Please Remove Randall’s Feeding Tube
By Patrick S. Poole (pspoole@hiwaay.net)

"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 1Timothy 5:8 (ESV)

"Giving more money to Randall Terry is like giving booze to an alcoholic,"
-Flip Benham, Executive Director, Operation Save America

There are few things I hate in this life more than hypocrisy, especially my own. That's why I was very hesitant to write this article. We are all broken people in need of God's redeeming grace. Even the most saintly of men and women are corrupted by sin. We should treat others as we expect to be treated, and certainly having our most private of sins trotted out for the world to see is nothing that any of us want to endure. Jesus lays out procedures for confronting a Christian trapped in their sin (Matthew 18: 15-17), which are designed to protect their name and reputation, and giving them opportunity to repent of their sins.

But when it comes to Christ's Church and those claiming leadership therein, there are higher standards that have to be followed. Accusations against them cannot be based on just one source: two or three witnesses are needed. (1 Timothy 5:19) But along with this higher threshold of evidence comes greater responsibility and scrutiny. Christians have an obligation to publicly confront leaders engaged in heinous sins (1 Timothy 5:20), especially when they have shown themselves to be violently opposed to repentance.

Sadly, what I have to do now and what I have to say falls into this latter category.

In the midst of the ongoing story surrounding Terry Schiavo in Florida in recent weeks (a severely handicapped woman whose family is fighting the efforts of her husband to get the legal permission to starve her to death), Randall Terry, former leader of Operation Rescue and an adept self-promoting activist, has reappeared on the public scene making mass email solicitations asking for money to help him fight for Mrs. Schiavo's life. The cause is very noble, and at the time of this writing, it seems that Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Legislature have moved political heaven and earth to invest Gov. Bush with the power to intervene and spare this helpless woman from a slow, agonizing death.

But the messenger, Randall Terry, and his personal misconduct demand public scrutiny.

Randall has done a masterful job in recent years of keeping his personal and financial secrets from the public, while mounting an ongoing defamation campaign against anyone that dared raise objections to his illegal and un-Christian activities.

For the sake of the Body of Christ, someone has to make the unequivocal call for the Christian community to stop funding Randall Terry and his continued open rebellion against God. Because there are few people lining up to speak out about his well-documented moral failings and financial fraud, I feel compelled, in light of current circumstances, to act.

(Before I go any further, I need to let my readers know that I have personally spoken to Randall Terry and his "church authorities" about these matters when I was conducting an investigation of Randall for an online news service earlier this year. All of the parties refused to answer any of my substantive questions. The final communication I received was an email from Randall's attorney, Michael Hirsh of Hirsh & Hueser, LLC of Atlanta threatening to sue me, a clear violation of 1 Corinthians 6: 1-11, if I released any of the information contained in this article - all of which is already in the public domain.)

Over the past few years (after abandoning his pro-life work), Randall Terry has made a comfortable living begging for money for ... Randall Terry.

For instance:
* In 1998, Randall raised more than $1.2 million from the Christian community to run in a New York congressional race where he barely received 7 percent of the vote, yet almost outspent the Democrat incumbent and the Republican challenger combined. ( http://www.opensecrets.org/1998elect/dist_total/98NY26total.htm)

* After his unsuccessful congressional run, he solicited donations from the Christian community to establish a "Randall Terry Sabbatical Fund" to recover from his political campaign. According to the New York Times ( http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/20/nyregion/20TERR.html), Randall used his Sabbatical period and the money he received to move to Nevada to get a quickie divorce from his wife of 19 years, Cindy Terry; and to quickly remarry his former congressional campaign secretary, Andrea Kollmorgan, 16 years his junior. He also raised enough money to move with his new wife to Nashville, where they rented out expensive recording studios to produce CDs of his own music.

* In 2000, Randall began raising money for a New York U.S. Senate Race, spending $32,000 of contributor's money for a race he eventually withdrew from.

