And the hair truly is something, shiny and monochrome like an action figure's. He gets rich, you get hope. Bizarrely unethical of them. While these gimmicks may seem obvious, Jesse is a less blatant subscriber to the so-called prosperity gospel. He'd been operating his businesses as tax-free nonprofits, which the IRS called bull on pretty hard. It's hard to escape the parallels with another baby boomer, a man born just two weeks before Popoff in the summer of '46, just before the United States entered its long, hopeful postwar expansion. Appliances had been delivered. Fans of Robert Tilton know him as the host of Success-N-Life. Popoff's employees are on guard for more than just the media. Sanchez, who quit in early 2012, was one of two ex-employees who spoke with me. He only needed a small tithing of millions and millions of dollars to buy a sweet new Falcon 7X passenger jet. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Things get creepier the more you read about the Alamos. And he has risen again to make millions leading the People United for He was exposed in 1986 for using a concealed earpiece to receive radio messages from his wife, who gave him the names, addresses, and ailments of audience members during Popoff-led religious services. Responders to the ad received a small wooden cross bearing the inscription "Jerusalem" and a solicitation for donations, followed by numerous additional solicitation letters. His wife eyed me warily. In a roundabout way, it was true. [28], Octogenarian Larry Skelton, a former organist of Popoff from 1965 to 1990, and for Peter's father before that said, "When you're praying for the sick, it's through the Holy Spirit, and there's some times that it works freely, and then there are other times when the Spirit's just not there." He dared you to doubt him, which helped insulate him from charges that he was a fraud. Because it is categorized as a parsonage. Peter George Popoff (born July 2, 1946) is a German-born American televangelist and debunked clairvoyant and faith healer. By the end of that year, we were back to where we were. He said that they never went off the air, never stopped doing live shows. How is Peter Popoff not in jail or arrested? How old is Peter Popoff? For a real thriller, look no further than the flagrant manipulation of religion occurring in our own state. After graduating from college, Popoff married his wife, Liz, and they embarked on an itinerant life, preaching the Pentecostal gospel across the country. It's true. I asked about Popoff. On December 21, Peter Popoff welcomed me into his office, where we were joined by Amy and Nick, the two children who work in the ministry (another son, Alexander, is in the military). [38] "Debt cancellation is part of God's plan", according to Popoff, who taught that God would respond to prayer and seed-faith by providing financial blessing. Popoff yanked her cane away and tossed it up onstage. Duplantis disagrees. Apparently, plants in the audience would chat people up or get them to jot down details, then feed their information to Liz, who passed it on to her husband through an earpiece. Peter Popoff was one of the bolder frauds in televangelist history. This septuagenarian clocks the hours of a junior lawyer trying to make partner. Popoff is the type of televangelist who would read Which complicates any theory that he is trying to get something for nothing. Like, 1,500 people followed him. In May 2018, the famed television minister put out a call to action. Life was a hoot and a holler for Haggard. [20] Skeptic groups distributed pamphlets explaining how Popoff's feats could be accomplished without any sort of divine intervention. All of a sudden, that leg began to grow out to the same size as the other.. He absolutely claimed all of that. When Peter Popoff finally emerged, he gave a short sermon, but his heart wasn't in it. Peter Popoff was born on July 2, 1946 in Germany. [11] Billed as "The Miracle Boy Evangelist" in print advertisements, the ads also claimed he was born in a West Berlin bomb shelter, and had been rescued from a Siberian prison camp. How did he know? [22], Popoff was also the inspiration for a character in the 2012 thriller film Red Lights, a psychic who uses information fed to him via a hidden earpiece to persuade the audience at his shows that he is receiving personal details psychically. She never took very many steps, but she vibrated with energy. The water, he claimed, was drawn from a spring near Chernobyl, Ukraine (site of the 1986 nuclear reactor disaster). Rather, like many Americans of both political parties, Ill be happy simply for a coordinated, scientific federal response that will address: 1. the coronavirus; 2.the economy; Sitting on a stage, in an upholstered chair, Popoff implored his television audience to call an 800 number so that he could send them a secret faith tool that God had recently given him as he was praying about the four red moons of this year of Jubilee. If that wasn't incentive enough, there was more reason to reach for the phone. