Email: Rev. Corey B. Brooks, 'Rooftop Pastor', fundraiser a 'big lie'

Rev. Corey B. Brooks: Savior or fraud?

An explosive email claims Reverend Corey B. Brooks, also known as the "Rooftop Pastor", isn't quite what he seems.

The correspondence, labeled as a press release, states Brooks was once fired from West Point Baptist Church for his "lack of financial integrity".

The email also states that Brooks hired known gang members to serve as security guards while he camped out on the rooftop of an abandoned hotel.

The press release:

Pastor Corey B. Brooks, who spent months on top of a roof in order to raise money for a community center in Woodlawn, is catching heat from many of his congregants and colleagues for being absent from his church responsibilities while many of them have lost loved ones themselves.

Some are even going so far as to say that Project Hood, the campaign started by Brooks supposedly to address violence in Chicago, is nothing more than a Church Building Campaign. Some claims suggest that many of Brooks' fundraising techniques are unethical, misleading and lack financial transparency.

Prior to Brooks taking to the roof, none of his sermons really addressed the subject of violence though he has always been the pastor in high risk communities. As pastor of West Point Baptist Church, he was fired for his lack of financial integrity and left on bad terms.

His church, which is situated in Woodlawn, is hardly accessible to the community now, and some are wondering why would the community be welcomed into a new state of the art center when they are barely welcomed at his church outside of Sunday. Many are questioning the measures he will go to raise money.
Just last year he stated to his congregation that they owed millions in mortgage for the building where they currently have service.

The community of Woodlawn and the 20th Ward has suffered for decades due to the level of corruption between political figures, pastors and civic leaders, and such corruption continues to feed the perplexing issue of violence in its community.

A few years ago, such corruption led to the indictment of the former alderwoman of the 20th Ward Arenda Troutman and the investigations of The Woodlawn Organization.

Willie Cochrane, current alderman of the 20th Ward, became very fond of Brooks efforts to purchase the motel of 66th and King Drive during his bid for reelection. Even members of the Gangster Disciples were recruited to provide security to the pastor during the months he was atop of the Southside motel.

Months ago, the Occupy Chicago movement decided to join Brooks Project Hood campaign against violence and pitched tents next to the motel only to be kicked off of the church's property by hired hands.

The first fund raiser Brooks launched before Project Hood was a conference where T.D. Jakes was paid to give a mass offering towards the community center. Thousands packed the House of Hope ran by the Reverend (and) State Senator James T. Meeks, (with) who(m) Brooks has built a close political relationship with over the years.

At that Conference, close to ten thousand people gave financially towards the community center years prior to Brooks alleged epiphany from God to take to the roof of an alleged crime infested motel and launch his Project Hood campaign. Since taking to the roof, Brooks has lost many members despite all of the media attention his public relations team has been able to attract towards his efforts.

Just months ago, the movie mogul Tyler Perry gave over $80,000 to the south-side pastor.

Disclaimer: Chicago News Report makes no claim that this press release is either true, or false.