* Earlier this year, Randall sent out hundreds of thousands of emails and direct mail appeals carrying the endorsement of such pro-life heavyweights, such as Ambassador Alan Keyes and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), carrying pictures of Randall with the Pope, and emblazoned with the headline, "Operation Rescue Founder Randall Terry Stripped Of Everything By Abortion Movement." Yet again, he asked the Christian community for money to help purchase a new home, because "after over a decade of lawsuits against him because of his prolife work, he recently (fall 2002) lost everything to pro-abortion forces." From information gathered from my investigation, it is clear that Randall raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from this appeal alone. The appeal was so successful, that one of his associates, Gary McCullough, has adapted the pitch and is using it to raise funds for himself.

* Now, Randall Terry is using the tragic Schiavo saga to relaunch his pro-life career by sending out thousands of solicitations in recent days begging once more for money "to continue the fight".

Here's the information you won't find in Randall Terry's fund raising mailings:

* Randall Terry has steadfastly refused to repent of his sin of adultery (Matthew 19:9 - "And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."), prompting his former church (Landmark Church of Binghamton, NY, where he served as an elder) to publicly censure Randall for abandoning his wife and family to take up with his present wife. To avoid answering any of their charges and to steer clear of any consequences from the church's disciplinary actions, Randall moved his church membership to another church and denomination. The letter of censure is posted online at: http://www.operationsaveamerica.org/articles/articles/randallterryneedsprayer.html and its release was covered at the time by the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/feed/a44500-2000feb12.htm

* According to evidence gathered during the course of the several church and media investigations, there were at least two identifiable women, apart from his present wife, with whom Randall Terry had had "intimate contact" while he was still married to his first wife (one of the women is a prominent Christian leader and speaker). To this day, Randall and his lackeys state in pure Clintonesque fashion that he has "only had sex with his wife." Which one of his wives, he doesn't specify, but suspicion is that he means both - no one but Randall and his multiple sex partners know for sure. In his defense, however, no one has accused him of "having sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky", nor has Randall issued any statement questioning the definition of "is".

* Earlier this year, Randall was investigated by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services for abandoning one of his adopted daughters from his first marriage for weeks at a time, leaving her with another family in the Nashville area while he, his wife and newborn son, would travel to speaking engagements promoting his return to Christian leadership.

* According to a WORLD Magazine report published in June ( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/06-14-03/national_1.asp), Randall Terry as chastised by a family court judge for not meeting his child support obligations to his first wife, Cindy, for their daughter, Faith, while simultaneously raising money to fight for the "American Family."

* In New York State Court documents related to that matter, Randall Terry committed perjury by telling the court: "The past two years have been difficult financially for me.... I am three months behind in my rent, in addition to my numerous other debts. Since June, in order to pay necessities, we have been selling many items...." Yet days after making this claim in court, Randall put $20,000 down on a home in Florida for his new family.

* Randall has publicly taken credit for his role in the U.S. Supreme Court case, NOW v. Scheidler, decided earlier this year, which gave pro-life forces a victory when the Court ruled that federal authorities could not use racketeering statutes to go after pro-life leaders. Randall's website (as of 10.21.03 - it may disappear quick) lists a press release entitled, "Randall wins his case before the Supreme Court" ( http://www.randallterrylive.org/press.htm). But the fact is that Randall abandoned his co-defendants and settled with pro-abortion forces in January 1998, months before the case even came to trial. Randall's capitulation encouraged the pro-abortion movement to pursue the remaining defendants even more vigorously, subjecting them to further legal harassment and financial claims against them. In an interview I conducted in January with Joe Scheidler (the lead defendant in the case), he informed me that Operation Rescue and Randall Terry wouldn't pay for any legal expenses associated with the case and the appeals, despite the fact that he continued to proclaim his role in the case and raised money to "recoup his losses."

* While raising funds claiming that he had been deprived of a home by the "pro-abortion movement," Randall was having a new $432,000 Atlantic Ocean beachfront home built in an exclusive gated community in South Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. ( http://www.icihomes.com/content/community/ponte_vedra/turtle.html) Randall had purchased the property (with money he had raised from donors) more than eight months *before* sending out the fliers claiming he was homeless. In fact, Randall admitted to WORLD Magazine that the fundraising letters were intended as a means for him to be able to pay cash for the house by the time the construction was complete. He closed on the house earlier this year and now resides there.

