DeGroot mentioned case of bankruptcy filings confirmed Visser’s team owed around $800,000 to about twelve people in Maranatha or their businesses, like the Thompsons. DeGroot additionally provided records of Thompson’s loans to Visser’s organizations.
Thompson stated as he understood that Visser wasn’t planning to shell out him back once again, the guy recorded a lawsuit against Visser as well as the church to try and recoup their funds. (Thompson stated their attorney proposed suing for $one million because plaintiffs ordinarily bring half whatever inquire and Thompson would incur legal charges.)
Thompson extra which he and Visser never ever reached funds as Zacharias’ suit alleged. Alternatively, Thompson said he fell the suit because Visser went broke.
Thompson said he may have nevertheless pursued the fit from the chapel additionally the denomination. But alternatively, he and Lori Anne chose to operate around the CRC denomination to push liability.
a€?Significant economic Distressa€?
Both Brad Thompson and Ian deGroot laughed as I questioned if Thompson was in a€?significant monetary distressa€? after his alleged a€?settlementa€? with his pastor, as Zacharias’ suit alleges.
In the same way, Tamara Battiste, Lori Anne Thompson’s sis, okcupid or pof said: a€?Thompson try a millionaire . . . They don’t require funds. They’ve never needed revenue.a€?
Taxation statements the Thompsons offered demonstrate that from 2010-2017, the Thompsons generated between $193,000-$552,000 each one of those age. In 2017-the season the Thompsons delivered the demand letter to Zacharias- the happy couple generated $443,000.
The happy couple additionally gave amply to charities and ministries during those ages. In 2015, the Thompsons donated over $102,000 to charity. In 2016 and 2017, the happy couple contributed about $50,000/year to charity.
James look, CEO of UCB Canada-the biggest Christian broadcasting network in Canada-said Brad Thompson is certainly UCB Canada’s big supporters in advance of 2017.
Search mentioned Thompson backed the airtime for Ravi Zacharias’ radio system on UCB Canada. Search asserted that’s precisely why Thompson ended up being welcomed to sponsor a table at the luncheon in which Brad and Lori Anne came across Zacharias.
Throughout the years, search mentioned he is reached see Thompson really and defined him as an a€?honorable guya€? and a€?someone of ethics.a€?
Exactly why the Demand Page?
a€?As Lori Anne and that I found out a little more about predation and grooming and level of sufferers that predators has . . . we knew we had a moral obligations, or a godly obligation, before the Lord, not to do nothing,a€? Brad stated.
Brad mentioned the couple weighed a number of options. One, had been heading right to the board of Ravi Zacharias Global Ministries (RZIM). However, the happy couple quickly dismissed the theory because they thought Ravi Zacharias, his girlfriend, along with his daughter, Sarah-who’s now President of RZIM-were all members of RZIM’s panel.
RZIM no longer posts the labels of its panel members. But in 2014, whenever RZIM past published an IRS type 990, Zacharias, their girlfriend, and his daughter, Sarah, happened to be from the board. I achieved out over and over repeatedly to RZIM, asking who had been on its board in 2017, but RZIM couldn’t answer my question.
Thompson mentioned he and Lori Anne in addition thought about going to the nyc circumstances or other significant publication. However the few chose against it because he said both of them comprise experiencing views of suicide and mayn’t deal with anyone embarrassment that would push.
However, the couple said they performed launch their particular comments to several blog writers since they are positive phrase would not spread to her hometown in Ontario.
But Thompson mentioned the guy and Lori Anne both experienced the only method to make Zacharias grab all of them honestly were to send the requirements page. He said their particular lawyer, Mark Bryant, recommended the $5 million figure while the partners trustworthy his wisdom.