if this aint the devil!!!
Finally, we are beginning to get the truth about the marriage of
Juanita Bynum and
Bishop Thomas Weeks, III. For the first time since the attack, the popular television evangelist spoke publicly to the media. In a very informal press conference at the Atlanta Intercontinental Hotel,
Bynum, surprisingly dressed in a pink sweatshirt with white letters saying Daytona Beach Florida and a denim skirt, shared her position. It seemed that
Bynum was as comfortable speaking about her new calling as she was dressed. The very attractive pulpit princess was painted to perfection with every hair in place.
Bynum said she did not want to be seen as a victim or as a damsel in distress.
“I did not prepare a written statement because I felt like whatever I said today I wanted it to come from my heart,” said
Bynum. “This is such a difficult moment for me because this is my first time speaking out publicly about what I’ve been through, but I just wanted to first go on record to say that I forgive my husband and I wish him all the best.”
Clearly, this is not the first tumultuous marriage the prophetess has had nor, according to her books and sermons, is it the first time she has been physically abused by a man that she loved.
Bynum is known and admired by thousands as a fiery evangelist whose no-nonsense, lead-by-less-than-perfect-example ministry was seemingly personified by a fairytale marriage to a Godly mate that has gone bad.
The story book romance, which included a million-dollar wedding, became a nightmare the other week after
Thomas Weeks traded in the scripture
Proverbs 18:22 says “Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, obtaineth favor of the Lord,” when he allowed himself to become so unglued that he now finds himself charged with wrapping his hands around the throat of his wife and squeezing the life out of the dynamic and inspirational preacher-wife. He then flung her to the ground kicking her then raising his foot and stomping her in the Renaissance Concord Hotel Parking Lot in Atlanta, Georgia. Obviously,
Bishop Weeks laid down his religion and transformed into
Ike Turner and gave
Juanita a pimp like old fashion whipping.
Juanita Bynum’s example now shifts from empowered single-turned-spouse to spouse-turned-survivor, which can be considered another feather in her preaching cap.
“I got a lot of phone calls wishing me well and people were saying they were praying for me and I think at that point I began to feel week and helpless and I came out today because I made a decision to choose my position and I don’t want to be seen as a damsel in distress or the victim,”
Bynum said.
Although, it is still very unclear why
Bishop Weeks became so violent and attacked his wife, it is not a shadow of a doubt that
Juanita Bynum will not allow this unfortunate situation to hold her back—she declared domestic violence now has a face--and it is the face of
Juanita Bynum. The prophetess added that it is her new mantel. True to the very strong and assertive
Juanita Bynum form while she responded to questions about her marriage and what actually happened on the night of the attack. The preacher did say that she is now focused herself again.
Bynum has been no stranger to struggle. It was her life and mistakes that catapulted the former hairdresser and flight attendant onto the national stage after she preached at a Christian singles event about breaking free of sexual promiscuity.
After having tried her best to be strong and show little or no emotion during her press conference,
Juanita eventually broke and began to shed tears. She might be rough and tough in the pulpit, but this situation cased her to break. “I’m not crying just because I was kicked or I was choked. There’s more to it than that for me. I know that scars heal, but I lost somebody that I loved very much. I know people go through this saying I loved him. No, I love him,”
Bynum.
Juanita Bynum said she will probably never stop loving her husband, but she is finished with what she has finally admitted to being an abusive marriage. “My love for
Bishop Weeks I don’t think will ever die. I said this to someone yesterday, my love for him, separating what I experienced in that parking lot, I have enough love. It’s so much until I think I can marry him twice, but this one is over,”
Bynum said.
She loves him so much that she gave her attorney the go-ahead for divorce proceedings last week, and she is cooperating fully with the prosecution. Now I guess that is some serious unconditional love.
However, it was good to hear someone finally tell the truth that all the rumors and speculation was right.
Juanita Bynum admitted she had been lying for sometime now and covering for her and
Weeks abusive marriage. “This is not the first time that we had a physical altercation. It’s never been to this degree, never. Shoving, yes—He’s never physically drawn a fist back and hit me, but it’s been pushing and shoving,”
Bynum confessed.
Juanita would not say weather or not if she felt that
Bishop Weeks should go to jail, but she did say that he has some redeeming qualities.
“He’s a brilliant man and I believe God is going to get that purpose out his life. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be with me and so that’s why I wish him the best. I wish him the best,”
Bynum said passionately.
Allowing no more than thirty minutes to speak to press, the television evangelist had to make her way to TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) for her first taping since her attack. Not short of a celebrity,
Juanita Bynum entered a black stretch limo Complete with a police motorcade to escort her to the station in Decatur, Georgia. Surrounded by her usual over aggressive female staff and tons of security to enter the station that boasts of spreading the love of Christ was rude and belligerent about no media being allowed. An older bleached blonde white woman that had on more make up than
Tammy Faye Baker and false eyelashes long enough to knock me down, did not greet me with any love and kindness that is talked about in the
Holy Bible when she yelled “Absolutely no media allowed.” Later I learned that the woman was not a Mary Kay distributor complete with a pink caddy, but actually the station manager. While on the inside
Juanita was working her television debut, gripping the mic yelling, marching, and throwing her long luxurious weave, and declaring what thus say the Lord to a packed studio audience. The very beautiful woman was flawless and working her new found platform.