* Another bone of contention is Randall's claims that pro-abortion forces stripped him of everything he owned, down to his frequent flyer miles. But in fact, Randall declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy to avoid the financial impact of the court judgments against him and to escape from the 38 separate creditors (many credit card companies) that he had taken money from (as an aside, the Bible calls this theft). The pro-abortion movement then turned their attention to his ex-wife, Cindy. By declaring bankruptcy, Randall left her holding the bag. Cindy Terry ended up having to sell her home to cover her ex-husband's bankruptcy debts, though he has failed thus far to reciprocate: none of the money that he has raised over the past year to "restore" himself to financial health has been passed on to help Cindy and his daughter, Faith, recover the losses they incurred as a result of his bankruptcy.

* In the email solicitations sent out earlier this week and on the online contribution webpage linked in the email there is no mention that the contributions he asks for are not tax-deductible, but rather, go straight into his pocket. The post office box address he used in these email solicitations is exactly the same he used earlier this year for the "Terry Family Trust", a for-profit corporation that has his family as the sole beneficiaries. As a for-profit, the organization does not have to file the required IRS Form 990 that gives public disclosure for receipts, assets and disbursements from the donations the organization receives, meaning that there is no financial accountability or transparency for all the money Randall has recently received from the Christian community. During my investigation earlier this year, Randall and his attorneys refused my repeated requests for any information about the financial status, corporate officers, oversight and legal representation of the organization. To this day, despite speaking with numerous officials with the IRS, the Tennessee and Florida Secretaries of State and the Texas Attorney General's office, I have been unable to locate the incorporation state and status for the "Terry Family Trust."

* According to those federal and state officials, Randall is violating numerous charitable solicitation laws by not clearly stating whether contributions are tax-deductible or not. This is a problem that donors encountered earlier this year who gave to build Randall's $432,000 home and have funded his recent activities. Until both Lynn Vincent of WORLD Magazine and I confronted him that his website did not bear the necessary disclosures, there was only one mention buried in his website (on the "Contacts" page) that contributions were not tax-deductible. There was no hint in the emails or direct mail pieces he sent, or on the contributions pages on his website of the for-profit tax status of the "Terry Family Trust." Randall claimed that it was "an oversight," an odd claim for a man that has raised millions of dollars in contributions over the past twenty years. And yet just a few months later, he is once again sending out solicitations that make no mention of the tax status of the organization he is raising money for, or what the money will be used for. His recent email appeals seem to indicate that the money will not be given to the Schiavo family that he claims to be fighting for, but to cover his personal expenses associated with his related self-promotion campaign.

Sadly, there is much more that could be mentioned, but this is sufficient to demonstrate that even if Randall's past efforts for the cause of Christ were considered, he has completely disqualified himself from any leadership position in the Christian community through his unwillingness to be held accountable for his adultery, theft, lies, deceptions, misrepresentations, perjury, failing to provide for his first wife and children, and evasion of church discipline.

Even though she had never spoken publicly about their divorce or his non-payment of child support, Cindy Terry spoke with WORLD Magazine, pleading for the Christian community to stop supporting Randall. "I don't want to see any more donors misled," she said.

Even Randall's previous statements are rising up to condemn him. For instance, observe this indictment contained in his 1996 book, The Judgment of God:

"We have become a sex-crazed society. Women are viewed as sex toys to be used and discarded by vile, pathetic males (I shall not call them men); family are destroyed as a father vents his mid-life crisis by abandoning his wife for a younger, prettier model."

His actions related to his first marriage fit this denunciation to the letter.

Randall's ongoing behavior is just as wicked and depraved as the actions of Terry Schiavo's husband, who he has been publicly condemning in recent weeks.

But equally as pernicious as Randall's public sins are the actions of those pro-life leaders that continue to support him and continue to give him credibility.

Most notable is Alan Keyes. I had several conversations with Ambassador Keyes' senior staff earlier this year, and even after they were presented with extensive evidence of Randall's fraudulent fundraising campaigns, they refused to withdraw their support; and all future mailings on Randall's behalf continued to be sent out under Keyes' signature and on his letterhead.

