TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Federal and state authorities across the country have begun raids of properties connected to the Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries.
The church's leaders — David Taylor, 53, and Michelle Branon, 56 — were indicted Wednesday on allegations of using forced labor to solicit millions of dollars of donations.
Who is David Taylor?
According to the Department of Justice, Taylor is a self-proclaimed "apostle" who runs the Kingdom of God Global Church, with Brannon as his executive director.
The Kingdom of God website says Taylor claimed to have a face-to-face encounter with Jesus Christ, who appeared to him in a dream while Taylor "lived a worldly lifestyle" at 17 years old.
Taylor claimed that these dreams happened multiple times as t