Agape Ministries
Many churches and ministries use the name Agape Ministries. This news archive concerns a religious group with properties in and around Adelaide, South Australia, and led by Rocco Leo.
In May 2010 properties belonging to Agape Ministries were raided by Australian police. Police seized an arsenal of weapons, high-powered ammunition and explosives.
Former members reportedly claim that the religious group, referred to in the media as a ‘doomsday cult,’ promised them a haven on a South Pacific island, to protect them from microchips the government was planning to implant in all humans.
Friday December 3, 2010
Agape Ministries: 
Australian Taxation Office lawyers today outlined “a very crude attempt to hide” millions of dollars received by the controversial Agape Ministries. Rocco Leo, his confidantes and their multi-million dollar, two-state empire are embroiled in three lawsuits and a criminal prosecution.
Wednesday November 24, 2010
Agape Ministries: Fallen religious leader Rocco Leo and his former church owe more than $4.1 million in unpaid taxes for 2009-10 alone, court documents claim. Those figures are just the tip of the iceberg for the Australian Tax Office, which last month stripped Agape of its tax-exempt status as a religion.
Friday November 19, 2010
Agape Ministries: 
Agape Ministries has been stripped of its legal status as a religion, lost its tax exemption and will be sued by the Federal Government for a decade of unpaid debt. The District Court yesterday gave the nation’s banks 72 hours to hand over all records concerning alleged cult leader Rocco Leo, his wife, his closest confidants and the two-state empire he controls.
Tuesday November 16, 2010
Agape Ministries: Controversial religious cult leader Rocco Leo will return to South Australia in January to face assault charges,. The head of Agape Ministries – labelled a “doomsday cult” by opponents – is accused of brawling with a man at Adelaide Airport in April.
Wednesday September 29, 2010
Agape Ministries: 
Fugitive cult leader Rocco leo is living in a five-star resort in Fiji, according to the man he allegedly assaulted weeks before police raided the Agape headquarters. Philip Arbon today told AdelaideNow that in April he had been taking photos – which he intended to hand to authorities – of Leo when the cult leader allegedly assaulted him.
Tuesday September 28, 2010
Agape Ministries: Runaway Agape cult leader Rocco Leo assaulted the estanged husband of one of his church members at Adelaide Airport less than a month before his doomsday cult was raided by police, a court has heard. Magistrate Lydia Makiv issued an arrest warrant for Leo – who failed to appear at today’s scheduled hearing – before recalling it to allow his lawyers to argue against it tomorrow.
Friday August 20, 2010
Agape Ministries: The Agape Ministries empire has struck back against its detractors, accusing one of conning the controversial group out of $730,000. Church leader Pastor Rocco Leo and two senior members of the group have launched a counter-claim against former follower Martin Penney.
Sunday August 15, 2010
Agape Ministries: The empire of controversial Agape Ministries Church spans two states, eight properties and a fleet of 13 vehicles, and its funds are held in 10 separate accounts, it has been revealed. Court documents obtained by The Advertiser show for the first time the scope of church leader Pastor Rocco Leo’s fortune obtained, his detractors claim, through fraud.
Thursday August 5, 2010
Agape Ministries: Runaway Agape Ministries cult leader Rocco Leo has offered to “refund” a profoundly disabled woman $290,000 as “a sign of good faith”. In documents filed with the District Court, Leo denies defrauding $420,000 from Silvia Melchiorre, saying any monies received from her were a gift.
Wednesday August 4, 2010
Agape Ministries: A man linked to an alleged doomsday cult, Agape Ministries, has been declared missing and police want him to reassure his family. The last confirmed sighting of 52-year-old Adelaide businessman John Mouhalos was on May 21, 2010, a day after police raided a series of properties linked to the religious sect.
Sunday August 1, 2010
Agape Ministries • RNB's Religion News Blog: Memo to cult leader Rocco Leo: You’ve got until Wednesday to file defence papers.
Wednesday July 21, 2010
Agape Ministries: 
Runaway Agape Ministries leader Rocco Leo has been ordered to disclose the extent of his fortune to the District Court within 21 days. Leo has also been given 14 days to defend claims he told people that evil governments would behead those who refused to be impregnated with tiny microchips.
Monday July 19, 2010
Agape Ministries • RNB's Religion News Blog: A man arrested for firearms offences over raids on Agape Ministries premises has been fined $2,000 and released without conviction.
Tony Di Blasio pleaded guilty to acquiring a firearm without a permit and possessing a baton.
Tony Di Blasio pleaded guilty to acquiring a firearm without a permit and possessing a baton.
Wednesday July 7, 2010
Agape Ministries • RNB's Religion News Blog: The mother and brother of Agape Ministries member Raphael Azariah have pleaded with him to leave the “cult“ and be part of their family again.
Lesley and Joel Baligod said they watched last week’s exclusive AdelaideNow interview with Mr Azariah in horror as he looked “very sick”.
They said they loved Mr Azariah despite their religious differences, and wanted to rebuild their family without the influence of controversial pastor Rocco Leo.
Lesley and Joel Baligod said they watched last week’s exclusive AdelaideNow interview with Mr Azariah in horror as he looked “very sick”.
They said they loved Mr Azariah despite their religious differences, and wanted to rebuild their family without the influence of controversial pastor Rocco Leo.
Agape Ministries:
A plaintiff who cannot be named and another former church member, Martin Penney, are suing Agape Ministries pastor Rocco Leo and two of his associates, Joe Venziano and Mari-Antionette Veneziano. They want their money back, claiming they handed over more than $400,000 and $1 million respectively to the church based on lies about a doomsday scenario.
Search
Most Read In This Topic
- Memo to cult leader Rocco Leo
- Police raid Agape Ministries of God doomsday cult properties
- South Australia 'doing nothing to extradite cult leader' from Fiji
- Court fines Agape Ministries firearms offender
- Fugitive cult leader Rocco Leo hires lawyer via Skype
- Cult leader Rocco Leo arrested
- Cult leader Rocco Leo's extradition from Fiji not likely, says Police
- Agape Ministries Church 'not a doomsday cult' - lawyer
- Cult leader Rocco Leo told disabled woman that cash would save her
- Police hunt religious leaders over weapon stash at Agape Ministries International
Research Resources
Books about Agape Ministries
Apologetics Research Resources on Agape Ministries
Subscribe to Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog headlines by Email
Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter
Subscribe to Religion News Blog Subscribe only to this topic: Agape Ministries
Use Our Headlines
Free: Place RNB Headlines on your website! It's easy: just copy and paste
