US Baptist Pastor trafficked/enslaved Zambian children's choir!

Last night I saw a shocking CNN documentary: Worlds Untold Stories: Trafficked in plain sight.
It told the story of Given Kachepa, a Zambian boy whose parents died when he was 7 (I assume he was an AIDS orphan). Kachepa found refuge by singing in an acapella church choir, which was spotted by a Pastor Keith Grimes and his TTT Partners in Education First Baptist ministry.
Kachepa was taken to the US in 1998 aged 10, and the ministy promised him and 11 other boys a salary for singing and an education.
Instead the boys were enslaved, forced to perform exhaustively, and do other tasks, and no salary or stipend was ever paid. No education was provided. Grimes' motives were hidden, but also very clear. Love gifts poured into his coffers after every performance of the group.
Grimes died in 1999, when a concerned Sandy Shepherd got a call that the boys would be jailed as illegal immigrants.
Shepard began receiving threats from the TTT ministry after she exposed them, and the boys had to sleep in her home.
Luckily, many boys were subsequently adopted. Their families in Zambia never saw a promised dime.
Shepherd adopted Kachepa, who recently qualified to study dentistry and now finally has US residency rights.
Since then he was finally able to visit his family in Zambia.
Here is a clip from CNN:
www.cnn.com...

Here is an article from Christianity Today:
www.christianitytoday.com...

And people wonder why I am so cynical when it comes to christians. I rest my case. Just one question, how many of those poor kids were molested, I wonder...

reply to post by halfoldman

I'm just beginning to wonder as we are seeing more and more dodgy pastors, and mind-controlling TV stations.
Some of the bigger scandals have been exposed on ATS: children becoming homeless after being accused of witchcraft, children having acid poured down their throats in alleged exorcisms, or pastors claiming to heal HIV/AIDS and other infectious maladies.
Others increase the potential of violence with Muslims and other faiths.
I see a lot on Youtube about fake pastors.
TBN to which many (African/Nigerian) pastors are affiliated is even called a deception (to put it mildly).
In SA many white men (and a few others) love the male-centered ministry of Angus Buchan.
Some women have complained that their menfolk come back abusive from his mass-meetings, and others have compared it to apartheid nostalgia and Nuremberg rallies.
His "God is not for sissies" and commando image is raising increasing concern.
He appears on TBN as "God's Farmer", although others point out that his venture is merely commercial and Jesus actually said that the meek shall inherit the earth.

Well, how do we know: who are the true Christians?
Who are the good guys?

Slavery, apartheid, Nazi-looks: just a few bad apples or major conspiracy trends in religion?
It's difficult to decide either way.
What would Jesus say?
Perhaps the leopard cannot change its colonial spots and ingrained feeling of superiority.
The ANC in SA got in on the act (many of the black elite prefer the slick Rhema image), and declared that they will rule until Jesus comes back.
Angus Buchan and the Shofar ministry are superficially non-racist and positive towards SA (in the sense that God will reward their obedience if they become "real men" who take charge of their families and women-folk).
It was first seen as very positive, but some serious theological, financial and gender issues are now being raised.
Furthermore, Buchan collapsed on stage and claimed the Lord raised him, although paramedics attended to him.
The symbolism makes some feel very uncomfortable.

reply to post by halfoldman

SA Mighty Men rally 2010: 300 000 men shout:


Christians expose TBN and its secret society symbolism.
Sour grapes by less successful ministries or a true revelation?
How do we know?

Just wondering, if the Shepherd lady didn't get involved they would have all been deported and nobody would have heard of the scandal again.
This makes me wonder how often it actually happens.

On the other hand, many of the choir got good homes and futures
Doesn't this heighten a sense in many poorer nations: just get to the US (or West) and somehow life will be better?
I'm not sure whether this documentary was enough of a warning, or some kind of invitation?
The media chose a story with a good outcome (and indeed real Christians and decent Americans saved the situation).
But it reminds one that not all charity is what it seems, and most trafficked people do not have a good outcome at all.

It also reminds one that a lot of scandal still happens under the banner of religion.
Until now nobody has replied to my question in the 2nd post.
How do we know who is good or bad when people present themselves as religious philanthropists?
I guess we simply do not.

reply to post by halfoldman

I recall something to the effect that one can metaphorically tell the "tree" by its "fruit".
However, it seems that one must wait quite a while to see what fruits turn out.

I think if most US "Christian" media organizations were real, they would shout cases like this from the rooftops.
But most of them seem to know it's just an industry dictated from higher bosses.
They will support modern slavery and brainwashing.

I mean apart from the legalities, is there any specific sin here?