The company, Matrix Capital, has been allowed to hold financial seminars in the churches of both men, offering to help lower their mortgages in exchange for $1,500 payments. According to police, thousands of people paid money to Matrix, but ended up filing bankruptcy and/or losing their homes.
Fred Lee, the proclaimed front man for the company, was allegedly able to convince quite a few church members to give him their money primarily because he addressed them within the confines of their joint church environment. The Secret Service and the DeKaulb County Police are now investigating Lee.
In defense of Eddie Long, the church says that all his church did was provide a room for Lee to hold his seminars. Gary Hawkins was much more involved in supporting and promoting Lee by appearing on one of his videos vouching for his credibility and integrity.
"I believe that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this man walks in great integrity," he said in a company video.
One of the church members told CBS Atlanta that it was the pastor's endorsement which led her to trust Lee with her money. The woman claims she paid the money and later found out that she was in trouble with her mortgage because Matrix had allegedly never even made a phone call to the bank. She also claimed that Hawkins wouldn't answer her questions when she went to him about her problem.
When it comes to this particular financial scheme a few thoughts come to mind. First, there is no evidence that Eddie Long promoted Matrix Capital or Fred Lee, so he should not necessarily be accused of swindling anyone. At the very least, however, he is learning a valuable lesson about properly vetting anyone making financial arrangements with people who trust him. It is clear that if Lee was involved in any kind of scam, he was able to take advantage of the trust induced by the deep relationship that members of the congregation had with their respective pastors.
Secondly, this incident serves as yet another lesson regarding how African Americans and our churches evolve as it pertains to complex financial relationships. I am willing to bet that someone came in and offered money to gain access to the pastors' congregations, similar to the way Wells Fargo offered money to Tavis Smiley and black church leaders to allegedly sell predatory loans to members of urban communities. When we take money from anyone offering it, we find ourselves in the middle of some peculiar situations that can lead to very bad outcomes. But our hunger for resources in the black community becomes an incredibly unhealthy habit in a nation that is addicted to mass consumption. Black folks have to be more intelligent than that, and realize that money should be a tool for your liberation, not a pathway to spiritual demise.
The final lesson to be learned from this debacle (which happens in churches all throughout America) is the importance of making careful decisions and not putting too much trust in anyone, even our spiritual leaders. While it is tempting to presume that you should put your financial livelihood into the hands of the man or woman who runs your church, the reality is that far too many pastors allow their lust for money to overwhelm their desire to protect you or your family. So, thinking for yourself is critical, for there will always be financial predators seeking to take advantage of people during desperate times like these.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the Athlete Liberation and Academic Reform Movement (ALARM). To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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