Just when we didn’t think he could sink any lower, Tony Spell, leader of the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is asking everyone to give him their stimulus money.
In case you need a refresher, Spell made headlines last month when he was arrested for busing in over 1,800 people to his Sunday service. He later said, “True Christians do not mind dying,” and has since continued holding church services week after week.
Since then, at least one of Spell’s parishioners has died of COVID-19 and his personal attorney, who is representing him in his legal battle with the state for defying official orders, has been hospitalized after testing positive for the virus.
Related: Antigay pastor who bussed in 1,825 people for church service slapped with six misdemeanor charges
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Now, in a video published to his YouTube channel this week, Spell is encouraging his followers to give him their entire $1,200 stimulus checks. Because that’s what good Christians do, right?
He’s calling it the #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge. Beginning on April 19, he wants everyone to send him their money.
“Donate your stimulus money,” he says. “Donate it to evangelists. North American evangelists who haven’t had an offering in a month, missionaries who haven’t had an offering in a month, music ministers who haven’t had an offering in a month.”
Related: Defiant evangelical pastor who refused to cancel church services dies of coronavirus
Spells goes on to say that both he, his wife, and his son are all donating their stimulus checks to… him. He also says anyone who doesn’t have a church to donate to should give through his website.
Watch. Or don’t.
Jared MacBride
This is what clergymen do; they prey on the weak for money. What’s sad is how they live like kings and queens off tax free money.
nicolemcolon6
This is the best and most financially rewarding job I’ve ever had. I actually started this few Weeks ago and almost immediately started to bring home minimum 74BUCKS p/h. I use details from this webpage…? 9.ly/a71LB
Bellamy
This is NOT what clergymen do. This is what con-artists do. One would have to be a total idiot to not think that evil people will take advantage of innocent by posing as a do-gooders. Evil people make fake charities and bilk people out of billions of dollars – but that doesn’t make the honest people running real charities bad. There are THOUSANDS of LGBT clergy with MILLIONS of LGBT members of faith. Stop slandering innocent people because of the evil of a few – or else don’t expect the same courtesy.
wimo
This is the way churches work since “God’s” resurrection. When will people grow up?
Troysky
A true sign of narcissism.
AxelDC
Does religion exist for any other reason than to control your life and take your money?
briantopher
It’s not to control “your” life. It’s to control “other people’s lives” and to take your money to do it.
KerryB
Religion has always been about money and power, it has very little to do with faith.
Lance Mullholland
Yes, it does.
jayceecook
I wouldn’t say religion, or at least ALL religions. Definitely the Abrahamic ones do. However, I’d say that CHURCHES and their “leaders” are the ones that exist solely to take your money, tell you how to live, and then force, er I mean, encourage others to do the same.
Cam
These people should all be in jail.
Josh447
The human parasites are out in full form it seems.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Now, now people. We must all remember that religion is based on belief. If he were able to convince 1800 people that if they followed his calling and came to church they would not get sick why wouldn’t they believe that by giving him all of their stimulus check while staying in their homes wouldn’t achieve the same miracle? This is what happens when people have so little faith in themselves they turn it over to others. I’ll bet he’ll be asking for the deeds to their homes by this time next week.
Itsonlythetruth
All these Evangelical pastors are money hungry crooks. They all worship the almighty dollar.
Bellamy
Hmm, I seem to recall the Straight People saying that all Gays were nothing but child molesting perverts. You should be careful condemning entire groups of people because of the actions of a perverse few. I am a minster with an LGBT flock – and I have never taken a single penny from a single person in the name of religion… and I am NOT in the minority. You only hear about the bad eggs because the press makes a huge deal about it and because you are a dishonest person not to inquire about how many ministers have NOT abused anyone. Its kind of like flying in an airplane; in 2019 there were only 86 plane accidents – yet people become terrified of flying because the news shows those few accidents and doesn’t show you that in that same year there were a total of 68,948,744 COMPLETELY SAFE flights around the globe!!!
