Walter Vinson Grant, Jr. (better known as W. V. Grant) (born 1946) is an American televangelist whose ministry has been based in and around the Dallas, Texas area. He was known for being a faith healer resulting in several exposes including on 60 Minutes. In 1996 Grant was convicted of tax evasion, and since his release from prison has restarted his ministry.
Biography
W.V. Grant began his early pastoral career in Cincinnati Ohio in the mid 1970's with the "Cathedral of Compassion" in the poor Over the Rhine area of Cincinnati before relocating to the suburbs of St Bernard until the early 1980's. The son of a minister, in 1983 Grant took over Soul's Harbor Church (located in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas) and expanded its ministry, later renaming the church as "Eagles Nest Cathedral".[1] In l987, Grant purchased 28 acres in the southwest section of Dallas (near Dallas Baptist University) and built the "Eagle's Nest Family Church," and continued pastoring the 5000 seat church until 1996.[1]
Grant was involved in faith healing, and was investigated often for "faking" supposed healings. James Randi explained that Grant had notes of ailments of audience members before the show, a "sleight of hand" trick to make a leg appear to grow, put members of the audience who walked in in wheel chairs before the event (then asking them to stand and walk) hot reading and cold reading techniques.[2] Randi also exposed that Grant's wife had gathered information about members of the audience, and the information as relayed to WV via slips of paper in a Bible he read during his presentations.[2]
Randi explored Grant in The Faith Healers explaining both his claimed miracles and biography. Randi noted, "even Grant's college degree is phony. He claims that he obtained it from "Midstates Bible College" in Des Moines in 1972. He displays the diploma on his office wall. But Midstates wasn't then and isn't now accredited with the Iowa Department of Public Instruction, as all parochial and public schools are required to be. It wasn't recorded with the secretary of state's office in Iowa as a corporation; nor was it listed in the county recorder's office. It didn't even show up in the telephone directory.[2]
He is married to Brenda Gayle Hayes (daughter of Alton and Maxine Hayes), and has three adult children Misty, Barry and Mark.[1]
Legal issues and post-conviction
Grant was investigated by Trinity Foundation for misusing ministry funds for personal gain, including building a lavish house in DeSoto, Texas with nine bathrooms.citation needed
In 1996, an Internal Revenue Service investigation into Grant's ministry resulted in Grant's imprisonment for tax evasion.[3] Grant sold the Eagles Nest Cathedral facility to T. D. Jakes, a fellow televangelist, who renamed it "The Potter's House".
Grant was released from prison on September 18, 1997 and has since restarted his ministry, again under the name Eagles Nest Cathedral, in the eastern part of Dallas. However, he has not regained the fame he had prior to his imprisonment. As of 2008, a sign in the window outside the church advertises a planned relocation.citation needed
In 2006, he held faith healing services at the Richmond Christian Center in Richmond, Virginia five nights a week, at the behest of the RCC's pastor, Steve Parson. This provoked a two-part news investigation by WWBT-TV, Richmond's NBC affiliate.citation needed He has since left Richmond for New Jersey. Since May, 2007 he has been renting the auditorium of Good Shepherd Ministries, (formerly Baptist Church of the Good Shepherd pastored Robert Tilton) in Hallendale Beach, Fl and his TV show can be seen on CW affiliate WUPV.citation needed
See also
References
External links
- Official Site NOTE: The website mentions nothing about Grant's tenure in prison; it purports that "God led" Grant to walk away from the original Eagles Nest Cathedral.
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