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. It all started in 1969 with a small ministry an hour outside Hollywood run by married couple Tony and Susan Alamo (ah-LAH-mo, but who cares). He wants it that way, so there is no question about where the money goes. Join Facebook to connect with Peter Popoff and others you may know. And I venture to say anyone doing TV programs He trailed off, as if he were saying something so obvious it didn't bear finishing. Haggard's responses to the accusations varied over the next few months, running the gamut from "I don't know who that guy is" to "I bought meth from that guy but I threw it away" to, eventually, "yeah, I did all that stuff.". [39], In September 2015, Michael Marshall of the Good Thinking Society documented Popoff's latest promises of "fabulous extreme fortune" and "miracles" in exchange for donations to his organization. You've been to Europe? [10] Beginning in 1960, Popoff also began making appearances as a preacher. The $1.3 million in church funds that an IRS investigation found redirected to the Bakkers' personal accounts couldn't take Jim down, but CNN reports the alleged hush money payment of $279,000 to cover up the rape of his secretary certainly pushed the "pause" button on his success story. He was exposed in 1986 for using a concealed earpiece to receive radio messages from his wife, who gave him the names, addresses and ailments of audience members during Popoff-led religious services. Beginning in the mid-2000s, Popoff bought TV time to promote "Miracle Spring Water" on late-night infomercials, and referred to himself as a prophet. [3] " We've done so many stories about him, but it never does any good," said Ole Anthony, founder of Trinity Foundation, which has investigated Popoff and other faith healers since 1987. If he had any plants in the audience, he didn't make good use of them. He switched lady friends with Gary Busey. On the days when the Holy Spirit didn't show up freely, you had to help it along; after all, you still needed to pass the hat. The Popoff water is Poland Spring? I asked. [21] With a scanner radio, Jason was able to demonstrate that Popoff's wife, Elizabeth, was using a radio transmitter to broadcast information that she and her aides had culled from prayer request cards filled out by audience members. As he approached each of us, he asked what ailed ushe didn't pretend to know. They're like Jack Nicholson's Colonel Jessup in A Few Good Menthey want to say it. Actions like that should be red flags for congregation members, but like the big questions in life, even minute dealings with religion are complicated. We started talking. The Bible tells us, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Jesse Duplantis tells us in his DVD, I respect the Pope, but what are you mad at me for? Popoff (Seated) In Prayer With Two Of His Children At The Offices Of Their Ministry, Religious enthusiasm, as with boy bands, reality TV, and other aspects of pop culture, cycles in and out. And by "lost everything," we mean he's now back on TV and has his own network again. [2][43], Popoff's operation had functioned as a for-profit company until 2006, when it merged with a small church in Farmers Branch, Texas called Word for the World, which operated out of a storefront. They prey on the weak, the elderly, those in pain or close to being homeless. I knew about televangelists, Sanchez said. The lights of his camera crew were blinding, but here he was, choosing me. CLEVELAND, October 29, 2014 - Parker Hannifin Corporation (NYSE:PH), the global leader in motion and control technologies, today announced that Peter Popoff, Vice President and President - Filtration Group, age 62, will retire effective February 1, 2015, after 36 years of dedicated service to Parker. Sanchez said that when she took the job as a donation processor, she thought she might gain new skills while serving God, too. He believes in divine magic-but not at the expense of the work ethic. Peter's list included more crusades, Book some fun trips including Italy, Skiing, and Lake Tahoe, and, at number five, Tax Exemption in Canada. It was an astonishing prcis of the prosperity gospel. Cookie Duration Description; cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics: 11 months: This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "[3] "Miracle Spring Water" promotions were still running on TV channels in the United States and Canada in 2022. And yet, they did. On December 21, Peter Popoff welcomed me into his office, where we were joined by Amy and Nick, the two children who work in the ministry (another son, Alexander, is in the military). He didn't recognize me from the time he healed my finger in Washington (not that I expected he would). Victims were interviewed, including a married couple who charged that Popoff had taken "thousands of dollars" from them. So that's fun. [29], A February 2007 Inside Edition segment reported that Popoff's new infomercials depict him "healing the sick" in a manner identical to his methods prior to James Randi's