In 2022, a letter from Veterans Education Success to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Georgia Department of Veterans Services alleged the nonprofit’s attorney had interviewed several people who described the church as “more of a cult” and who said they had been taken advantage of financially. The group requested “a target risk-based review” of HOPCC.

The church says that its headquarters is in Hinesville; however, Liberty County property and tax records show the church complex is located within the city limits of Walthourville. Those records also show HOPCC owns several residential properties in Hinesville, and many church members live in Hinesville, as well.

Through its five seminaries and 12 churches, “11 of which are near military bases,” the letter reads in part, 14 former members and one then-current member alleged “that HOPCC deceives VA during inspections and targets veterans in order to to access GI Bill funding, VA disability compensation,and VA home loans….Generally, they allege that HOPCC is lying to VA during inspections, defrauding veterans by keeping students enrolled perpetually without providing them with marketable training, and providing them with no actual education. They also claim HOPCC is coaching veterans applying for VA disability so they will receive 100% ratings and pressuring them into paying their disability compensation to HOPCC through tithes. They also allege that HOPCC is engaged in other criminal activity, such as mortgage fraud, and that it is essentially an illegitimate religious organization.”

Bible college students allegedly were sent to wash church leaders’ cars or work on construction projects, which was reported to the VA as “church study.” Other alleged falsifications of class attendance included time when students were recruiting or in church, or that they were present on days when they were not.

In addition, an unnamed student at the Bible college alleged the school “would tell VA inspectors that classes were being taught in buildings other than where they were actually being taught in order to mislead VA.”

According to the VES letter, two other students from the seminary, which was approved to receive GI Bill funding, would televise classes to other school locations that were not approved, then count all the remote students as having been present in the “Hinesville” location.

In addition, the letter alleges HOPCC charged GI Bill recipients significantly more than their civilian classmates.

Read the full article at The Current here.