TAMPA A month before reports of his charity's treatment of homeless people sparked controversy, New Beginnings of Tampa founder Tom Atchison was fighting to save his church in federal bankruptcy court.

Atchison's New Life Pentecostal Church owed more than $900,000 to a Texas bank. On Oct. 23, the bank's lawyer urged a judge to allow an auction of the church property.

But the church's lawyer said Atchison had a plan to pay down the debt. New Beginnings had just won a big grant, attorney David Steen told the judge. New Life church could use that money to pay the bank.

One problem: The $64,000 grant from Hillsborough County was supposed to pay for emergency shelter for homeless people. It could not be put toward the church's debt, a county spokeswoman said.

Atchison was asking a federal judge to allow him to misuse public grant money to save his church.

While the judge ultimately rejected the plan, it was in keeping with questionable ways Atchison has long run New Beginnings, one of Tampa's largest homeless charities.

For example:

New Beginnings for years made money from construction jobs performed by homeless work crews led by a recovering crack cocaine addict and alcoholic who is not licensed to lead contracting jobs in Florida. The man pleaded no contest to unlicensed contracting this year after a woman complained about a botched roofing job by New Beginnings.

Records show that Atchison listed Tampa City Council Chairman Charlie Miranda on New Beginnings' board of directors for several years. Miranda said his name was used without his permission and he's never been involved with New Beginnings.

The director of a local nonprofit for teenagers in foster care said she declined to refer homeless 18-year-olds to New Beginnings due to concerns Atchison wanted to "warehouse" them with violent criminals and drug addicts.

See more here:
For years, Tampa homeless charity raised and spent money dubiously

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December 31, 2014 at 3:56 pm by Mr HomeBuilder
Category: Church Construction