Leonardo Blair
Leonardo Blair is an award-winning investigative reporter and feature writer whose career spanned secular media in the Caribbean and New York City prior to joining The Christian Post in 2013. His early work with CP focusing on crime and Christian society quickly attracted international attention when he exposed a campaign by Creflo Dollar Ministries in 2015 to raise money from supporters to purchase a $65 million luxury jet. He continues to report extensively on church crimes, spiritual abuse, mental health, the black church and major events impacting Christian culture.
He is a 2007 alumnus of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he was an inaugural member of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism. He lives with his wife and two sons in New York City.
Latest
Al Sharpton ‘appalled’ after former officer Kim Potter is release after 16 months for death of Daunte Wright
Civil rights activist, founder and President of the National Action Network, the Rev. Al Sharpton, called the release of former police officer Kim Potter, who had been sentenced to 16 months in prison after she was found guilty of the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, “an insult to all Americans who believe in justice."
After a lifetime of working, 91-year-old cashier gets to retire after raising more than $72K on GoFundMe
A 91-year-old great-grandmother and cashier at WinCo Foods in Medford, Oregon, will finally get to retire from a lifetime of working next month when she turns 92, thanks to the generosity of thousands of strangers who donated more than $72,000 to her GoFundMe campaign as of Tuesday.
Oklahoma pastor gets death threats for blackface impression of Ray Charles, dressing like Pocahontas
An Oklahoma pastor had to preach with security guards at his church Sunday because he received multiple death threats after photographs of him wearing blackface mimicking legendary singer Ray Charles and Native American figure Pocahontas went viral online.
Less than half of born-again Christians believe Jesus lived sinless life on Earth: study
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, fewer born-again Christians now say that Jesus lived a sinless life during his time on earth and church attendance in general has dropped by some 15 million people weekly, a new study from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows.
Archdiocese of Philadelphia accused of covering up former singing priest’s alleged sexual abuse
A Virginia woman has filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for covering up the sexual abuse she and multiple women allegedly suffered at the hands of former priest Kevin Barry McGoldrick for more than 10 years.
Pastor Franklyn Richardson: ‘Black Church cannot be understood separately from civil rights movement’
W. Franklyn Richardson, senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church in the City of Mount Vernon, N.Y., and chairman of the board of the Rev. Al Sharpton's civil rights organization, National Action Network, suggested that the “Black Church cannot be understood separately from the civil rights movement” because faith leaders and “The Church” are key drivers of the movement.
Pastor taught teen, family member to use sex toys to cope with ‘urges’: police
A family member of a Las Vegas pastor who was indicted on multiple charges of sexual assault, child abuse and other crimes earlier this month, was among his victims and she alleges he taught her how to use sex toys after telling her they would stop her from giving in to her sexual urges while she was a high school student.
Transformation Church claims 500 people turned to Jesus during ‘blasphemous’ Easter show
Michael Todd’s Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, claims some 500 people “gave their lives to Christ” after his congregation hosted an edgy play called “Ransom” that appears to replace the traditional retelling of the Easter story that Christian critics blasted as “demonic” and “blasphemous.”
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston pleads guilty to DUI, gets probation, other penalties
Days after pleading “not guilty” to driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more, Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston pled “guilty” to the charges and was sentenced to three years’ probation, a $140 fine and other penalties.
Energy company cuts power for Baltimore church as pastor insists $30K bill is incorrect
In the last 34 years that he has operated his 800-member Friendship Baptist Church at 6004 Loch Raven Boulevard in Baltimore, Maryland, Rev. Alvin Gwynn, Sr., says his average monthly energy bill has hovered around “maybe $1,200.”