Three leading members of one of Brazil’s most powerful churches have been accused of laundering millions in church donations and using worshippers’ money for personal gain.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God is known for its love of money and its promotion of the prosperity gospel scam.

Request by Edir Macedo to not watch television, use the radio or go on the internet suspected as diversion tactic from bad press.

His money-loving Universal Church of the Kingdom of God is widely considered to be, theologically, a cult of Christianity.

One of the world’s largest and most controversial Pentecostal churches has been given permission to build a $200m (£130m) replica of Solomon’s Temple in Brazil’s economic capital, São Paulo.

The 10,000 capacity “mega-church”, which is the brainchild of Brazil’s Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, will also house a replica of the Ark of the Covenant and be built according to “biblical orientations”.

Ten years after a New York Post expose (and here), the world’s largest Pentecostal church has been called to judgement for their allegedly devilish dealings in the city.

Regina DaSilva, the New York treasurer for the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, was hauled to court in handcuffs today to face charges that she repeatedly lied to the Attorney Generals’ office and Manhattan judges in securing $22 million in mortgage loans.

The loans, 11 in all, were taken out by DaSilva on behalf of the church on two of the church’s properties — one in Woodside, Queens, and the other in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, prosecutors charge.

Those two churches and a half dozen other branches throughout the city were the subject of a Post probe in 2000, which revealed shady fundraising in which worshippers were urged to turn over their savings to win God’s grace.

Check some of this church’s other antics here.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God last week lost a defamation and libel case against an ex-member who claimed that senior pastors at the church tricked her into giving them a car with promises of healing her.

The church is widely considered to be a cult of Christianity with a heavy emphasis on money.

The advert for the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) featured a testimonial from a woman implying that her son’s lung and heart defects were cured by oil that the church had provided.

UCKG’s founder was recently charged with fraud.

The founder of the Brazil’s Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, and nine other church leaders, are charged with money laundering and fraud.

The public prosecutor has said that Brazil is considering filing formal requests with several countries for cooperation in researching the church’s financial dealings. Those countries eventually include all countries where the UCKG operates, including in almost all Africa countries.

A storm is brewing at the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, with South African pastors accusing their Brazilian bishop of racism, discrimination and favouring Portuguese pastors.

At least 50 pastors have left the church since the end of 2008 and some of those who have left say there are hundreds of others who are too afraid to leave because they have no financial backing.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God also goes by the name of “Stop Suffering.” However, the church causes lots of suffering by preaching its heavy-handed brand of the so-called Prosperity Gospel: God can only heal you or bless you financially if you first give him money — by giving it to the church.

In Uganda, one former member who did not get healed after donating her car to the church demanded her car back. Now she is experiencing the cult’s wrath.

A church known for teaching that God blesses you more when you give more money is itself robbed.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, theologically a cult of Christianity, is abusing Brazil’s legal system by filing dozens of lawsuits against reporters who investigate the money-hungry church.

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the “harassment” of three journalists and their newspapers by followers of the Brazil-based evangelical Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus – IURD), who have filed dozens of lawsuits against the media.

Human rights organization condemns the wave of civil defamation lawsuits filed by members of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God against journalist Elvira Lobato and her employer, the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.

The authors of the lawsuits say they were insulted by her investigative report, entitled “Universal turns 30 with a business empire”, published on December 15, 2007.

The Universal Church of God relentlessly sells the fraudulent prosperity gospel to the poor.