At the time that WORLD Magazine and I were conducting our respective investigations, Randall convinced John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute to do a preemptive strike against those of us that were asking the hard questions before we could file our reports, claiming that we were violating the Ninth Commandment by bearing false witness against him (the Whitehead interview is online at: http://rutherford.org/articles/oldspeak-randall_terry.asp). But for my part, I could never get him on the record to respond to the charges and the evidence I had compiled. He steadfastly refused to give his version of events! Even in the face of documented evidence, all he did was follow the Clintonian policy of deny, deny, deny, without explaining how his version of events could ever fit with the evidence that we had in our possession.

Even after Randall lawyered up on me and had his attorney send me threatening cease-and-desist letters, he had his oldest son, Jameel; his pastor, Fr. Terry Gensemer; and noted Christian media figure, Rich Buhler; contact me directly to indirectly float his side of the story. But when all three of these individuals were pressed with the difficult questions, particularly about the fraudulent fundraising mailings that bore their name (in which claimed he was homeless while he was building his $432,000 beachfront home), they couldn't or wouldn't respond. Both Gensemer and Buhler continued to allow their names to be used in Randall's solicitations after they had been confronted with the fraudulent claims contained in the mailings.

Unfortunately, Randall has gathered a dedicated cadre of defenders to conceal his fraud and his adultery. He is regaining credibility in Christian circles, and money flows like a proverbial river to his for-profit organization as a result of the cover these men and women give him. And despite the national press coverage he has received for his less-than-Christian behavior, few Christians have heard about these many well-documented stories about his personal misconduct and fraud.

But at least a few brave souls have spoken out publicly about Randall's transgressions. Included in this small group are Pat Mahoney, a former Operation Rescue colleague, and Flip Benham, who continues to operate the renamed organization, Operation Save America. When mailboxes were stuffed with Randall's appeals earlier this year, Benham issued a public statement, which concludes:

"Randall Terry's brilliant mind has found a way to justify everything that his wicked heart conceives. It is too bad! He does not know himself well enough yet. He cannot fathom that he has violated Scripture, broken faith with the wife of his youth, broken faith with those he led into battle, broken faith with the voiceless children he was called to defend, and broken faith with God Himself. He has robbed Almighty God of the glory He could have received as a result of the multitudinous gifts God deposited in Randall's very person. Instead of using his gifts to feed our Lord's lambs, Randall Terry is using God's gifts to fleece them." ( http://www.operationsaveamerica.org/articles/articles/world-mag-exposes-randall-terry.htm)

It is clearly time for the Body of Christ to do what his defenders have failed to do. Randall Terry has caused a public scandal to be attached to the name of Christ, and churches and Christians of all stripes should begin to sound the warning. Randall has grown adept at fleecing Christ's flock by making fraudulent appeals, and concerned Christians should beware.

For his sake, that he might be brought to repentance and restoration, and for the sake and cause of Christ, Randall Terry needs his financial feeding tube removed. Having taken millions of dollars over the years to fund his largely unsuccessful, but self-promoting efforts, he has long since overdrawn on what little credibility he built years ago during his work with Operation Rescue. As his actions have clearly demonstrated, he is concerned with no one but himself, and continuing to finance his activities is harmful to his soul and to the causes that contributors want to support.

I would urge you to pray for the soul of Randall Terry. I would also covet your prayers as well, knowing full well his media and legal machine will be directed my way almost immediately. Nonetheless, judgment needs to begin at the House of God.

If you've made it this far in this message, thank you for your concern and your attention. Please pass this on to anyone that might be interested, or who might receive one of Randall Terry's fundraising solicitations.

For those who missed the various web links to media reports referenced in this article here they are again:

WORLD Magazine: Appalling Appeal (June 18, 2003)
http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/06-14-03/national_1.asp

New York Times: Icon for Abortion Protestors Is Looking for a Second Act (July 20, 2001)
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/20/nyregion/20TERR.html

Washington Post: Randall Terry Censured by Church (February 12, 2000) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/feed/a44500-2000feb12.htm