Earl Paulk

Earl Paulk has been involved with many sex scandals spanning several years. Two of the more prominent scandals involved Cindy Hall and Mona Brewer.

Cindy Hall

Hall was born in 1960 and was one of the first children born into Chapel Hill Harvester. In 2003, she claimed that Paulk had convinced her into a lengthy affair that also included her having sex with Paulk's brother, Don. Hall alleges that the affair began in 1983 (in a manner much similar to Mona Brewer's a few years later) when Paulk prayed for her, then kissed her. He then would say he intended to "make love" to her. At one point, Paulk supposedly would tell her that they had a "special gift of love outside holy matrimony". Cindy Hall has never filed a lawsuit against Paulk.

Mona Brewer

Mona Manning Brewer was a Sunday School teacher who married Bobby Brewer in 1987. She was also featured regularly as a soloist on the television program as well. She came to the church at the age of 19, four years after her conversion to Christianity.

Brewer claimed that in 1989, Paulk felt " 'impressed of the Lord' to get to know her better". She then stopped by his office the next day. Soon she made regular appearances. She alleged that a church official stated that there had been a "word of knowledge" claiming that she was about to enter a new relationship that would benefit her.

As it turned out, the "relationship" in question was a sexual one with Paulk on September 12, 1989. Paulk preached the following Sunday that "when you are in despair, God will send you a resurrection", later claiming that Brewer was his resurrection. She didn't break the relationship off until September 2003. Not long afterwards, Bobby Brewer reportedly punched Paulk in the nose. The Brewers eventually sued Paulk and his church on August 31, 2005, claiming Paulk misused his position to manipulate her into a sexual relationship, and claiming Paulk owed US$400,000 for a loan Brewer issued to settle the Jessica Battle suit. On Monday, March 5, 2007, at a pretrial hearing, the Brewers' lawyer wrote out a request for dismissal of the case by hand and handed it to lawyers for Paulk and the church. Levenson acted just as a ruling was about to come on a motion by Paulk's lawyers to dismiss the allegations. By dropping the case before the ruling, the Brewers left open the possibility of filing another suit with the same allegations. "We were having difficulty even at this point getting witnesses to speak out against the acts of Bishop Paulk and the church," Levenson said. "Sometimes you just have to do this."  However, the case has since been refiled.

Tricia Weeks

Weeks was a biographer/ghostwriter for Paulk when she allegedly had a two-year affair with Paulk in 1992.

Jessica Battle

Between the Weeks incident and the stories breaking about Brewer and Hall, in 2001; Jessica Battle, a college student who had been part of the dance team, accused Paulk of molesting her between the ages of 7 and 11, and later of forcing himself on her when she was 17. Lynn Mays (Battle's grandmother and a pastor on the staff) sided with Paulk. The suit was settled out of court in 2003 for $400,000.

Donnie Earl Paulk

May 30, 1927: Earl Pearly Paulk Jr., is born in Appling County, Ga., to a prominent minister in the Church of God.

1952-1960: Paulk graduates from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and pastors Hemphill Church of God, now Mount Paran Church of God.

1960: Paulk and his family leave Hemphill under a cloud of scandal. Paulk later admits that he had an extramarital sexual encounter. Paulk returns later in the year to found Gospel Harvester Church in Inman Park.

1973: Paulk’s church moves to south DeKalb County as Chapel Hill Harvester Church.

1982: Paulk is anointed a bishop by Bishop Bob McAlister, a visiting clergyman from Brazil.

Oct. 13, 1991: The church opens its new neo-Gothic worship building, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.

Feb. 29, 1992: President George Bush meets Earl Paulk to honor his church as a “point of light” for its social work.

May 1992: The Rev. Don Paulk, senior pastor of the church and brother of Earl Paulk, confesses to sexual indiscretions. Earl Paulk says his brother will begin “restoration.” Three weeks later, Don Paulk says, “I have risen and I am here to fight again.”

June 1992: The church is suffering loss in members and income, and lays off 34 members of its 157-member staff. Many other staff members and church members leave.

November-December 1992: Six women come forward to say they have had secret sexual relationships with married ministers in the Paulk family. One, a former ghostwriter and biographer for Earl Paulk, said she was sexually intimate with him for two years.

March 1999: Fire guts Earl Paulk’s home at 1000 Cathedral Place. Pastor Bobby Brewer receives a citation from the DeKalb Fire Department for saving the life of Norma Paulk, Earl’s wife.

February 2000: The Georgia Senate commends Earl Paulk for his “extraordinary work for God and his community.”

April 2001: Lifelong church member Jessica Battle files suit in DeKalb County State Court charging that Earl Paulk fondled her beginning when she was 7 years old and later had sexual intercourse with her.

2003: Jessica Battle’s case is settled for an undisclosed amount of money.

Aug. 31, 2005: Mona Brewer and her husband, Bobby, a former pastor, file suit accusing Earl Paulk of manipulating her into a 14-year sexual relationship. Bobby Brewer also claims he let Paulk borrow $400,000 to pay part of the Battle settlement. Paulk denies the allegations, but his lawyer admits the bishop had a sexual relationship with Mona Brewer.

October 2005: Cindy Hall, the first baby born into Paulk’s church, says she was coerced into having an affair with Paulk.

Nov. 11, 2005: Paulk undergoes 15 hours of cancer-related surgery.

Aug. 31, 2006: DeKalb Superior Court Judge Mark Anthony Scott rules that Earl Paulk must give a deposition, answering questions from the Brewers’ attorney.

Nov 20, 2006: Judge Scott schedule the trial for early April of 2007.

March 5, 2007: Just before Judge Scott is to rule on a motion to dismiss filed by Paulk’s lawyers, the Brewers drop the suit. By doing so prior to the Judge’s ruling they can file another suit making the same charges at a later date.

June 19, 2007: The Brewers file suit against Earl Paulk, Chapel Hill Harvester Church, Inc and Harvester Communities Inc.

September 4, 2007: Bobby Brewer files a separate suit against Earl Paulk, Chapel Hill Harvester Church, Inc and Harvester Communities Inc.