HOUSTON,Texas (October 27,2024) – Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell made a highly anticipated return to Windsor Village Church in southwest Houston today,marking his first public appearance at the megachurch since his early release from federal prison.
Caldwell’s return comes approximately eleven months after being released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Beaumont, Texas, on November 22, 2023. He had been serving a sentence after pleading guilty to wire fraud in 2018.
The case centered around a scheme where Caldwell defrauded investors, including elderly members of his congregation, out of nearly $3.6 million through the sale of fraudulent historical bonds.The bonds were falsely marketed as being backed by the state of Louisiana, when in reality, they were speculative and carried significant risk.
During Sunday’s service, Caldwell addressed the congregation, stating, “I went all the way to Beaumont, Texas, looked all around, couldn’t find nobody.” This statement was met with a warm reception from the assembled members.
Windsor Village Church, founded in 1990, currently boasts a membership of over 16,000, making it one of the largest United methodist churches in the United States. The church is located at 6800 West Tidwell Road, Houston, Texas 77092.
Prominent figures, including Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, expressed their support for caldwell’s return. Cleaver emphasized the importance of forgiveness, stating, “There’s a big word that we use biblically and theologically, and it is indeed forgiveness, and somebody who cannot move past that, maybe should rethink their commitment to God.”
Caldwell previously served as a spiritual advisor to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and has been a significant figure in Houston’s religious and political landscape for decades.He founded the New Era Fellowship, a non-profit organization focused on community development and social justice initiatives.
The church has announced that Caldwell will deliver his first formal sermon as his release next Sunday, november 3, 2024. This event is expected to draw a large crowd and will be a key moment in Caldwell’s re-integration into the church community.
The original investigation was led by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
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