- Birth Name: Fred Waldron Phelps Sr.
- Birthplace: Meridian, MS
- Birthday: November 13, 1929
- Died: March 19, 2014
- Occupation: Preacher, Church founder
- Church: Westboro Baptist Church
- Wife: Margie Simms
- Children: Shirley Phelps Roper, Nathan Phelps
- Net Worth: $10 Million
Fred Phelps based one of the maximum debatable church buildings withinside the beyond century. For nearly each information tale the church participants were vocal approximately their opinions. Most currently Westboro leaders and participants picketed the overdue Paul Walker`s funeral bringing up he`s in hell for selecting to worship cash, fame, and extra over god. WOW!
The church has went after pretty much anybody with their conventional perspectives on homosexuality as well. On January 15, 2006, Westboro participants protested a memorial for 2006 Sago Mine catastrophe victims, claiming that the mining coincidence changed into God`s revenge in opposition to America for its tolerance of homosexuality. Phelps changed into additionally very vocal approximately the Laramie project, a play approximately the lifestyles and dying of hate crime sufferer Matthew Shepard.
Fred Phelps has lead his church in a over one hundred protest, demonstrations when you consider that 1991. Critics have considered Phelp`s and his church`s stance on public problems to be exposure stunts. It has without a doubt worked, if this is the case. The church has a huge club and gets some of donations from rich donors. One church member claimed the church spends over $250,000 a yr on protest and picketing. The church has obtained cash from proceedings and prison expenses. In one case they sued the metropolis of Topeka numerous instances withinside the 1990s. WBC obtained $16,500, and is pursuing another $one hundred,000, in prison expenses for a case gained in court. The WBC is taken into consideration a nonprofit business enterprise through the federal authorities, and is consequently exempt from paying taxes The church internet really well worth is predicted at $10 million. Fred Phelps Sr`s dying has precipitated simply as tons uproar as his lifestyles. Satanist have pop out and said “God will flip Phelps homosexual while he dies”. Ouch!!!
It appears all the chaos the church has precipitated expressing their perspectives have backfired. In 2007 participants of Westboro Baptist Church have been sued for an illustration they held at some point of a homosexual Marine`s funeral. The church believed the dying of infantrymen withinside the Iraqi conflict have been punishment for the service`s reputation of homosexuality. The own circle of relatives of the honorable Marine changed into awarded $eleven million from a jury that observed the leaders of the fundamentalist church had invaded the own circle of relatives`s privateness and precipitated emotional distress. The authorities had additionally taken offense to the group`s steady protest and created numerous payments in numerous states such as Indiana, to limit protest at funerals called “Let Them Rest Bill” that may bring up to a few years in prison.
The drama of Westboro and Phelps changed into a fair larger tale in the church. In August 2013, Fred Phelps changed into excommunicated from the Westboro Baptist Church after advocating a kinder technique among church participants. The excommunication happened after the formation of a board of male elders withinside the church. Among the all-male board of elders are Drain, Timothy Phelps, Jonathan Phelps, Samuel Phelps-Roper, Charles Hockenbarger and Fred Phelps Jr. The board had defeated Shirley Phelps-Roper, the church`s longtime spokeswoman, in a strength struggle. After Phelps changed into voted out of Westboro Baptist Church this beyond summer, he changed into moved out of the church and right into a house, wherein he changed into watched to make certain he wouldn`t damage himself.
In 2014 Fred Phelps died of herbal reasons and his daughter Shirley a former spokesperson for the church says his funeral will now no longer be held there due to the fact Westboro does now no longer trust in funerals.