Thread by @keikoinboston

1. Many of you have seen a viral video in which white people in Cary, North Carolina knelt on the ground in front of black people sitting in chairs in front of them and washed their feet.

2. If this looked to you like a religious ritual performed by law enforcement officials, you are correct. According to one of the organizers, this event came about because of visions from God sent to two organizers.

3. This was not a spontaneous expression of humility. The event was planned and carefully stage managed.

(I say this with the perspective of having worked front and back of house in theater and with academic & corporate event planning experience.)

4. This was an outdoor religious service intentionally held on “the steps of the police station as a prophetic sign that authority and those in leadership will model what Jesus did, which is servant leadership”.

5. News reports over the weekend have been sparse on details and some social media posts have mischaracterized what happened.

This thread will look at who organized the walk and why, what their message was, and who was washing whose feet.

6. I'm writing this thread because I feel we can't have productive conversations about what happened in Cary and how it fits in to the larger picture of wha is happening in the US right now if we're having those conversations based on misinformation or misunderstanding.

7. I have not tagged accounts in this thread in an effort to reduce harassment. If I see anyone tagging to harass, you will be blocked. I’ve written this thread for informational purposes, not to incite a mob.

8. I realize that saying this may be futile but I want to make clear that I denounce any harassment of subjects of this thread.

No one is ever changed for the better through harassment.

9. I also want to be upfront about my background. I grew up in a predominantly white non-denominational evangelical Christian church. I am no longer a believer. Atheist is probably the best term to describe me but I don’t identify with any atheist movement or belong to any group.

10. Here’s a video clip of the event. (I have not found a longer video. If you’ve seen one, please send me the link. DMs are open.)

Photos in this album:
facebook.com/Legacycenterch…

11. I created a transcript of this video clip but I really encourage you to watch the whole thing so experience the emotion. If you haven’t been to certain types of churches this is something unlike anything you’ll have seen before.

Pdf: app.box.com/s/pymtfhnppz9a…

12. What you’re seeing in the video is called “identificational repentance”.

Please note when watching this that the people having their feet washed are African immigrants, not descendants of slaves brought to America. 2 of the washers are Brits.

Pdf: downloads.24-7prayer.com/prayer_course/…

13. I created a transcript of this segment (below), but I encourage people to watch this interview from yesterday with Shara Chalmers on Prayer Link (Christian Broadcasting Network). There are some photos and video clips.

14. Transcript of CBN interview with Shara Chalmers.

Pdf: app.box.com/s/ryjqeuee06pa…

15. Shara Chalmers is a member of The Catch The Fire Church but she has her own organization, Love Wins Ministries, that she runs with her husband Daniel. Shara and others are wearing red “Love Wins” t-shirts in the viral video.

lovewinsministries.com/about
archive.vn/v73GO

16. Most readers won’t make it to the end of this very long thread so I’m going to put my take away here.

Don’t accept someone’s authority because of their title or because others call them (dear) “leader”.

17. Do your own investigation and decide for yourself:

- Is this someone I respect?
- Is this someone who would respect me?
- Is this someone whose authority I should recognize?

18. At the same time, don’t automatically dismiss what you don’t understand.

- Identify your bias.
- If you’ve looked for evidence to support your beliefs, challenge them.
- Consider that you may be wrong. What are you potentially missing?

19. So, what was this event and, who organized it?

I went looking for original sources.

20. I found 3 Instagram posts inviting people to a 6/6/20 Peaceful Unity Prayer Walk “For God to Increase America’s Capacity to Love” co-hosted by:

- Legacy Center Church
- The Catch the Fire Church, Raleigh-Durham
- King’s Park International Church

21. After reviewing some of their online presence, I believe that these are evangelical Charismatic Christian churches.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charismat…

Church websites:
legacycenterchurch.org
ctfraleigh.com
kingspark.org

22. According to the CBN interview, the Peaceful Unity Prayer Walk took place because both Chalmers and Faith Wokoma, co-pastor of Legacy Center Church, received visions from God.