expos. Peter Popoff Email Helicopter Pilot @ US Army View Peter's Email (It's Free) 5 free lookups per month. Popoff branded his critics "tools of the devil". The home has a stunning view of the city, and is surrounded by lush gardens and a private pool. Speaking to the New York Times after being fired from the company, Koper stated that her "job as finance director was to find ways to label extravagant personal spending as ministry expenses.". I had expected to be rebuffed. No, for real, why doesn't God want televangelists flying business class? So one day I took the Garden State Parkway to have a look at Unit Pack, a family-run firm that specializes in packaging those little samples of shampoo, pharmaceuticals, and the like. God hated Communists, he said, presumably explaining why Jesus accepted Venmo for all of those loaves and fishes. Ted Haggard was the Chiclet-toothed face of evangelism for three years as the president of the National Association of Evangelicals. Popoff, along with Don Stewart and Robert Tilton, received "criticism from those who say that preachers with a long trail of disillusioned followers have no place on a network that holds itself out as a model of entrepreneurship for the black community". One star player has been Paula White, President Trump's spiritual advisor. In theory, it's a beautiful way to spread a message of faith to the masses. C CarpeDeezNutz Member Feb 14, 2016 #14 Oversoul said: He got caught once in the past by You could see, there was no fakery to it. A sentence reduction later, Bakker was paroled in 1994, and it wasn't long before his cherubic face was once again warmed by studio lighting and the liberal application of pancake makeup. I fed my curiosity in the meantime with the broad outline of Popoff's story. "[30] In May 2007, ABC's 20/20 focused on Popoff's comeback and explored the lives of a few people who felt cheated. 28. I put it in his bed, I put it on his pillow, and my son joined the church and he got saved and he's still in churchand then I got $3,800 and new furniture., Such blessings! His ministry became so popular that he attracted between 8,000 and 10,000 worshipers to his megachurch every week, and his broadcasts brought in scores of letters with personal requests for prayer and (naturally!) Now classified as a church, Popoff's corporation no longer had to report annual income or salary to the IRS. Soon afterward, he gave the speech where he cried a lot and asked for forgiveness. When Susan died in 1982, Tony had her body on display for six months, with his congregants performing a constant vigil over the corpse so it would come back to life. Please share your most urgent need so we can agree together! If you can't, you're in trouble", almost verbatim. Want to share an anonymous news tip? Warnke was sort of a big deal back in the day. He didn't recognize me from the time he healed my finger in Washington (not that I expected he would). [1], Because of Popoff's history of fraud and financial irregularities, his "People United For Christ" organization earned a "Did Not Disclose" rating with the Better Business Bureau, indicating its refusal to provide information that would enable BBB to determine whether the group adheres to its Standards for Charity Accountability. For one, Jesse is wilier than other dime-a-dozen shameless televangelists. Pete Popoff We found 30 records for Pete Popoff in CA, FL and 6 other states. He touches them and they feel better. Nuh uh. The couple's 7,300-square-foot house, purchased for $4.5 million in 2007, sits in a gated community in Bradbury, California, and is owned by his church. He lost. Hired men in suits passed out slips, telling us to jot down the ailments for which we needed intercession. To avoid Swaggart's potential power grab, he handed Jerry Falwell Sr. the keys to the kingdom. He came to me when I least expected. With a promise to heal the sick, Popoff convened huge crowds, where he relied on a shtick that involved calling out the name and ailment of someone in the audience he had never met, as if God had just vouchsafed him the information. He looked 30-ish and was wearing a Cowboys baseball cap and a greasy Unit Pack jumper. Get converts, get time on the slopes, get a tax exemption. Border guards who could have had him arrested let him pass because they were hungry to know about God. In 1982 the AP reported on Popoff's use of helium balloons to deliver Bibles and gospel pamphlets from Finland into the Soviet Union. And then came something I didn't expect: love from the crowd, people rubbing me on my back after I sat down, touching me, giving me high fives, saying, Praise the Lord! It felt so good that even if my pinkie had been causing excruciating pain, or even if I'd had a far worse condition, something that in my heart I'd known was incurable, I'm sure that, for the moment, I would not have noticed. The actual ministry, though, has been something of a mystery. At a recent London gathering, GTS filmed Popoff "healing" a woman supposedly "wracked with pain", though Marshall and a colleague had previously seen herin no obvious distresshanding out pens and questionnaires to audience members. Wrapped in Styrofoam for buoyancy and waterproofing, the Bibles eventually washed up on Communist shores.. In 2009, Popoff began running advertisements in UK periodicals offering a free cross containing "blessed water" and "holy sand". Some people will call it dumb luck. He moves slowly, but not fraillymore like a muscular man managing his own physique. