Defense attorneys for David Taylor, the former leader of Kingdom of God Global Church, now facing federal forced labor and money laundering conspiracy charges, are asking a judge to reconsider a detention order requiring him to stay in custody while he awaits trial.
A judge denied Taylor’s bond during a hearing last month, ruling that he should be kept in custody to limit his contact with church members as court proceedings continue.
Taylor and Michelle Brannon, the church’s executive director, are accused of forcing church members in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri to work for free while raising donations in the church’s call centers.
In a federal indictment, prosecutors shared dozens of text messages where Taylor appeared to order punishments for workers who failed to meet his donation quotas, including food deprivation, sleep deprivation, shelter deprivation, and denial of medical care.
In a newly filed motion appealing the detention order, his attorneys argue these messages were sent during a “theological orientation”, known within the church as a “boot camp.”
His attorneys claim this orientation was “rigorous, but not harmful, and was voluntarily attended by every participant.”
His attorneys also argued that Taylor never personally imposed these punishments and was never present when these punishments were allegedly carried out.
The filing claims he was living in “shut away” in North Carolina at the time the text messages were sent.
The indictment stated that Taylor had not lived at any of the church’s call centers since 2020 and that he had exclusively used cellphones to communicate with church workers.
“Standing alone, the text messages show nothing but an expression of passive aggression from a frustrated pastor in shut away,” the filing reads. “They do not show actions or conduct, nor does the government provide any actual evidence that they were acted upon.”
Prosecutors claim Taylor and Brannon regularly held meetings to “rebuke”, or punish, church members who disobeyed.
The indictment claims these “rebukings” included yelling and humiliation, physical assaults, and threats of physical violence.
Taylor’s attorneys claim church members were “infrequently admonished, or rebuked, for certain transgressions” like smoking marijuana or otherwise “not adhering to standards and expectations of behavior.”
The filing claims these rebukings “were never severe nor seriously harmful, were always in line with reasonable church practices, and were consented to by adult church members who chose to live the way they did.”
The filing also addresses prosecutors’ claims that Taylor forced female church members to send him “thousands” of sexually explicit photos and videos, claiming these relationships were all consensual.
“A consenting adult who provides lawful selfies to another, without more, has no relevance to a charge of forced labor,” the filing reads.
Taylor’s attorneys provide their own text messages where Taylor tells church workers to sleep in or encourages them to get more rest.
In one text message sent on Aug. 21, four days before his arrest, Taylor’s attorneys say he texted church members stating, “Tell everyone to get more rest, start at 11 a.m. I told you it defeats the purpose when the people don’t get the rest they need, about seven to eight hours, and wake up too soon!”
The filing claims the eight victims listed in the indictment were free to leave the church of their own free will at any time.
“The fact that they did not immediately leave, that they chose this life and to remain with the church, may go to show the complainants’ weakness of character or after-the-fact change of heart, but it does not show that David Taylor unlawfully forced them to attend boot camps or work the prayer line phones,” the filing reads.
His attorneys also note Taylor’s lack of criminal history, citing that he has run the ministry for over two decades without incident and highlighting his achievements.
The filing claims he is a recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama and the Spirit of Detroit Award.
The filing asks a judge to grant Taylor pre-trial release or to schedule another hearing at which his attorneys can present additional evidence.
Brannon was released on bond last month.
The judge gave Brannon 30 days to show that the Northville home where she is staying on house arrest is not being paid for by church members.
According to a court filing, Brannon tried to move to an apartment complex in Livonia at the end of October, but her application was denied.
Brannon was given an additional 21 days to find alternative housing that adheres to her bond conditions.
Statement from Taylor’s attorney
Taylor’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, released the following statement to Local 4 regarding the motion filing:
“Pastor David Taylor is a man of deep faith and conviction who started preaching the Gospel when he was a teenager of very modest means. Since that time, he has obtained his doctorate and risen to be the leader of a successful modern religious organization, whose faithful adherents travel from around the world to be part of his valued ministry. He has an unblemished criminal record and is an acclaimed author. He has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama, due to his “lifelong commitment to building a stronger nation through volunteer service” and the Spirit of Detroit Award from the City of Detroit, which expressed gratitude to Pastor Taylor for his “exceptional achievements, outstanding leadership and dedication to improving the quality of life.”
Pastor Taylor is a loyal American citizen. We look forward to clearing his name."
Scott Rosenblum, attorney for David Taylor