65-Year-Old Bishop Fires Back Against “Grooming” Claims After Marrying 19-Year-Old [Video]

An Iowa bishop has sparked controversy online after marrying a young woman when she was 19 years old.

For the past two years, Bishop Dwight Reed has faced criticism for his relationship with Jordan Goodlett. Recently, a 2022 video resurfaced showing Reed making threats from his pulpit to those who disapprove of his marriage. Reed, now 65, was also heard in the video saying he and his armor bearers are “packing,” implying they are carrying guns. This has led many to label Reed as a groomer.

“I wish some of y’all would mess with my wife Jordan,” Reed said in the clip. “Talk about what you are going to do if you see her. Well, you will see me on the news, let me just tell you that right now. [Talking about] what you are going to do if you see her. … You better walk by and say, ‘Praise the Lord.’ That’s what you better do.”

He added, “That’s my wife. She grown. She didn’t need nobody to sign no paperwork for her. Now, if this was not in the streets, I’d be saying she made a come-up … but you a hypocrite.”

According to a petition on Change.org from Safehouse #Unmuzzled, Reed was previously a pastor in Shreveport, Louisiana. During his time there, he was accused of having “unethical relationships with young girls.” Additionally, the organization claims Reed had “inappropriate sexualized contact and communication” with a child aged 12-15, though they note this was “unsubstantiated.”

“Upon information and belief, in 2017, Reed returned to take over as pastor of Christ Apostolic Temple and as dean of its school. The girl would have been 15-16 years old at this time. It is believed that through his roles as pastor, school dean, and counselor, he gained access to Jordan and began grooming her to bring her under his control,” the petition read.

Reed has fired back against the allegations, particularly against Demetrius Sinegal, CEO and senior pastor of The Kingdom Church and the Safehouse #Unmuzzled non-profit in Texas. In a civil lawsuit, Reed and Jordan claim that after their marriage in November 2021, Sinegal began leading a smear campaign against them and their church. They also allege that Sinegal called the temple a “cult” and described Reed as a “shepherd that has starved his flock to feed himself.”

After being served the lawsuit, Sinegal released a detailed report featuring 13 witnesses who claimed Reed had an inappropriate relationship with Jordan prior to their marriage. However, in December 2022, the courts ruled in favor of the Reeds, transferring the defamation case from federal to state. Months later, Sinegal filed a defamation countersuit against Reed, alleging that the bishop committed “tortious interference with prospective economic advantages,” and falsely accused Sinegal of being homosexual.

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