The organization, described by one of its members as a Pentecostal church, was established by Rony Denis in 2004 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Bill programs, accusing the church of defrauding veterans out of their educational benefits by offering courses without granting certificates of completion, among other charges.
In June 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided several church locations, and by November 2022, multiple states had barred House of Prayer educational programs from receiving G.I.
[3][5][6] Denis founded the organization in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,[7] but soon relocated HOPCC's headquarters to Hinesville,[3][6][note 2] where he had previously ministered with New Testament.
[5] According to reporting from the Savannah Morning News, HOPCC registered with the Georgia Secretary of State on May 18, 2004,[13] and is officially owned by a "foreign nonprofit group" known as House of Prayer Christian Churches of America, Inc.,[16][12] which is a 501(c)(3) organization.
[13] The organization's principal church and headquarters in Hinesville was located less than 8 mi (13 km) from Fort Stewart in Liberty County.
[12][13] On average, the typical membership at each of these churches was between 50 and 100 people, but the attendance would often double during sermons held by Denis, who several former members of the organization have described as a charismatic preacher.
[3] As of 2022, Denis reportedly lived in Augusta,[20][21] owned three mansions, including one in Florida and two in Georgia, and at least two Rolls-Royce vehicles.
[5] According to Arlen Bradeen, a former member and pastor with House of Prayer, Denis had initially agreed to allow local churches a large degree of autonomy, but employed a conference call system to directly communicate and preach to all churches, saying, "Someone could be preaching or singing a song and when the Polycom rang, you heard it through the PA system, and everybody had to sit and listen to Denis".
[3] In a 2017 article in the Courier, reporter Patty Leon wrote that multiple former members have accused Denis of "real estate fraud and forgery" dating back to around 2004 or 2005.
[25] A former member of the church called the system a "real estate money factory" and stated that Denis had plans to create a rental agency, a construction company, and a mortgage department.
[24] Leon of the Courier also reported that one former member stated during the meeting that Denis, during a church testimonial, had said that he had "lust after young kids".
[16] VES alleged that veterans were charged higher rates for tuition than non-veterans and were misled by church officials regarding their education benefits.
[17] VES also alleged that House of Prayer sought to take money from veterans through VA loans and disability benefits.
[2] In addition to the accusations of financial wrongdoing, the VES letter also charged that the church operated like a cult and would intimidate members who were seeking to leave the organization.
[19] At many of these locations, local law enforcement, including police departments and sheriff's offices, assisted the FBI.
[2][10] According to a spokesperson for the FBI, the bureau had conducted a "court authorized law enforcement activity", which most likely means that they had executed a search warrant.
[30] By November 2022, regulatory agencies in several states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Texas,[30] and Washington,[31][6] had barred educational organizations associated with House of Prayer from receiving any funding from G.I.
[30] Specific charges alleged by the DOJ against House of Prayer included conspiracy to defraud the United States, embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, wire fraud, among other offenses.