23. Faith left this out when she talked to local news station, ABC 11 WTVD, telling their reporter that the walk happened because she was approached by other area church leaders.

abc11.com/legacy-center-…

24. Who was doing the foot washing?

Chalmers said police chiefs from 3 depts participated — Cary, Morrisville, & Apex. In addition to the usual police functions for a walk, "they literally led the processional” & “two Christian police chiefs” participated in the foot washing.

25. The News & Observer, a Raleigh-based newspaper, said that "Apex and Cary police officers” washed the feet of "pastors James and Faith Wokoma of the Legacy Center Church in Cary”.

newsobserver.com/news/local/art…
archive.vn/eFqyq

26. According to the Legacy Center Church website, the walk was from "Cary City Center to the Cary Police Station” and they call the foot washing a “‘Washing of the feet’ ceremony”.

L: archive.vn/3BF29

R: legacycenterchurch.org/community/
archive.vn/7k7dW

27. After examining photos and exploring Google Maps Street View, I believe that the foot washing ceremony was held on this bench on Ambassador Loop outside the Cary Police Station.

goo.gl/maps/ABqUDD5Rs…

28. If you’re not familiar with this particular Bible story or need a refresher:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_wash…

List of 100 Bible Verses about Foot Washing:
openbible.info/topics/foot_wa…
archive.vn/dkQwn

29. Chalmers identified the other foot washers as her white British pastors @ The Catch The Fire Church, Raleigh-Durham, Murray & Ash Smith, who she said are “from Nigeria” (unclear if this is accurate - not in their church bio) …

catchthefire.com/profiles/murra…
archive.vn/cnvEN

30. … and Ron Lewis, also white, founding pastor and overseer of King’s Park International Church in Durham, NC.

kingspark.org/pastors/ron-le…
archive.is/PSahw

31. This article about Ron Lewis is from 2017.

"Pastor Ron and his church are set on converting everyone – police officers, Indians, the Chinese, Russian Jews – one sermon, mission trip and copy of Charisma at a time."

wral.com/a-pastor-from-…
archive.vn/yhhV4

32. Who are the “faith leaders” who had their feet washed by white clergy and two white Christian police chiefs and became a viral sensation? According to the Legacy Center Church website they are Soboma and Faith Wokoma.

33. Legacy Center Church website:
legacycenterchurch.org

Archive from yesterday: archive.is/Hw1y4
Today: archive.vn/3BF29

34. Looking at their LinkedIn profiles, websites, & social media presence, they give the appearance of being for-profit serial Christian entrepreneurs. Receipts below.

facebook.com/askdoctorfaith…

35. Sources for screenshots in previous tweet:

1: facebook.com/pg/askdoctorfa…
archive.vn/CqavK

2: facebook.com/askdoctorfaith…
(archive not working)

3: askdoctorfaith.com/meet-her/
archive.vn/lzk3V

4: linkedin.com/in/james-wokom…
archive.vn/0jkM3

36. Like televangelists of old the Wokomas look to be self-promoters selling services and redemption and making money from speaking fees. The Wokomas appear to be prosperity gospel evangelists. Televangelism 2.0 for the social media age.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperit…

37. Until this past weekend neither the church nor the Wokomas had received any media coverage I could find via date limited Google News searches from 1/1/1990 – 12/31/2019.

38. I also checked religious media sites (CBN, Charisma, Christian Post, Christianity Today, Religious News) and found no coverage there.

If they are community leaders, they must be stealth leaders.

