Joyce Meyer Testimony

we are on the video record the time is approximately 257 counseling video our reporter is Lynn Barnabas ladies can you raise your right hand please Pam do you swear that the testimony you're about to give is the truth the whole truth and have another drink so you got yes I do would you state your name for the record please Joyce Meyer and could you spell your last name for the record m ey ER and man what is your occupation in general I'm a Bible teacher minister and I know you're with Joyce Meyer ministries could you briefly give us a description of what that is our ministry we have a large teaching ministry that goes around the world by television and radio we have large outreaches around the world to the poor and the needy a lot of orphanages and support hospitals and medical programs and things like that for the underprivileged how many employees do you think you have worldwide about 900 and we'll get right to the point do you know the defendant in this case Christopher Coleman yes I do how long have you known him since he was a little boy how was that his parents came to some conferences that I did over in Illinois I did a weekly meeting over there and his mother came to it brought him with him now at some point did he become an employee of Joyce Meyers ministry yes he did and about when was that probably about 1998 okay so in through 2009 he was with you about 11 years is that correct what kind of employee was he what what was his responsibilities there he was in a security department it was he in general security did he move up through the ranks what happened with that if I remember correctly he started in general security and then he became the supervisor of that department and then won a personal security person that I had left our employ we offered Chris that job and he took it and what did that that job entail then did he travel with you he traveled with us when we did conferences when we did speaking engagements and when we went out of the country and did Crusades and you know the countries how often it was it monthly that he would take one of these longer trips well out of the country we would only go two or three times a year and then we did 13 conferences here in the US and there may have been some years where we did even more than that because we cut down some as time went by and then I would do several speaking engagements a year okay so a different trip where you just go there and back yes as opposed to a conference where you might stay for a few days yeah when we did our conferences we'd be gone Thursday Friday Saturday if I did a speaking engagement I would normally just go and come back the same day and by the end of his employment he was traveling with you to all these conferences yes what did he do during the conference's just made sure that everything was safe for me in the crowds you know when people wanted to talk to me that was okay you know that was somebody it was okay that we have pretty large crowds and so it was mainly just for our safety and to make sure that everything went right would he travel ahead of your party to arrange things like that or sometimes he went ahead of us yes and then sometimes he went with us and by 2009 at the end of his employment do you know how much he was making a hundred thousand dollars did he have a company laptop computer yes did he carry it with him yes is this something that you saw with him when you made these trips for example yes he seemed to always have it with him yeah he carried his computer okay did you ever see anybody else use that computer other than the defendant no okay May 26 May 6 2009 this is the day after sherry and her sons were murdered did you speak to the police that day yes when you talk to the police on that day the day after this incident were you aware whether or not this defendant was having an affair I wasn't in the beginning of the interview but I wasn't PharmD toward the end of the interview that he had confessed to have an affair but as you came into it that day you did not know were you aware of whether or not he was having marital problems though between him and I didn't know that he and sherry were having some marital problems how did you know that well she had called our office and talked to Jag's as a calls for hearsay unless she spoke directly with this witness okay did you speak with Sheri Coleman no okay how were you aware that they were having marital problems she talked to my son Daniel and did he relate that to you he told me so I could talk to Chris about it and did you in fact talk to the defendant about the situation I did and it's just generally what was that conversation he said that you know that they were having issues that Sheri had told Daniel that Sheri Coleman told anybody okay well my son Daniel told me okay Daniel regarding the situation all those well although what the defendant told you you could tell us what was your conversation with the defendant what he told me is that he felt that Sheri was very controlling that no matter what he did she wasn't happy and that they just in general you know we're not getting along and that he was just really tired of it and at that point I asked him if you know they'd be willing to get some marriage counseling from a pastor that we have at our office and right away he said yes they were willing to do that which they did do do you know about when that was that he talked to you about that it was in the fall 2008 all right did you ever become aware of any threats that this defendant said he had received against himself or his family yes he told me about some the defendant personally told you that yes what did he tell you what what threats did he report he told me that he had gotten an email threatening his family if he did not stop working for me and then he told me that somebody started putting these threats in his mailbox at which point I think he became more concerned about them since that meant somebody knew where he lived he told me that they had taken the information to the police in Belleville and that he also had a detective that lived across the street from him and that they were going to make arrangements to put a camera there on his mailbox to see if they could see who was actually doing it and you said Belleville he actually lived in Columbia okay I'll call up yeah that's nice document when do you think that was when you became aware of the threats from him I think it was probably sometime late March or in April of 2009 there as a spring okay to your knowledge and any other employee has ever been singled out in that way now did you have other employees that provided security as this defendant did one other one is and there wasn't any threats or anything to that person yeah okay this was all from a conversation you had with police on May the 6th but on May the 12th did you again ask to talk to the police yes why did you do