To members of his congregation,
Bishop Tomas Wesley Weeks, III is a charismatic, straight-talking preacher whose compelling sermons have garnered him followers across the nation. But behind the scenes,
Weeks is not all that he appears to be and had some very big financial troubles. It has been discovered that his financial troubles preceded the very public assault charges.
Weeks now faces charges for allegedly stomping and beating his estranged wife,
Evangelist Juanita Bynum.
It seems that
Bishop Weeks and his wife moved to Atlanta from Washington, D.C. in 2006 to escape his past. The power couple was allegedly expanding their ministry or fleeing some unwanted history. They moved into a $2.5 million home that was leased and had big dreams for the future in the Bible Belt Atlanta, but
Weeks left several unpaid creditors behind.
Weeks’ financial past includes several civil judgments against the 40-year-old bishop. Court document show that before moving to Duluth, Georgia,
Weeks led a ministry in Washington, D.C. called Center of Hope Community Development Corporation. Court records reveal a $63,000 judgment against
Weeks from copier giant, Xerox Corporation, a $22,000 judgment against
Weeks from jewelry store Tiffany and Company, a $13,000 judgment from a credit card company and a $6,000 judgment from Ford Motor Credit. In total, there is more than $100,000 in judgments against
Weeks. Three of the creditors say
Weeks still has not paid the debt.
When
Weeks moved to Duluth in early 2006, family members confirmed that he and his wife,
Juanita Bynum began leasing a $2.5 million home with six bedrooms in the St. Marlo Golf Community in Forsyth County. Earlier this summer, a Georgia court gave the order to serve an eviction notice on the good bishop. Dispossessory documents dated for June 26, 2007 indicate
Weeks owed $54,000 in past due rent on the luxury home. According to the eviction notice issued at the magistrate court in Forsyth County, when deputies went to
Week’s home to serve the eviction notice,
Weeks and all his furniture was gone. We also learned that he defaulted on the first contract and had entered into a second agreement to purchase the high-end home by April of 2008.
Bishop Weeks’ attorneys continue to remind us that we have only heard one side of the story and it might get really ugly if he begins to reveal some possible hidden dirt on his wife that would not explain his actions, but shed light on how he could become so angry at what has been called a meeting for the couple to reconcile turned into a BATTLE ROYALE. It might be safe to assume that the couple was arguing about money and
Bishop Weeks might have been pleading with his estranged wife,
Evangelist Juanita Bynum, to take him back and give him a loan of about $100,000 as we previously reported. It is a well known fact that
Juanita returned from her “
Women on the Frontline” Conference in Orlando, Florida with her pockets fat. An argument might have ensued when the Lord revealed to
Juanita that vicious night at the Renaissance Hotel that she was nothing more than a pretty meal ticket.
Weeks may not have ever really loved her as much as she loved him at all. Perhaps the good-looking, sharp dressing, charismatic, smooth talking bishop played the pretty vunerable prophetess like she has admitted to playing so many men in her past. I think it is recorded in the
Holy Bible that “God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.”
Enough of my philosophy on this subject, everything we want to know and more will come out on
Juanita Bynum and
Bishop Weeks in his trial. It is rumored that he beat his first wife to the point to that he broke her arm. Weeks allegedly body slammed and physically removed a secretary that he fired from his church and I have recently learned that he publicly embarrassed an usher by calling her stupid over the pulpit in a Sunday Morning Service.
Weeks might have a history for being abusive. However, this is not the first beat down that
Juanita Bynum has taken. In fact, there are whispers that all three of her husbands have roughed her up.
I must inform you that I received a call from a very irate Tina Trice Culpepper, who is the alleged sister of
Juanita Bynum and the individual that I spoke with in detail about
Juanita being attacked. Tina, who is actually a very close friend and assistant to
Bynum, was very angry with me about my report on
Juanita being attacked and sharing that she was my source. Tina and
Juanita have been friends for a long time and actually meet some years ago when they were both flight attendants with Delta Airlines. The friend of
Bynum is also an evangelist that laid her religion down when she made the following comments: “Why in the f*ck did you say everything I told you? I should have followed my gut and never spoke with you,” Tina yelled. “I still have to live after all this sh*t is over William!” Well, they all must have this pick it up put it down Pentecostal religion. No worries, your boy remained the true essence of style, class, and intelligence while reminding her that she was a Woman of God and that I was merely doing my job. Although, it fell on deaf ears as Tina continued to speak to me in other tongues, I kindly gave her a fond farewell and released the call.
Juanita Bynum will be renting the late Elder Nathan Simmons church, Citadel of Hope Evangelistic Church of God In Christ, where Angelic DeWitt Simmons, widow of the great evangelist is currently serving as the interim pastor. Starting on Sunday, October 12, 2007,
Juanita Bynum can be found at Citadel at 4:00 p.m. weekly teaching her mentoring class. Only 800 people can register for the $150 weekly sessions with the prophetess.
Juanita will be walking away with a whopping $120,000 a week for eight weeks straight. Now that is a hunk and a chunk of money.
Click her to watch a clip of
Juanita Bynum describe herself as ghetto and explain in detail how she was going to bash
Bishop Thomas Wesley Weeks, III in the head with a brick (
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1138363732/bclid1155327276/bctid1173355442)!
Look for
Obnoxious to keep you posted on
Ike and
Tina, I mean,
Thomas and
Juanita.
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