Thom59
Had he only fallen into that river! Current is good and strong right now.
loren_1955
Blood sucking leeches. Religionists…the bane of the world. More concerned about their wealth than the good of people. Argh!!!
TheBoyz-London
It’s the same the world over. Let’s all pray to an imaginary being, tell fairy stories to the vulnerable then prey on them and take their money. After all they’re vulnerable and poor so why should we live like that? That’s The whole Religious mentality. What a Crock.
startenout
Yes, religion is so much worse than circuit parties, gay bars and cruises charging ridiculous prices for watered down drinks and catering to drugs and sex shows. There’s a sucker for every group that promises something; you have to be smart enough to find a group that isn’t there to use and abuse you. Yeah it exists in religion; it also exists in every gay enclave around the world. Promoters aren’t there to support our “gay pride.” They’re making money. A Pride “parade” is the same as what you’re guessing against, yet you’ll be there for some fantasy of pride given to you by corporations that care for a month. Ugh
radiooutmike
Ok.
One of his elderly parishioners died of COVID-19. One his lawyers contracted COVID-19 and has NO idea where he got it. Could’ve been Sears!? Well, not Sears, but Sam’s.
Now, he wants your stimulus checks? No shame. No shame at all. Churches collect money, soul are incidental.
TimothyBeauchamp
Just wait for the “Easter Talibangelical Coronavirus Bump” – Talibangelicals are a threat to public health. Time for them to pay taxes for constantly stressing our medical infrastructure.
fur_hunter
Timothy…..Hello!!!!….Yeah….It’s Thornton from FaceBook
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Interesting analysis. The constitution guarantees them freedom of religion but does NOT guarantee them freedom from taxes. None of them.
jayceecook
Actually Sister Bitter Bettyandboring the reason for them being tax exempt IS constitutionally based. The federal government and IRS have allowed it out of fear of violating the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” As Chief Justice John Marshall stated back in 1819, “the power to tax involves the power to destroy.” Keeping churches tax exempt removes the temptation from government to interfere with the free exercise of religion, also guaranteed by the First Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court during the 70s held that property tax exemptions for churches were in keeping with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. As one author put it, “Churches are tax exempt under the principle that there is no surer way to destroy the free exercise of religion than to tax it.”
So unfortunately no politician is ever going to take them head on over their tax exempt status for fear of causing a 1st Amendment ruckus. That and fear of loosing reelection.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Jackaz, they’re exempt because of a ruling in 1913 that declared them public charities. If your going to put some one in their place name dates, times and the events that caused them instead of salivating while wetting your panties as you type in the insult. By the way, Ms. Knowz-It-All, not everyone was onboard with that ruling either.
fur_hunter
ANYONE who does give him their check is a stupid, F uckTard, Imbecile, MORON A SShole and deserves to get the virus and die a horrible, painful and agonizing death.
russellhm
And he works so hard to earn his keep with his parishioners–praying for them which means spending most of his days and nights on his knees. (Stop that! No, not for that reason, I’m sure.) And without parishioners coming to services they can drop their hard-earned cash into those shiny collection plates. So he is SOL. But then, they may need that money for themselves. And the old saying, “Charity begins at home,” is no truer then than now. So I think it’s just fine if they keep it and he has to get a real job.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
These vile noxious smcubag repugnant puddles of puke Pastors find a new way to suck each and every day….
ShiningSex
Trash. End of story.
Toofie
It’s a shame that even people with mild intelligence fall for these creeps.
Charlotte Hollis
I’m not so sure about y’all, but I find the Reverend really hawt. I’d surely give him some of my stimulus check to see what he’s hiding under that robe.
djmcgamester
A TRUE Christian would put the lives of his flock ahead of himself. Which is to say, he’d tell them to stay home and offer services through Zoom or something similar. A church doesn’t make the connection to a deity any stronger. If it’s an omnipresent being then it’s with you wherever you go.
Ricanthony
F**k you very much. Drop dead, “Pastor”. You know since Christians don’t mind dying of COVID. *eye roll* Abolish Religion!
