One service, in July of 2006 at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), the church secretary came into the sanctuary and began to explain an article written in the local paper. The article was about another member who had filed bankruptcy and was asked to appear in the bankruptcy court as a normal procedure. This church secretary, the person filing bankruptcy, her company secretary who helped with the books and another man had been in court. The person who filed bankruptcy was Leigh Valentine. A synopsis of the article which originally appeared in the Daily Courier, USA on July 23, 2006 is found here.. (http://www.religionnewsblog.com/15355/bankruptcy-filing-reveals-ties-to-word-of-faith-fellowship )
After stumbling upon this article today, I remembered the church service and how it was handled. The church secretary had come and told the congregation in general terms about the article. I don’t remember the exact words, but it was something to the effect of- “don’t read it, it’s about Leigh’s bankruptcy and there is a bunch of stuff in there that is not true… “. She waved her hand toward the members sitting in the congregation, as if to say don’t waste your time and it really is nothing to be concerned about. But, when the article was not even brought before the group and read in brief; it caught my interest and of course, I found a copy online either the next day or the day after.
Over the years, I have had to learn about bankruptcy and certain proceedings and the schedules that are required to be filed. Let me first say, I am no lawyer and do not know the ins and outs of the case in question. Leigh Valentine has been a part of WOFF either “in” or “in discipleship” or “out” over several years. The circumstances surrounding her involvement had raised questions for me during the previous years. For one, the WOFF “bookstore” sold her make-up after each service or after evening services when the room was open. In the words of a new friend, “What’s up with that?”
Moving on, I will not recount the whole article or what little I do know about the case. However, what I do remember as striking me as odd when I first read the article was the part when Ms. Valentine was asked about a claim submitted in the case. The Judge asked her about a claim for $32,500 submitted by David and Jayne Caulder. Leigh replies at first she is not sure about the debt, and then she suggests that it was for child care expenses when she had to go back and forth to Texas and the Caulders kept her son. So, she said she owed this debt to Jayne and David Caulder for childcare. Jayne Caulder just happened to be the church secretary who instructed the members of WOFF NOT to read the article.
Leigh actually was admitting a claim against her for — THOUSANDS of dollars owed for childcare? The odd fact was that during my time at WOFF, no one that I knew charged each other for childcare! We kept each other’s children and in turn, when it was needed others would return the favor. I never saw money change hands for this activity. No one ever approached me for money to keep my children. When a child would be with another family during meal time; beforehand it was discussed about either bringing food for them, bringing money for them or allowing them to eat with the household. Children would spend the night with our family and vice versa as needed with NO MENTION of money or funds changing hands. This occurred, at least in the group of “regular members” that I was friends with at WOFF.
For sure, the Caulders were one of the wealthiest families in WOFF during my time there. David Caulder was/is a well respected, well known realtor. His wife Jayne was/is involved with his office – as far as I know. Why would they charge Leigh Valentine THOUSANDS of dollars for childcare? And allow Leigh to enter a claim for it on her bankruptcy schedules and then let her swear to the court that all the information in the schedules is true and accurate- unless of course; it was true. I am not familiar with all the details and certainly, these two very wealthy families could have had an arrangement that was abnormal to how “regular members” of lesser financial status treated each other. Certainly, there would be no intention of inflating Leigh debts in order to skew her financial situation. Certainly, all parties were true and honest and totally above board. Certainly, the other family that I know of that kept Leigh‘s son on at least a semi-regular basis, was allowed to cut-in on that deal. Did they get paid? I certainly hope so.
The listing of child care as a debt as a claim on a bankruptcy schedule, originating between two WOFF families that each were very well off, has been a mystery to me for a few years. When I was in WOFF, my first instinct was to believe that everyone, especially in leadership, always told the truth. How else could a WOFF member stay a WOFF member, unless they had confidence in words being spoken from the podium? I suspect every other WOFF member believed Jayne Caulder and no one doubted. Well, that is except me. After I read the article, any “blind faith” I had in leadership or Jane Whaley was replaced with a new vision. Certainly, things in this case cannot be as they appear to me, right? Any light that someone at WOFF who is familiar with the case, could shed on the matter would be appreciated. Do the wealthy families at WOFF really charge each other for keeping their children?
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NO money was ever given for watching a child! This is just another one of those little white “Goldy” lies that was justified by leadership……….. ohhhh, if you only knew and if the courts ever knew.
I did read an article in WOMAN’S WORLD magizine last year about Leigh, complete with picture. She was telling how she came back from bankruptcy to wealthy!!! My son did confirm that it was Leigh. No mention was made of WOFF . Her address was mentioned as Texas and Josh was also mentioned. I have heard of and am looking into tax credits ( gov. money that is paid) to schools that have “boarding” students, until the age of 18-19. My son was no longer profitable for WOFF; THEY LIED ABOUT THINGS HE HAD DONE. TOLD THESE THINGS IN A PUBLIC SERVICE and expelled him from school. REAL CHRIST-LIKE to me. Yeah, JUST LIKE JESUS!!!!!NOT….. I will probably get a bill from them one day. Should I pay for my son to abused and brainwashed? No, we will go to court, if that happens. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS FISHY about the school. I talked with one of the supervisors (jc) about getting a copy of a transcript for him. It was denied; she wanted to know when he was planning on finishing High School, because they had not been notified by the school system here. Well, he had already gotten his diploma. She got upset and said they were supposed to call and talk to some at the school up there to hear the WHOLE story. I told her the counselor WE talked with HAD heard all about WOFF and wasn’t interrested in talking with them and wanted to know if we need any (legal) help with anything. Hug and prayers
I remember the bankruptcy hearing and the newspaper article. The article stated that the judge could not understand why Leigh knew nothing about her money or her bookkeeper with her could not answer questions as well. Later I heard that the bookkeeper said she was “attacked” by the newspaper. I think the judge even made a remark about Leigh’s jewelry and her claiming to be bankrupt. That is very typical…they were figuring out a way for Leigh to keep her money. They probably put everything that Leigh owned in other people’s names to make it look good on paper. Also, with her make-up. There was a huge service about women not wearing eye shadow any more because they looked like Jezebels. Leigh’s line of make-up that she sells has eye shadows and that was even sold when WOFF school was selling her make-up. They set up phone lines out at one of the member’s buildings for WOFF women to man the phones. Part of the training for the WOFF women was to watch Leigh’s advertising of her make-up on the religious program that would be shown on the day of the phone sales. It seemed hypocritical that WOFF could not wear the make-up they were selling or ever watch the tv show that they watched Leigh’s advertisement on. When money talks, all other “laws” can be ignored within WOFF.
You are writing about the “Living the Life” telemarketing “fund raiser” fiasco. What a BUST! What a “skirt-lifting” time that was. It was mentioned that Leigh would donate the “hundreds of thousands” or even the “million” dollars that would be made with that learning adventure, to the church. This was to “cover the legal bills”. We practiced by having the husbands call in to the telemarketing center and pose as buyers. I seem to remember the name I used was Mr. Higginbotham. The person answering the phone laughed when I said the name. That was sad, as it is a true name. Just the next week, in Clinton, SC at the magistrate’s office, the secretary mentioned to me she was going to marry a fellow by that SAME last name! I chuckled at the timing of that information. Ahhh, I sense another post forming.. Not sure when, since there are so many others on deck… Thank you… .
I heard the the “fund raiser” was definitely a fiasco, hardly any money was raised. God must have been looking down that day and smiling!
Leigh being what Leigh really is.
We used to call it the “Miss Missouri spirit”