Juanita Bynum, the Self-Declared Face of Battered Women

Juanita Bynum, the Self-Declared New Face of Battered Women

It has taken me quite a while to write this editorial on how I really feel about Juanita Bynum's bold declaration that she is the new face of the battered woman. While I deeply regret the way she was beaten at the hands of her husband, I must also question her sincerity, or lack thereof of making such a declaration. You see, since this was not the first time she was beaten by a husband, I am left to wonder why she had not made such a declaration before after her first marriage ended. I believe that her new platform, however ambitious, is motivated by financial benefits at the expense of women. It is a real shame that one must question the motives of our religious leaders today. Some are sincere, while others are in purely for financial gain, or simply, the prosperity gospel. The religious leadership in our country is under siege as many are now questioning their message and their motives. Richard Roberts, president of Oral Roberts University, has been accused of mishandling money donated to the school to finance a lavish lifestyle. Many have been accused of sexual impropriety, such as the disgraced Ted Haggard and Paul Crouch of media empire TBN. It is a sad commentary that many of these religious leaders do not practice what they preach. On the one hand we are being told to marry for better or worse, in sickness and in health, when they are doing the opposite. Paula and Randy White have filed for divorce due to irreconcilable differences. All these people are fabulously wealthy, in part, on the backs of some poor and middle class people who are struggling to make ends meet, while seeking their piece of the prosperity pie the preachers have been dishing up for quite some time.

It was disclosed this week that Juanita Bynum's $4.5 million mansion in Georgia was up for auction due to non-payment of property taxes. It was also amazing that this money was to be raised at a benefit for Ms. Bynum. Where is the God-ordained financial responsibilities she has? She has been saying to sow a seed for our needs. Did she sow a seed for her taxes? I say that there is more to her domestic violence case than meets the eye. I would never condone a man putting his hand on a woman because it is absolutely wrong, but all was definitely not well in Ms. Bynum's home. Bynum emerged from relative obscurity in the late 1990s when Bishop T.D. Jakes asked her to participate in a singles conference. Her sermon "No More Sheets," dealt with failed romances and fornication. She used four sheets borrowed from a hotel maid's cart to demonstrate how every man she had slept with walked away from her and left her in spiritual bondage. She has a weekly television show on TBN, "Weapons of Power." Ms. Bynum, who heads Juanita Bynum Ministries Inc. based in Waycross, Georgia, has refused to disclose her income or her ministry's income. It has been disclosed that although some religious institutions file financial disclosures, the Internal Revenue Service has said that Bynum's ministry has not.

What is also somewhat bothersome about Ms. Bynum are the methods she uses to solicit money from people. She is literally berating them into donating to her ministry or whatever platform she is preaching on. I have even read articles in which her fundraising style has been called spiritual extortion. Bynum and many other pastors focus on people struggling, living from paycheck to paycheck, and telling them to sow a seed towards their needs. Bynum's 2002 televised wedding to Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III, who is awaiting trial for charges stemming from beating his wife, was a lavish affair. Media reports said that ceremony featured a wedding party of 80, a gown with a bodice covered in crystals and a 7.76-carat diamond ring. This is a far cry from the recent news reports that her husband owed thousands of dollars to creditors, including Xerox Corporation, Tiffany & Co., Ford Motor Credit and had been behind on the lease of his mansion in Gwinnett County in the Atlanta metropolitan area. They were even behind on the lease for their local church. So, do as I say, but not as I do come in to play once more. It seems as though the couple had some serious money problems that shadowed the marriage for months. Here they are telling someone to sow a seed to the ministry, when they could not even pay the rent on their house of worship. We all have had money problems in our lives at some point and these religious leaders are not immune from these problems, but they must practice what they preach or not preach at all.

Domestic violence is a very serious problem. It is the most common cause of injury to women ages 15 to 44. Victims may suffer physical injuries such as bruises or broken bones. They may also suffer emotionally from depression, anxiety or social isolation. It is really hard to know who common domestic violence is because people often do not report it. There is no typical victim and it happens among people of all ages, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. I hope Ms. Bynum will keep her word and be the new face of the battered woman. It is my hope that she will participate in forums, domestic violence drives and join organizations such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This is a chance for her to practice what she is preaching and not use it as a platform to enrich her ministry. It is also my hope that she will volunteer some of her time to going to some shelters for battered women and offer her assistance. Ms. Bynum has the power to make a lot of difference in the lives of battered women. She must take this self-appointed role seriously and not be in it solely to make money. The Bible is quite clear on its instructions where money is concerned.

Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."