Ohio Pastor Forced Members To Get Abortions, Vasectomies? Children Divert Money From Church

An Ohio televangelist is facing strong accusations from former church members including that he encouraged pregnant women to get abortions and childless men to get vasectomies. Why would a supposed “prophet of God” do such a thing? It appears he wasn’t looking to prophesize to anyone but rather profitize his business, the church.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Ernest Angley’s Grace Cathedral in Cuyahoga Falls is hiding some huge secrets. Former members are accusing the televangelist of operating his church like a “cult” and persuading members to do things that they normally wouldn’t do. The Beacon Journal spoke individually with 21 former members of the church who insist that Angley consistently threatens and intimidates his flock into following his instructions, bullying them into life-changing decisions that often split up families.

Some of the accusations include Angley persuading people to get abortions or vesectomies when they didn’t want to. In fact, numerous former-members note that Angley doesn’t want babies in his church. Becky Roadman, 32, quit the church last year and left the state. She notes that it wasn’t an isolated incident.

“None of us have kids because he makes all the men get fixed. You’re not allowed to have babies there.”

The notion of “no babies” is seconded by Akron resident Angelia Oborne, who worked in the church’s restaurant, the Cathedral Buffet, for 20 years before quitting the church a year and a half ago.

“My husband and I can’t have children because my husband had a vasectomy. We were looking at getting it reversed, but I’m 35 years old and… may not be able to have children anymore. And that breaks my heart, because that choice was made for me, because of the brainwashing, the mind control. We weren’t allowed to have children. If you turned up pregnant, it’s almost as if you had sinned.”

Oborne also discussed how a friend who was four months pregnant was told to think of her growing baby as “a tumor” by Angley. He encouraged her to get an abortion, which she did. Another woman claims that she was forced into four abortions, with another noting that Angley said “abortion was the only option” if a woman got pregnant. Angley felt that “it’s against God’s will for anyone to have a child.” He even would say he was having a vision and speak of the pregnant woman dying or her child being mentally impaired to persuade the women to go through with his plan.

ABC notes that it wasn’t just abortions and vesectomies accusations on the table. Many members also claim that Angley is a homosexual and would touch his male members inappropriately. Angley is accused of using vesectomies as a reason to view male member’s private areas. He would “inspect” the vesectomy area after the procedure was complete. One longtime associate pastor resigned, telling friends and family he felt he had been inappropriately touched by Angley for seven years.

Greg Mulkey was a prominent figure at Grace Cathedral and a key member of the church choir. He says he knows exactly why Angley was so opposed to families in his church having children.

“He doesn’t want people to have kids because it would take their time and money away from [the church].”

Did Ernest Angley really encourage abortions and vesectomies in his church to pad his wallet? Only Angley knows for sure. However, when asked by the Beacon Journal if the allegations were true. Angley noted that he never pushed for abortions, he just gave advice. He did admit to suggesting vesectomies for all male members though.

What do you think? Is Grace Cathedral a cult with members that are slowly being brainwashed or are the individuals in the church making these decisions of their own free will as followers of Angley’s beliefs? Note that Angley and his late wife never had children themselves.