Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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1. 

   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

2. 

   The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…

3. 

   But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…

4. 

   Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…

5. 

   Yes, if I’ve got anything remotely like a phobia, as an ex-fundy, its bibles, churches, tracts etc. I like to…

MICHAEL Blackwell, above, longtime and “beloved” leader of the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina since 1983, has been forced to stepped down after an internal investigation found he had used almost $90,000 in charitable funds for personal expenses over the past three years.

According to Religion News Service, the 81-yeaar-old left when his annual salary at the charity was $314,316 with an additional $69,565 in non-taxable benefits.

An investigation also found that Blackwel had diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to a special account set up for his benefit.

He also bought his wife a new car using charitable funds, according to a report from forensic auditors.

Blackwell, who had been on leave since May, when the investigation was launched, has agreed to pay back $88,803.14 in personal expenses charged over a three-year period to his company credit card. 

According to an investigative report made public last month:

The Forensic Report describes the personal nature of these expenses, which include snacks, drinks, nutritional supplements, clothes, health care costs, subscriptions, and stays at Structure House—a self-improvement center where program participants stay in ‘luxury apartments’.

Blackwell denied any wrongdoing in an interview with the Biblical Recorder, a state newspaper for North Carolina Baptists, and in a statement sent to the paper and Baptist leaders.

Image via YouTube

Todd Unzicker, above, Executive Director of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, called the Children’s Homes, which operates residences for children in 35 locations in the U.S. as well as an orphanage in Guatemala, a “beloved ministry” in the state.

The actions identified by the summary report represent a betrayal of trust with the people that love and support the minister. We are encouraged to see BCH trustees move toward a change in executive leadership and seek restitution. They should be commended for commissioning an independent financial review and then acting swiftly upon receiving the results.

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