SteveM
Evangelicals and Pentacostals (not just their pastors) are disgusting filth. They are far worse and much more dangerous than the Mafia is or ever was. Luckily for them, they’ve never knocked on my door – they’d hear language thaty would make a truck driver cringe.
Kangol2
He’s another example of praying with the faithful to prey on the faithful. I hope he’s Purelled his soul!
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
NOTHING could cleanse his black soul, which has already been claimed by Satan….
Kangol2
From the looks of him, that soul is as ashy and white as you can get. There’s nothing black or soulful about him!
SportGuy
Jesus is not amused.
rbernard
Louisiana has long spawned infamous, audacious, and “in the name of Jesus” religious scam-artists.
This particular one is as crazy as a fox, who has no moral boundaries in the middle of a deadly highly contagious pandemic, as a grand opportunity to pursue his craft of shamelessly picking people’s pockets.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
lol lol Now, now. Let’s leave ol’ Jimmy “I’ve sinned against you oh Lord” Swaggart out of this.
dhm
Ignorance is bliss. Since I am far from being ignorant, I simply hope that all his ‚flock‘ will ensure that all payments are donated in cash, sent to his personal address and is covered with the virus. After all, ‚tis better to give than to receive‘.
batesmotel
These extremists are too much as all extremists of any group are. Well never mind that people finding their stimulus check isn’t the full $1200, but far less. The $1200 was apparently just the max they will pay out. Another brilliant move by the government in BOTH parties.
JanDivine
They will give it to him.
startenout
Lord, this man is a disgusting plague on Christianity. I’m gonna pray he sees the error in his ways and that the people in his congregation see him for the scam artist that he truly is.
surfpenis
His voice sounds like a queen or a homosexual!
Joshooeerr
It’s pretty simple really. Once you know your followers are dumb enough to buy into dopey ideas like resurrection and transubstantiation, you can be pretty sure they’ll fall for all kinds of other dumb stuff.
Tombear
It’s called natural selection. We don’t need any more moron genes in the gene pool.
Hussain-TheCanadian
This man needs to find a real job like the rest of us, being a pastor is not a real job, if he wants to be a pastor on the weekend, awesome, but he needs to stop being a bum.
Tombear
Get this, the husband and I are millionaires many times over and we get stimulus checks. Most of our income is through qualified dividends we pay little or no tax on. We are giving our checks, $2400 in total, to the local food bank and SPCA. Our donations will do a lot more than sending a stimulus check to a church!
winemaker
Another religious phony baloney piece of SHIT who calls himself Christian. Christians aren’t required to share or give this lazy ass ZIPPO. and to guilt people, who for the most part need this money is sinful, pure and simple. This reminds me of the media evangelist joel osteen, this phony baloney bastard is super rich and probably wouldn’t give a thirsty baby a drink of water. As a Christian and gay, i resent this charlatan calling himself a Christian and as far as I’m concerned, he can kiss my smooth tight ‘n white Irish – Italian ass. It’d be great to know how much money this guy’s got in the bank, just sayin’
GayEGO
Well said!
titussavage212
Most of you sound so full of hate it is sickening. I guess that is what the LGBTQ community is like. How are churches to pay for there utilities if they have no money? You want people to accept you and your lifestyle. Yet on the other hand you guys are so judging and a bunch of hypocrites.
1. If you want people to be accepting of you. Then be accepting of them and there options.
2. Stop the Hate. Especially when it comes to other LGBTQ people. Just because they look different of have a different opinion.
Chrisk
Ha. Queerty sure has it’s share of weird ass trolls.
Hussain-TheCanadian
So much hate? You want us to embrace a crook? A bum who wants to steal other people’s government assistance cheques? Did he say he wanted the cheques to pay for the utility bills? He needs to find a real job, he can be both a pastor and something else, being a cleric full time is ridiculous.
Also, what is this “acceptance of your lifestyle ” bullcrap? What is this “lifestyle ” you speak of?
