Black, female televangelist reports her husband for domestic violence:
Historically, the black church has been the rock of the black community, a place of refuge where important issues are addressed. But domestic violence has long been left off the agenda, ignored in a largely patriarchal system, even justified by scripture.
Atlanta-based televangelist Juanita Bynum — 1 of the country’s most popular female ministers, who has turned her national and international following into a multimillion dollar business — has gone public with allegations of domestic violence against her husband, minister Thomas W- Weeks the Third, who faces charges of aggravated assault and making terroristic threats.
I can’t speak for the role of the black church here in keeping stuff like this quiet, but it stands to reason that a minister might have some trouble speaking out against her minister-husband about violence in their relationship. And it’s not the first time I’ve heard of scripture being used to justify keeping the women in line in a religious family. But domestic violence is depressingly common, and black women have a higher rate of victimization than white women, though they report it more often:
According to the US Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, while the rates of nonfatal intimate partner violence decreased for black females between 1990 and 2003, the rate increased from 3.8 victimizations per one thousand persons age 12 or older in 2003 to 6.6 per 1,000 in 2004. Black females are victimized at a higher rate than white females, and black females report such incidents at a higher rate than white females — 68.4% compared to 53.5%.
Here’s a description of the incident which led to the arrest:
According to an Atlanta police incident report, Bynum said her husband “choked her, pushed her down, kicked and stomped her.”
She told police Weeks “continued stomping” her into the ground until a hotel bell man pulled him away. Police also said Weeks threatened Bynum’s life.
Culpepper said the couple was meeting for dinner at Concorde Grill in the Renaissance Concourse Hotel near Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Tuesday night.
Police said the couple had met to work out their differences. Things soured, and Weeks walked out to the parking lot about 10:30 p.m., police said. He then turned back around and attacked her, said Officer Ron Campbell.
Weeks also threatened Bynum’s life during the attack, police said. “Anytime you tell a person, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ that moves it up to a felony,” Campbell said.
The bruises found on Bynum also were serious enough to bring felony aggravated assault charges against Weeks.
Not being much of an afficionada of televangelism, I don’t know much about Bynum, but here’s how the Atlanta Journal-Constitution describes her:
Bynum, a fiery national evangelist whose sermons empower women to walk away from dead-end relationships
She is, apparently, more successful than her husband, and her star rose a whole lot faster than his. I couldn’t find anything about the state of their marriage, and whether there had been any previous violence in their 5 years of marriage (they separated a few months ago). I have to wonder, given how violent this attack was, whether he had a history of violence in the relationship; whether she had kept things quiet for the sake of the ministry even as she preached a message of getting out of bad relationships. Because when women don’t report domestic violence, there’s usually a reason:
Those who did NOT report the abuse chose not to do so were because they regarded the incidents as a private matter, were afraid of reprisal, or were trying to protect the offender.
Like I said, I don’t know whether there have been previous violence in the relationship. But, oh, is she getting a blowback for reporting the incident:
Outspoken conservative minister and radio talk show host, Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson is asking: how can Juanita Bynum be the poster child for domestic abuse before we know the truth about her role in this altercation?
“Domestic violence is wrong whether the victim is a woman or man,” said Rev. Peterson. “Juanita Bynum, however, is not called by God and she’s hardly the ‘new face of domestic abuse.’ It’s impossible for a God-fearing woman to exploit her marital problems for personal gain and publicity. There are two sides to every story and like too many domestic abuse cases the husband is being tried and convicted based on a one-sided account.”
Peterson, a useful tool of the GOP, has a wee problem with women. He blames mean black women for fatherless homes (and, as a bonus, for New Orleans’ current problems). Not real fond of gays, either.
Peterson seems to be objecting to Bynum’s failure to meekly and passively accept that her husband has a right to stomp on her and choke her in an airport parking lot; instead, she’s decided to speak out and focus on intimate-partner violence:
Bynum, 48, is a national televangelist whose loud and aggressive style has become increasingly popular among black female churchgoers. At her press conference this week, Bynum stated, “My focus is not the marriage. My focus is me repositioning myself mentally to accomplish a new purpose [domestic violence cause] that God has given me.” . . .
Bynum reportedly attended a fundraising event for Barack Obama this past Saturday where she planned to talk with Obama about national domestic violence concerns. Oprah Winfrey was hosting the event.
Loud and aggressive women make Peterson’s, um, Peter unhappy:
“Juanita Bynum’s comments and actions prove that she’s an angry, out-of-control woman. God wouldn’t have her discard her marriage in order to promote the domestic abuse issue or any other phony cause,” Rev. Peterson said.
Ah, yes. She’s “angry” and “out of control.” Domestic violence is a “phony issue.” Sweep it under the rug, gentlemen!