39. The Wokomas founded Legacy Center Church in 2016. The church turned 4 on Sunday and on Monday they launched an online community called Legacy-O that they hope will reach a global audience. (h/t @BenjaminABoyce)

40. Sources for previous tweet:

Legacy turns 4: facebook.com/Legacycenterch…
archive.vn/xgoot

Legacy-O: facebook.com/Legacycenterch…
archive.vn/1FOZj

41. Legacy has plans to build a larger church.

facebook.com/Legacycenterch…
archive.vn/BJLvB

42. Legacy Center Church has been registered as a non-profit corporation in the state of NC since 11/29/17…

sosnc.gov/Guides/launchi…

Search: sosnc.gov/online_service…

43 … but if they have 501c3 status, I have not been able to find proof of this. Searching this database didn’t return any relevant results.

501c3lookup.org/search/

44. If donations to Legacy Center Church are tax deductible, they do not offer to provide letters on their website, as other churches do.

legacycenterchurch.org/giving/
archive.is/rFaOE

45.

“When you give to Legacy, you give to the Lord, for his kingdom work. God is not a tax master who drives us to give with compulsion and retribution. … Our gifts are a form of worship.”

Church members may give directly to Dr. Faith Wokoma.

46. Faith Wokoma, who was born in Malawai, received a Psy.D. in 2009 from Regent University, the school that televangelist Pat Robertson founded in 1977. (Per her LinkedIn - I could not confirm this independently.)

47. Faith received an undergraduate degree (BS) in psychology from Bennett College (formerly Bennett College for Women), an HBCU. (Could not confirm independently.)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett_C…

48. Faith is an author.

amazon.com/s?i=digital-te…

49. According to one of her two LinkedIn profiles she has been CEO of "Warring Ministries Intl, Elon Project, Renewal Counseling and Consultanting" since 2007.

archive.vn/1lZNK

50. This profile lists her occupations as “Visionary, Executive Director, Speaker &Psychologist"

Warring Ministries was registered as a non-profit corporation with NC in 2012. Their websites are no longer online.

Search: sosnc.gov/online_service…

51. The Warring Ministries Facebook tagline is “Worship, Warfare and Service.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual…

The Facebook page hasn’t been updated since Feb 2018.
facebook.com/pg/warringmini…
archive.vn/9UtXN

52. A 2010 archive of the first website can be viewed here.

web.archive.org/web/2010052507…

53.

“Our mandate is to uproot & destroy what the enemy has planted in the earth by training fearless warriors & passionate worshippers. We have been called to restore holiness and justice by raising up an apostolic generation that will bring the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth.”

54. A 2016 archive of the second website can be viewed here. Note the change in tone and emphasis on selling services.

web.archive.org/web/2016080119…

55.

"We equip believers to understand their purpose so that they can expand the kingdom of God and live lives of purpose. We equip people through tele-seminars, conferences, classes and through our mentorship programs."

56. Elon Project and Renewal Counseling and Consultanting (or Consulting) are not registered as a non-profit corporations or a businesses with NC.

Search: sosnc.gov/online_service…

57. Faith's second LinkedIn profile shows her as Chief Executive Officer at AskDoctorFaith Inc since 2012.

archive.vn/OxkA4

58. AskDoctorFaith Incorporated has been registered as a business corporation with NC since 2018.

Search: sosnc.gov/online_service…

59. On her website Faith lists “coaching, counseling & consulting” services.

No one by the name of “Faith Wokoma” is licensed to practice psychology in the state of North Carolina per NC Psychology Board.
Search: ncpsychologyboard.org/license-verifi…

L: Link below

60. Although "currently not taking clients”, Faith’s website offers “overcoming rejection/ abandonment inner healing” and premarital & marriage counseling with packages running from $275–$520.

askdoctorfaith.com/speaking/
archive.vn/osdbj

61. Faith is also a self-styled prophet.

askdoctorfaith.com/2020/03/23/12-…
archive.vn/6Q01P

askdoctorfaith.com/blog/
archive.vn/OENuX

62. Faith’s husband, who goes by Soboma, James and Soso Wokoma, is from Nigeria, and has an unusual career path to ministry.

archive.vn/0jkM3

legacycenterchurch.org/sermons/
archive.vn/Iv9Dz

63. (For consistency I’m going to continue to use Soboma even though his LinkedIn profile uses James.)