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, more than 40 years later, their media empire has an estimated value of $750 million. Unfortunately for Swaggart, hell hath no fury like a minor television celebrity scorned, and Gorman had Swaggart followed and photographed during a rendezvous with a local prostitute. I heard from a veteran Popoff-watcher that the best way to get to one of his shows was to give moneythen, if he was planning an event near where you lived, he'd send you a ticket. If you're one of the people on this list, you're almost definitely going to say the devil made you do it. Eventually Popoff admitted the existence of the radio device, but claimed that Elizabeth only "occasionally" gave him "the name of a person who needs special prayers". He was exposed in 1986 for using a concealed earpiece to receive radio messages from his wife, who gave him the names, addresses, and ailments of audience members during Popoff-led religious services. What I didn't yet know was the full extent of what the old preacher had gotten himself up to. Popoff is of the same generation as Bruce Springsteen, and he clearly shares the Boss's compulsion to never let an audience down. When he talked, the people in his community listened. Some of the ladies had walkers or wheelchairs, some were healthy enough to dance in the aisles to the gospel music playing over loudspeakers. GQ may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Popoff talked about everything, without a trace of defensiveness. Prestigious debunker James Randi exposed the trick on national television, and Popoff was never heard from again. This is his first article for GQ. I was walking out toward my car when I saw a guy pulling down the metal door at a loading dock on the side of the building. Peter George Popoff (born July 2, 1946) is a German-born American televangelist and debunked clairvoyant and faith healer. The accusations are numerous and diverse. I only grew more curious. In reality, he said, the expos on The Tonight Show barely hurt his finances. Oh, also, he stole his wife's body from the compound after it was shut down. [27] Popoff's attorney, William Simon, "attributed the collapse of his ministry to financial mismanagement more than to disclosures about Popoff. What is there to say about it that hasn't already been said in countless documentaries, exposs, and depositions? It's the tradition of Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, and all the other TV preachers who rose up to take the place of the vanquished buffoons from the 1980s. The book makes the claim that Peter was smuggling thousands of Bibles into China, and that in Eastern Europe, people would walk 150 miles to hear him preach. But in 2006, it reorganized and aligned itself with a small ministry called Word for the World, which operated out of a tiny storefront church in Farmers Branch, Texas. When you're praying for the sick, it's through the Holy Spirit, and there's some times that it works freely, and then there are other times when the Spirit's just not there, Skelton said. Their ministry fell pretty clearly under the umbrella of "that's absolutely a cult" when it was discovered that they had followers working in a sweatshop, producing high-end denim jackets that were sold for hundreds of dollars. He believes in divine magicto enrich you, to heal you, or just to entertain youbut not at the expense of the work ethic. But when I asked about the earpiece, Popoff was happy to talk. One time they came with 130 gallon-size jugs.. I'm the one who pours the blessed water into the drums, said the man with the lip rings. Attendees of his sermons were amazed when he'd call out strangers by name, knowing exactly what afflicted them through the divine providence of God. They did not want to comment on Crystal Sanchez's allegations in her e-book. But I had never heard about him before. Sanchez said that the buildings were essentially big processing centers for cash, checks, and valuables. What troubles you? he asked. Later, Popoff's people would tell me that the church had recently moved and it was going by a new name now, too. You know where that pain went? Popoff cried after one healing. It felt good, as hugs do. Everybody's known that one dude that can't stop himself from one-upping. In practice, it seems to end disproportionately in hand-tailored suits that cost as much as a down payment on a mortgage and, in more than a few cases, prison. He kept going, and now does infomercials selling his patented Miracle Manna, a guaranteed cure for, according to Popoff, basically everything.