4/23/08 – KARK VIDEO Report: Tony Alamo Ministries Allegations
Arkansas Matters
April 23, 2008
by Cecillea Pond-Mayo, KARK 4 News
Tony Alamo Ministries Allegations
The Federal Bureau of Investigation will neither confirm nor deny that there is an ongoing investigation of Tony Alamo. State police will only say they have an open case file.
Alamo owns churches across the state, Oklahoma, and California. His ministry in Fouke, AR has been the center of a recent storm of controversy. Several of his followers there live in homes located next to his church.
A group called Partnered Against Cult Activity formed after hearing from ex-members. One such ex-member is Anthony Lane. Lane says he was forced to leave the church several years ago and has not seen his children since. He does not have legal custody. But Lane says during his time there he saw an older man marry a 13 year old girl. On Alamo’s website, Alamo has several recorded messages indicating girls should marry when they begin menstruating. Lane is concerned because his girls are reaching their teenage years.
Alamo refused to give an interview to KARK to address the allegations. But the day after visiting the premise, he recorded a message denying that polygamy or marriage to young girls takes place in his church. He called the media “Satan’s voice.”
Alamo was a well-known evangelist with his wife Susan in the 1970’s and early 80’s. He was arrested for tax evasion in 1994 and served 6 years in prison.
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