Soboma received an undergraduate degree physics from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ife, Nigeria.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obafemi_A…

64. Soboma received a master’s in Health/Medical Physics fro East Carolina University in 2014 and is co-author of at least one paper.

inis.iaea.org/search/search.…

Source: archive.vn/NK23d

65. Soboma’s work history includes:

- Operations Manager at Bentom Global Services.

The company may be defunct but no website or social media pages come up in search.

66.

- Mudlogger/Welsite Geologist
- short stints as sysadmin/analyst at Cisco, EMC, RENCI in 2015–16, 2019

67.

- CFO of Destiny Training Academy

(More on this below.)

68.

- Lead Pastor at Legacy Center Church since June 2016.

69. I mistakenly assumed that Destiny Training Academy was a charter school so initially didn’t look into it. When I found the website, I discovered that they are running an “online university”.

destinytrainingacademy.com
archive.vn/8YoAw

70.

“Destiny Training Academy™ is an online university that helps guide growing Christians through 7 stages that helps them become emotionally, spiritually, financially and relationally whole.”

71. I could not find any business or non-profit registration in NC for Destiny Training Academy, which Faith announced in August 2018.

Search: sosnc.gov/online_service…

facebook.com/askdoctorfaith…
archive.vn/Wqsox

72. I also couldn’t find any trademark registration for Destiny Training Academy in the USPTO's trademark database.

Search: uspto.gov/trademarks-app…

73. Per North Carolina General Statute 116-15, institutions in NC that are granting post-secondary degrees must be either licensed by the state or receive an exemption from licensure.

northcarolina.edu/stateauthoriza…
ncleg.gov/EnactedLegisla…

74. Religious institutions may receive an exemption from licensure requirements from the state. As of 4/1/20, Destiny Training Academy does not have an exemption.

Pdf: northcarolina.edu/sites/default/…

75. The Destiny Training Academy website is sparse on details. They say they offer “30 practical courses taught by Dr. Faith Wokoma and other Christian experts”.

76. The public-facing side of the website does not contain:
- course list
- bios for instructors
- pricing

77. The only clickable options for further content on two buttons: “Join now” and “I’m Ready!” Both prompt you to log in to your account.

There is supposedly a waiting list to join but no indication on the website of how to add your name.

78. The main DTA website does not make any representations that students will receive a degree or professional certificate as the Facebook announcement does.

When I googled “Destiny Training Academy”…

79. …I found this:

"In addition and under the leadership of Dr. Faith C. Wokoma at Destiny Training Academy, Lisa was Certified as a Life Coach and Mentor, as well as, receiving her Certification in Healing and Deliverance.”

archive.vn/WzhJ1

80. According to NCSU:

"The North Carolina State University Business and Professional Coaching Certificate Program is the only university-based, ICF-approved program in North Carolina…"

conferences.coned.ncsu.edu/professionalco….
archive.vn/55IDT

81. The full name of the healing and deliverance certification is "Inner Healing and Deliverance Certification”. Three people on the Internet claim to have obtained it.

destinytrainingacademy.com/life-coaching-…
archive.vn/qtYwG

82.

1. archive.vn/mAh5a
2. archive.vn/Nghvd

Roberta Roberts, a “virtual Christian women lawyer life & leadership coach” says she has "formal training as a certified Christian life coach with the Destiny Training Academy”.

3. archive.vn/IAzQe

83. Finding the certificate page allowed me to see the Store, which is empty.

destinytrainingacademy.com/store
archive.vn/Bj12v

“My Library” prompts you to login.
destinytrainingacademy.com/library

“About Us” …
destinytrainingacademy.com/pages/about-us
archive.vn/7dkv1

84. The DTA site is "Powered by Kajabi”, which is based in Irvine, CA. Clicking on Terms and Privacy show boilerplate language that came with the website template.

archive.vn/46SDB
archive.vn/uKc2X

85. Copyright on the website says © 2020 DTA, but the social media links underneath it lead to a private Facebook group with nearly 7K members called "Mentoring and Training with Dr. Faith Wokoma” and Faith’s Twitter and Instagram accounts.