GayEGO
We were brought up to be accepting of straights who told us that queers were evil. Since that time straights have become accepting of us as marriage equality is the law of the land. It is the religious bigots who refuse to learn and evolve to agree with science, they still believe the world is flat!
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Look yet another new repugnant troll screen name!!
Have absolutely no patience for those offering to give quarter to repugnant abhorrent noxious smcubags who blame this whole mess on Gays and seek to trample our rights
Go suck on a Corona infected used tampon
GayEGO
But of course, a preacher from the South wants money regardless of his members lives. He is probably a sexual predator as well!
TheMarc
The modern church is not about spreading the “word.” It’s about money and power; period. And this moron is glaring proof of that.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
SHOCKING NEWS!!
(actually, not….)
A parishioner at the Life Tabernacle Church in Central, Louisiana has reportedly died from the coronavirus weeks after the church’s pastor defied his state’s ban on large gatherings to hold packed church services.”
“However, Pastor Tony Spell, who earlier this week encouraged his followers to send their stimulus checks to evangelists in lieu of buying food, denied that the parishioner had really died from the disease, despite medical science saying otherwise.
The coroner’s report lists the man’s cause of death as acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and COVID-19,” KALB reports. “Acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia are frequently found in patients who die of coronavirus.”
Louisiana pastor defied pandemic restrictions at his church — now one of his parishioners is dead from COVID-19
A parishioner at the Life Tabernacle Church in Central, Louisiana has reportedly died from the coronavirus weeks after the church’s pastor defied his state’s ban on large gatherings to hold packed church services.
Local news station KALB reports that a coroner’s report of a 78-year-old parishioner of the church revealed that he had died after being infected with COVID-19.
“The coroner’s report lists the man’s cause of death as acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and COVID-19,” KALB reports. “Acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia are frequently found in patients who die of coronavirus.”
However, Pastor Tony Spell, who earlier this week encouraged his followers to send their stimulus checks to evangelists in lieu of buying food, denied that the parishioner had really died from the disease, despite medical science saying otherwise.
“That is a lie!” he told KALB, although he did not cite any concrete evidence to back up his claims.
Invader7
Con artist in the vein of Don the Con Drumpf… Anyone who believes anything these CROOKS say is a fool ..But sending $$$ that will actually help struggling Americans..is TOO much. Do NOT send any $$ to this fraud !!! His lawyer has the virus…
charlieeod74
What an asshole. He should do everyone a favor, get covid19 and just die. Anyone who believe this moron is a fool and will probably end up dying of the virus. He should be put in an institution for the criminally insane.
MusicBoi74
I hate that people like this moron give all pastors a bad name. My father is a retired minister, he never would have or did say or preach anything like this. He ministered to many people over his years in the church and still fills the pulpit from time to time, now that he is retired.
Bellamy
To all of you haters who are lumping all clergy together as evil doers….
I seem to recall the Straight People saying that all Gays were nothing but child molesting perverts. You should know better than to condemn entire groups of people because of the actions of a perverse few. I am a minster with an LGBT flock (and there are THOUSANDS of LGBT communities of Faith) – and I have never taken a single penny from a single person in the name of religion… and I am NOT in the minority. You only hear about the bad eggs because the press makes a huge deal about it and because YOU are a dishonest person not to inquire about how many ministers have NOT abused anyone. Then you make yourself a judge to become the horrible thing that you accuse others of being.
Its kind of like flying in an airplane; in 2019 there were 86 airplane accidents around the world – yet people become terrified of flying because the news shows those few accidents and they don’t show you that in that same year there were a total of 68,948,744 COMPLETELY SAFE flights around the globe!!!
You know perfectly well that there are bad people in the world. So why would you stupidly slander an entire group of innocent people because of the few evil snakes that take advantage of innocent people?! That’s just about as dumbass as a psycho murdering a bunch of people while dressed up in drag and then the Straights accuse all Drag Queens and Transgenders of being psycho murderers!!! Beware who you accuse, lest it come back to bite you in your overly-used backside.