that about a month prior to the beginning of May say during the month of April I just felt like he wasn't it was noticing that he wasn't as attentive to his duties he was forgetting things that were just not normally him and just in general not quite as engaged I noticed a personal cell phone in his car one day that was being charged up and I asked him about that because I'd never seen him with it because he had a ministry phone that was what he carried all the time and he just said it was a personal cell phone I started to ask another question that I just thought you know it's really none of my business if he has personal cell phone so I just I let that go and did he during that period of time ever call in sick for work on May the fourth he called and told me that he wasn't feeling good and asked if he could take the day off may the 4th 2009 right was that unusual for the defendant yes he was and he worked worked for us 11 years so I can't swear that he never took a day off but I didn't remember him ever calling me and saying that he didn't feel good and wanted to take off he was just very he was just always there and how were you informed on may the 4th 2009 that he wasn't coming to work that day he called me in the morning and asked me if he could take the day off there anything uh did the defendant go on a trip with you during that period of time to the state of Florida yes was there anything about that trip again something you observed directly of the defendant that caused you now to be suspicious well he stayed there he said he wanted to stay down there for a few days after our trip was over after the working part of our trip was over he said he was going to visit these friends a girlfriend of sharise after I found out that that was the girl that he'd been having the affair with made me kind of suspicious then as to why he stayed there and that was some time during this period of time late 2008 early 2009 yes I think it was in 2009 ok and was that unusual for him to stay after when you'd gone on a trip and especially he was by himself so ok and again in retrospect that made you wonder yeah okay I have to ask you if the defendant were having an affair if you had known that at the time and I understand you've testified that you didn't what effect would that have had on his employment if he would have been having an adulterous affair while he was still married then it could have definitely affected his job were there persons over the years that were terminated in situations like that we had situations where they were yes and in fact he was married during the period of time they'd worked for you married to Sheri Coleman correct yes were there other persons who had adulterous affairs while married whose employment was terminated at Joyce Meyer ministry yes for that reason yes now I have to ask you about the distinction here what if it was a divorce as opposed to an adulterous affair each situation is handled totally separately based on the circumstances we have many people that work for us that have been divorced and a person is not necessarily due they lose their job because they get a divorce it wouldn't have been the divorce so much as the the immorality so for instance if a person in your employment if their spouse filed for divorce against them and perhaps they had little control over that you might leave them in your employment that's ardently okay and on the other end of the spectrum if a person was having an adulterous affair and then filed for divorce from their spouse to be with that person then their employment may have been terminated may have been yes okay do you think there was any situations of that in the past where someone was actually terminated under those kind of circumstances I believe so okay at some point you did learn that the defendant was having an affair is that correct yes was that from the police or how did you actually find that out all the police initially said that he had confessed did the affair what effect did that have on his employment and I don't know what what happened at the end of his employment before you answer that question I just want to object again to this whole line of questioning regarding had this witness knowing at the time he was having an affair because I don't think that at all has any relevance to any issues here because the fact of the matter is and I think this witness testified that she did not learn of the affair until the police informed her of the affair sometime after mr. sometime after the homicides were committed and some later date and this witness never knew prior to that that he was having an affair so I think any questioning about what this witness or what would have happened to his employment at that time are not relevant I understand all that but I think the record will be clear that what I asked her was what happened after she was aware that he was having an affair what actually happened okay I understand that I'm not objecting all right so that's what I'm asking once you were aware that he was having an affair and obviously he's no longer employed with you what happened to his employment he resigned okay did he discuss that with you no that was handled through our CEO okay did you fire him did I get her an album okay so once that situation became common knowledge the defendant resign employment with Joyce Meyer ministry he asked to resign yes and you accepted his resignation thank you have no further questions miss Mayer up mr. Coleman was an excellent employee during his 11 years at Joyce Meyer ministries and it was and he started the security department from the ground up pretty much I believe so and you had no complaints of him as an employee at Joyce Meyer ministry nope and the things that you testify to about your suspicions only became your suspicions after mr. Coleman was arrested and charged with these offenses as a caress only after looking back correct yes they were not suspicious or unusual at the time of these events no they were there were things that I felt were a little bit unusual but because he'd worked for us so long and I had no reason to think otherwise I just I didn't know yeah okay now you testified about some marital problems between Chris and Sheri Coleman and you became aware of those problems and your understanding of those problems is that they were just normal type communication problems or marital problems that would be typical and Mary is that correct yeah and you spoke with mr. Coleman about that and directed him or suggested that he get counseling with Mike shepherd I asked him if they would get counseling with Mike and he said yes immediately said yes is that right yes and he followed through with that counseling yes mr. Sheppard what's his position it is he employed by Joyce Meyer ministry he's in our employment is he a pastor or he's a pastor he functions as like a chaplain for our ministry and does a