Televangelist Update

A Florida televangelist is facing charges of domestic violence.

The Bay County Florida Sheriff's Office posted an incident report alleging that Markus Bishop of the Faith Christian Family Church punched his wife "in the left eye with a closed fist" on March 16th. Bishop's attorney Waylon Graham says his client "did not intentionally punch his wife" but claims she was intoxicated and was "flailing away at him." Graham says Bishop will submit a plea of not guilty at his upcoming arraignment. Bishop's church issued a statement saying, "We are saddened by the recent incidents involving our pastors."

Bishop's home in Florida has been involved in an ongoing tax assessor dispute. County authorities challenged the tax-exempt status of his estimated five million dollar home saying that Bishop should pay property taxes.

Bishop sits on the board of two for-profit businesses run by Kenneth Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Ft. Worth, Texas. He has also appeared on Copeland's television show and preached alongside televangelist Creflo Dollar.

Dollar and Copeland run two of the six ministries that are under investigation by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) for excessive compensation and possible mixing of church donations with for-profit businesses.