The Kingdom of God Global Church, previously Joshua Media Ministries International, stands at the epicenter of a federal investigation into forced labor, human trafficking, and money laundering, with leaders David Taylor and Michelle Brannon facing indictments. In a bold countermove, the church initiated a lawsuit demanding the return of seized assets millions in cash, gold, silver, and luxury vehicles asserting its institutional innocence despite the leaders’ charges.
Historical origins and expansion
The organization traces its roots to 2013 when David E. Taylor, 53, a self-styled apostle claiming direct communion with Jesus, established a call center in Taylor, Michigan, to solicit donations for purported charitable causes. Taylor portrayed himself as “Jesus’s best friend,” attracting vulnerable individuals with promises of spiritual enlightenment and community. Under his leadership, the ministry rebranded to Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), expanding to nine locations across Michigan, Missouri, Florida, and Texas by 2025.
This growth was based on a network of overdue workers signed nationwide, frequently from underprivileged backgrounds, allured by fancies of godly purpose. Call centers mushroomed, with operations in Chesterfield, Missouri; Ocala and Tampa, Florida; and beyond, generating an estimated $50 million in donations since 2014. Michelle Brannon, 56, served as administrative director, administering Taylor’s directives and managing day- to- day compulsion. Civil prosecutors punctuate how early successes funded opulent cultures, masking exploitative practices under religious veneer.
Expansion masked darker operations, as victims dislocated to” ministry houses” where autonomy faded. By 2025, the scheme encompassed cerebral manipulation, fiscal control, and physical insulation, evolving from modest supplication to a sophisticated enterprise. This phase solidified Taylor’s cult- suchlike authority, with followers dubbed” armor liaisons” furnishing particular services.
Core allegations of exploitation
The 10- count civil charge, closed August 26, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, accuses Taylor and Brannon of conspiracy to commit forced labor( 18 U.S.C.§ 1589), mortal trafficking, and money laundering. Prosecutors purport call center workers faced diurnal proportions up to $164,000 met without pay, under pitfalls of godly judgment, sleep privation, food sections like peanut adulation diets, and assaults.
Victims surrendered EBT cards for SNAP benefits, claimed homelessness to qualify, and also handed finances to church staff for groceries.” Armor liaisons,” primarily women, transported others to Taylor for sexual hassles, administering Plan B contraceptives post-act. Donations were misrepresented as backing water wells or dealing aid, while proceeds financed palaces, spurt skis, luxury buses , ATVs, and boats. Eight named victims endured times of abuse, insulated from families and interrupted external contact.
Investigations by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation Division revealed text evidence, e.g., Brannon’s “no sleep until video done” and Taylor’s quota demands. Experts deem the indictment “remarkable” for prosecuting forced labor, rare compared to sex trafficking cases. Operations persisted post-arrest, with 24/7 call centers running despite raids.
Arrests and initial federal response
Arrests occurred August 26, 2025: Taylor in Durham, North Carolina; Brannon in Tampa, Florida, amid nationwide raids seizing assets. Taylor’s initial Durham hearing addressed flight risk; Brannon appeared in Tampa, later released on bond with no-church-contact conditions, though she resided in church property initially. Taylor returned to Michigan for bond hearings by October 2025.
Raids targeted Ocala mansions and Tampa properties, yielding cash, precious metals, vehicles. DOJ press release detailed physical/psychological abuse to coerce labor, emphasizing TVPRA violations. Public outrage grew, with ex-followers describing cult dynamics: black trash bags of cash, unease over operations. Neighbors noted quiet houses belying “hellish” interiors.
The church’s forfeiture lawsuit
On January 1, 2026, KOGGC sued the U.S. government, alleging unlawful seizure of millions in cash, gold/silver bars/coins, and luxury automobiles, infringing legitimate operations and religious freedom. The complaint argues the church entity possesses “clean hands,” distinct from Taylor/Brannon’s actions; assets are corporate property, not proven crime proceeds. It seeks injunction against forfeiture, claiming due process violations under 18 U.S.C. § 983.
Filing persists amid ongoing operations, raising prosecutorial concerns over diverted justice funds. Lawyers assert no veil-piercing evidence, positioning KOGGC as the innocent owner. This challenges government’s in rem forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. § 981/982, where property itself is defendant.
Legal framework and challenges
Forced labor under TVPRA encompasses coercion via abuse, threats, or monitoring; indictment fits via quotas/punishments. Money laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956) requires concealing tainted funds; luxury purchases qualify. Church’s defense invokes innocent owner defense, burden on claimant to disprove knowledge/complicity.
Precedents: U.S. v. One Parcel (church veil pierced in fraud); vs. segregated assets returned. Risks include nonprofit dissolution if alter ego is proven. Religious freedom claims under RFRA face scrutiny if fraud is cloaked. Case tests forfeiture limits post-Kalina v. DOJ reforms.
Societal and policy ramifications
The Kingdom of God Global Church case unveils profound societal ramifications, particularly exposing the perils of prosperity gospel movements where spiritual authority masks exploitation. Prosperity theology, promising divine wealth for tithes, facilitated donor deception as call centers solicited millions under false pretenses like funding water wells or anti-trafficking efforts, while proceeds funded leaders’ luxuries. This erodes public trust in religious nonprofits, with surveys post-scandal showing a 25% decline in faith-based donations amid fears of fraud. Victims’ plights recruited via social media with salvation promises, then trapped in unpaid labor, isolation, and abuse highlight recruitment vulnerabilities among vulnerable groups like the economically disadvantaged or spiritually seeking youth. Hotline calls surged 40% in Michigan after raids, urging better awareness campaigns.
Policy ramifications demand robust reforms. The case spotlights trafficking beyond sex work, pushing expansions to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) for psychological coercion prosecutions, with DOJ citing it as model for 50+ similar probes nationwide. Nonprofit audits intensify via IRS Form 990 scrutiny and state AG task forces, targeting EBT misuse where victims’ benefits were siphoned. Proposals include mandatory donor transparency portals and AI-flagged solicitation anomalies.