MIAMI – The clock is ticking for a beloved Miami church scheduled to be sold in foreclosure.
That news blindsided longtime members of the Liberty City congregation, who want to know what the pastor did with their money.
The New Providence Missionary Baptist Church, located at 760 NW 53rd St., has until June 2 to come up with the money, come up with the financing, pay off the mortgage, or lose the church in foreclosure.
Local 10 News has learned the pastor has been selling off other church properties.
We finally caught up with Pastor Steven Caldwell on a church member’s phone Wednesday after several attempts over several weeks.
“I am not (available) at the moment,” he told Local 10 News reporter Glenna Milberg. “Our attorney said you did reach out to him as well.”
Congregants have several questions about why the church had not paid the mortgage since last summer, tripping foreclosure in February.
“You asking for money, but the bills aren’t being paid,” Henry Faison, a youth pastor at the church, said of Caldwell. “Where is the money going?”
That’s the big question. He’s not the only one as members stand blindsided by the foreclosure and questionable financial maneuverings of the pastor and board.
“We owned that lot that they are building on now. We owned that lot,” church member Jessie Pierre-Charles said. “We owned that, that sold already. We didn’t even know that was sold.”
The church owned five other properties on its block. Members are now learning all have been sold in the past three years.
Local 10 News found in property records, all are sold to developers and all but one to a realtor who has a registered development corporation with the state, using the church’s name.
Caldwell appears in a promotional video about the development idea recorded last year inside the church.
“We have nothing. Over $1.5 million in property sold,” Cheryl Cason, who’s been a church member since 1972, when she was 7. Her parents were founding members.
“Where did the money go?” Milberg asked.
Cason replied, “That is the million-dollar question.”
With Caldwell referring Local 10 News to his attorney, who does not return calls, Milberg tracked down the church treasurer, Michael MacGregor.
“I’m not the treasurer and I have no comments about the church,” MacGregor said.
“You’re the treasurer of the church, according to documents,” Milberg replied.
“Yeah,” he admitted. “But I have no comment.”
Public records reveal Caldwell has had personal financial issues, including evictions and thousands in credit card default.
He is the controlling role for the church’s finances and convinced the judge to postpone foreclosure so he can find the half a million dollars they owe.
Under the church’s bylaws, Caldwell has power over the church’s finances and did nothing against the rules by selling those properties. He was not required to tell the membership about it.
He doesn’t have to tell Local 10 News about it, either.
But he may have to tell Miami police, who are now looking into the finances and what he did with the money, based on a member’s complaint.