lot of a lot of work within the departments a lot of leadership teaching just a lot of different things like that he helps oversee our church in the inner city is he a licensed counselor American marital marriage counselor he's a licensed pastor is that what I don't think that answers my question though I mean is he a licensed counselor or marriage counselor no is that one of his normal parts of his job is to engage in marriage counseling or other types of counseling yes and you sent mr. Coleman to counseling because you believe that could benefit him in his marriage what Sheri Coleman is that correct yes and in fact it's based on your observations after they had gone to several counseling sessions things had seemed to have gotten better between Chris and Sheri Coleman a secular wasn't anything I observed it was what I was told he told me they were doing better and the counselor Mike Shepherd indicated that he felt they were doing better so was mr. Shepherds supposed to report back to you on how how the counseling was progressing yes and he did he and he did report back to ya things were going pretty well is that right and I think you testified before that earlier that that Sheri Coleman never contacted you directly not about these marital problems is that correct yes now while you mr. Coleman was working at the ministry you are aware that he had looked into other job opportunities yes and one of those opportunities is included starting his own business is that right yes and at some point did he ever to your knowledge did he ever make any attempts to leave the ministry ministries employment no not to your knowledge no did he ever express any concerns to you about spending more time with this his wife or his family or taking more time off no what what was your general attitude would you say as far as mr. Coleman being able to take time off and spend with his family I mean obviously he had a pretty pretty hectic travel schedule based on what you testified to earlier he did but he also got sufficient comp time and he was allowed to make his own schedule I even encouraged him to take more time off than what he did and suggested to him that he spend more time with with sherry during the weekdays when he was home are you aware of an instance in I believe in May of 2008 when mr. Coleman requested time off for August of that year to spend time with his family and celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary with Sheree Coleman and he was turned down yes and they were there was a out of overseas trip I guess scheduled in August an overseas trip which was we're very important for us and probably as far as needing security some of the most important ones okay and so and mr. Coleman requested to miss that trip and have one of the other security people go instead of him is that correct I don't think there was another security person that could have went and to him he was pretty much it as far as that level of security but we asked him if he could take take the weekend before the weekend after okay but he specifically requested to mr. inventory I don't know he did but he did not request it of me he talked to me about it told me that it was very important to Sherry and if I recall the request was put in pretty late okay but all of our plans work and I had time off right not from me but but from the ministry whoever yeah I guess if you say was and I see he was well yeah I mean I didn't I didn't handle those things so I don't really know now you you testified that that divorce is not an automatic automatic grounds for dismissal from employment at Joyce Meyer ministry that's correct and in fact I think you also testified that several people had who have worked at the Ministry have been divorced and did not lose their employment right and to the best of your knowledge mr. Coleman loved his kids and was very good to them is that correct to the best of my knowledge now as far as mr. Coleman taking sick days I you testified that that was the only time he ever called you directly to say he wasn't coming in that day is that right to the best of my knowledge if but that's not to say he didn't take other sick days here and there over the 11 years that he worked there I can't say that he didn't I just don't remember that he did you don't have any knowledge just whether he called Dan or David or any other really superiors to request time off or sickness here in there think I'm done but if I just a moment off-the-record to consult with my counsel here you're showing off the video record the time is approximately for each morning we are back on the video record the time is approximately 322 counsel please proceed thank you I just have a few follow-up questions miss Mayer are you aware of a conference in Houston that mr. Coleman did not attend because he was ill no with respect to let me ask you ask you this way what was mr. Coleman in charge of his own schedule yes and so do you have any knowledge as to whether he would change his schedule you know have other people cover for him uncertain for certain things or on certain days things like that well as far as his duties with me I would have been aware of any change if it was something he was supposed to do with me but if it was a day when he was doing office business pertaining to security I wouldn't have necessarily had any awareness of that and did he deal with you directly on a lot of business items or did he deal with other people in the ministry on scheduling you know other people more than me I don't have anything further there's only one issue I'd like to ask you just a couple of questions about you've been asked about an August Oh a trip when the defendant requested not to have to go on the trip you recall what I'm talking about mm-hmm were there any other trips like that any other instances when he requested to not go but was denied that request now and when you denied the requester when some of the Joyce Meyer denied it was comp time with were different weekends made available to him around the same oh yes and is that the only trip that you can recall when the defendant made such a request and it wasn't granted yes did you speak with the defendant about the amount of time he was spending in your employment in his duties did you advise the defendant to spend less time to spend more time at home I encouraged him he was a very hard worker and I encouraged him to take more time off more time to be with his family thank you further questions I'm good thanks we are going off the video record the time is approximately 324 in the deposition last for approximately 25 minutes

Channel: Belleville News-Democrat

Views: 855,449

Rating: 4.2682562 out of 5

Keywords: Joyce, Meyer, ministries, testimony, triple, murder, chris, coleman, sheri, tara, lintz, columbia, illinois

Id: VHZNXYS5QXg

Length: 24min 3sec (1443 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 07 2011