86. The Facebook group is marketed on the website as an “Online Accountability group” where students can "can connect and share with other believers."

facebook.com/groups/trainin…
archive.vn/7khq7

87. Soboma’s LinkedIn profile says that Destiny Training Academy is “an online training hub that reaches over 600 students monthly”.

88. The above 4 women are the only people online I have found touting a certification from DTA.

Searching "destiny training academy” certification produces only 2 pages of relevant results.

89. It is clear that the Wokomas’ event has touched many people’s hearts. They come across to some as warm and kind-hearted. One question I don’t see most people grappling with is -why- this video resonates with some people. If anyone has seen good commentary, please send link.

90. This morning Faith posted these messages to Facebook seeming to imply she’s being misunderstood.

These posts have echoes of 2 Timothy 12-17.

91. I do agree with the idea that sometimes people will misunderstand you and despite your best efforts and you need to know who you are and not be swayed by their negativity, but this is also something that people who mislead & take advantage of others will say when called out.

92. Police resources were used to stage an outdoor religious performance. Is that where North Carolinians want their tax dollars to go?
Of course the Wokomas aren't at fault for this.

93. While I recognize that community policing necessitates meetings with faith leaders, participating in their rituals to this degree is a step too far.

94. If white Christian law enforcement officers want to show humility to black faith leaders by washing their feet, they can do that out of uniform on their own time.

95. I will note that I could have said this without digging into Legacy Center Church and the Wokomas. I had a hunch that I would find something off but I had no idea when I started looking up sources for a brief thread that this is where it would lead.

96. When I began my research yesterday I spotted red flags based past investigative experience looking into people and organizations.

Having found the information, I didn’t feel I should keep it to myself.

97. People should consider carefully if these are the leaders they want both locally and nationally. They have risen to symbolic status but is it deserved?

98. Are the Wokomas “faith leaders”?

In that they lead a church, that’s an accurate label, but are they well known community leaders who put the community above their own interests?

If the evidence to support this is out there, I have not found it.

99. From what I found I would say no, but people should draw their own conclusions.

Thanks for reading.

https://twitter.com/keikoinboston/status/1270490959533551617

100. If you’re coming in at the end, thread begins here.

If I’ve made an errors in this thread, please send me corrections with sources.

https://twitter.com/keikoinboston/status/1270490911445786626

101. I would also like to reiterate that I do not condone harassment of any subjects of this thread. That’s not what I’m here for.

https://twitter.com/keikoinboston/status/1270490920883040265

102. Update:

Yesterday I said that I could not find any media coverage of the Wokomas in mainstream or Christian media prior to this past weekend. I just came across a 2019 interview with Faith Wokoma on CBN News’ YouTube channel.

https://twitter.com/keikoinboston/status/1270503019071840256

103. On 7/2/19 Faith was interviewed on a CBN News program called TPi about her 2018 book “Marked: Understanding and Unraveling The Call Of God On Your Life”. (Link below.)
amazon.com/Marked-Underst…

CBN News uploaded the same video to their channel on 1/18/20.

104. In the interview she discussed what it means to be “marked” by God—that although all Christians are marked, “there are those who are specifically called to enlarge the Kingdom of God in significant ways”.

Watch at 19:50.

105. I will not be deleting my original tweet because it accurately reflects what I found when I searched.

It is certainly possible I have missed other press, but when someone has had a lot of media coverage, it’s usually not that difficult to find articles and videos.

106. CBN describes Faith as "Author, Pastor, and Psychologist". I confirmed with the North Carolina Psychology Board today that it is not legal to represent yourself as a psychologist in NC if you are not licensed, which Faith is not. (see tweet #59)

https://twitter.com/keikoinboston/status/1270507437473304577