders accused of forced labor, money laundering and other crimes in Michigan and other parts of the country.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A hearing was held Tuesday for Taylor church leaders accused of forced labor, money laundering and other crimes in Michigan and other parts of the country.
The backstory:
Three leaders of the Kingdom of God Church have been indicted by a federal grand jury. They are accused of forcing people to work at a call center and punished workers if they didn't get enough donations.
A protest was held outside the federal courthouse in Detroit in support of David E. Taylor, Michelle Brannon and the newly indicted Kathleen Klein.
The three are high-ranking leaders in the Kingdom of God Church. According to the indictment, they ran a network of call centers across multiple states that used forced labor to solicit donations for the church.
Prosecutors say victims were forced to work grueling hours at the call centers without pay.
When church members fell short of leaders’ goals, the punishment was said to be severe:
- Public humiliation
- Sleep deprivation
- Physical violence
- Withholding of food and shelter
- Forced repentance rituals
- Threats of eternal damnation
The indictment alleges this went on for 10 years in which the church collected $50 million in donations, which leaders then used to pay for personal real estate, vehicles, travel, and luxury goods.
What they're saying:
"The prosecution has falsely labeled this church a criminal organization," said Joseph Busch, Kingdom of God Church. "But we are a church and we are here to let the world know that we are not victims. We are volunteer missionaries that preach the gospel."
A group of supporters today said those claims are not true. Those who stand by the defendants say this is government overreach looking to take down a religious institution.
"Apostle David E. Taylor has not done anything wrong - he is not a criminal," said Kea Jones, Kingdom of God Church. "He has no criminal record, yet the Judge, Kimberly Altman tried to say, he 'was a danger to society.' That doesn’t make sense. They said the same thing about Martin Luther King Jr. They said he was the most dangerous negro but yet he was trying to unite people together.
"Our Pastor David Taylor is not a criminal; Michelle Brannon and Kathleen Klein are not criminals. They are pastors of a church and this indictment is unconstitutional.."
An anonymous person speaking on behalf of alleged victims gave FOX 2 this statement which reads in part:
"This is not a persecution of a church preaching the gospel, this is a prosecution of a man that according to the evidence and experience of many families, mentally and sexually abused volunteers, exploiting their genuine love for Christ and claiming to have power and authority over others.
"Please read the evidence for yourselves and protect your family."
These accusations came to light in July of 2025. The three people accused could face 20 years in jail if convicted.
David E. Taylor, Michelle Brannon and Kathleen Klein from the Kingdom of God Church.
The Source: Information for this report is from the federal indictment, interviews with church members and a statement from a family member of one of the victims.