What about the husband?
A lawyer for Weeks said he will continue his ministry and try to reconcile with his wife after the allegations are dealt with.
“He is extremely sad over the events that have taken place,” said Edward Garland, one of the two attorneys representing Weeks. “I think there is hope on his part that the relationship can get past these difficult moments.
“He has never had any accusation of any sort like this from her or anyone esle,” said Garland. “There are a lot of circumstances surrounding these events that will be explained at a later time. He is turning it over to the court system at this point.”
Weeks, Garland said, will meet with “a variety of pastors over which he presides, and with his father, who is a minister, and he’s going to make a prayerful decision as to how he proceeds. He’s dedicated his whole life to the ministry, and we’re very hopeful that he will be able to continue to lead the ministry.”
While the whole “She WILL reconcile with me when this has been ‘dealt with’!” thing is a bit ominous (getting crowded under that rug), the rest of it reads like fairly standard-issue throwing-up-a-wall-of-Jesus deflection of the issues. Hey, if he’s praying, he must be sincere! Don’t ask any questions!
With Bynum gone, members of the congregation closed ranks after charges were filed:
Most congregants approached for interviews after Sunday’s 8 a.m. service declined to comment on the marital problems of Weeks, 40, and Bynum, 48.
Those who did urged caution in taking sides in the issue and passing judgment on two people they consider spiritual giants, but also human.
“There are three sides to every story,” said Clarkston’s Shannon Mayers, a frequent visitor. “Nobody has the right to judge anybody. God is in the midst of that and will work it out.”
Member Maurice Adams, 26, of Atlanta said he was disappointed to hear the news but still considers Weeks his bishop.
“We all make mistakes. He deserves another opportunity,” Adams said. “I’m hurt, but I do respect him for being man enough to show his face today.”
Weeks took the pulpit two days after his surrender to authorities in connection with the alleged attack on Bynum. His remarks included appreciation for the prayers and support that he said have come in for him and his wife and thanks to those in attendance in spite of the controversy.
Despite the congregants’ wish to hear both sides, after all that prayer and reflection, Weeks knew who was to blame. And it wasn’t Weeks:
Weeks, wearing a dark suit and his customary bow tie, blamed the devil for the accusation that has him facing two felony charges.
He didn’t elaborate. However, there are a few possible interpretations of that: 1) He did it, and the devil made him do it; 2) He didn’t do it, and the devil made Bynum accuse him; 3) He did it, and the devil made Bynum air their dirty laundry; 4) Bynum is the devil.
I think we know which one Peterson would agree with.
Interestingly, what with all this attention that Weeks is getting over this beating, some other ugly things are bubbling to the surface, and he may want to start looking for a scapegoat for this stuff, too:
It also was learned that Weeks’ Duluth church, Global Destiny, evaded eviction for nonpayment of rent. Weeks received letters warning him about the eviction —- which Friday was rescinded in a settlement —- days before he allegedly attacked his wife.
According to police and court records, Weeks was struggling to pay the bills since he and Bynum separated three months ago.
An attorney representing Grimes-Square Executive Inc., the church landlord, said Friday that Weeks had received several notices that he was in violation of his lease agreement. Grimes-Square then proceeded with an eviction lawsuit.
“I wrote the [threat of eviction] letter to comply with the law,” said Stephanie Friese, attorney for Grimes-Square. “I am sure [the company sent] others.”
According to Gwinnett County Civil Court records, Friese filed the eviction on Aug. 23.
Court records show Weeks owed $50,555 in back rent for his church. The rent was accruing interest at a rate of $493 per day. He also was asked to pay 10 percent of attorney fees.
According to other civil court records, Weeks also owes about $48,000 to an advertising firm for failing to keep up payments for a billboard purchased in 2006 to publicize his ministry.
Hmm. Money problems after the separation, an attempt to reconcile leading to a beating, and a vow to reconcile despite the beating, when all these silly domestic-violence charges have been dealt with. And now he might lose his church. How very interesting.
Hope he’s not swindling his congregation. There’s a lot that can be forgiven with a liberal dose of name-checking Jesus, ostentatious prayer, and invocations of the devil. But while savage wife-beating may be one of those things, fleecing your flock is not.
Back to Bynum, though: I am glad she’s using her power and influence to speak out against domestic violence, to raise awareness, and to draft legislation to protect victims. But I wonder how things would have turned out had she not had the reputation she did, along with the money and the power and the following. If she’d been a minister’s wife, rather than a powerful minister in her own right, would she have just let it go (or just let it go on longer) for the sake of the church, kept smiling, and taken the beatings because it was God’s will?
Links courtesy of Julia.