Latest / Best of: Features / Tim Tebow pauses relationship with Christian organization accused of using predatory sales tactics
Transcript
- 0:05Tim Tebow pauses relationship with Christian organization accused of using predatory sales
- 0:10tactics This article is being read by an
- 0:16automated voice generated by Everlett. Gainesville, Florida, the AP. Tim
- 0:22Thibault said Friday he is pausing his relationship with Life Surge, a
- 0:26Christian organization that's been accused of using predatory sales tactics to exploit
- 0:30its followers faith and financial insecurity. Thibaut, The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner,
- 0:36who is currently a college football analyst with ESPN's SEC Nation, said
- 0:41his team is conducting an internal investigation, He spoke on campus in
- 0:45advance of the Mississippi Florida game at Florida Field on Saturday. The
- 0:49allegations are extremely, extremely serious, and it's something that we take very
- 0:54serious, Tebo said. So for us, we're having our team do an
- 0:58investigation, but also pausing our relationship, till we can learn more about
- 1:01the facts to be able to understand more. Thiau said he was
- 1:05caught off guard by the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast that’s focused
- 1:09partly on Thibaut's speaking engagements with Life Surge. I was at an
- 1:14anti human trafficking conference Thursday D, and my team shared with me
- 1:18when we were leaving as we were flying to Alabama for the
- 1:21event, and kind of caught off guard with some of it, Tebow
- 1:24said. I think that's why I'm really trying to understand more of
- 1:27the facts to really learn it. His message to his loyal followers
- 1:32amid the allegations. It's really important to get answers to understand every
- 1:36bit of that, he said. My heart was to be able to
- 1:40share something that I love to share, which is the love of
- 1:42Christ and the good news of the gospel. And so I think
- 1:45it's really important that we can really understand all the facts and
- 1:49details of it. The podcast's investigation raised questions about Thibault's knowledge of
- 1:54the organization's practices. LifeSurge, which hosts around 30 events annually, typically
- 2:01brings in Christian celebrities like Tebow to headline events. At LifeSurge's one-day
- 2:06events, attendees are urged to Sign
- 2:08up for impact classes that pitch packages ranging from 10,000 to 40,000
- 2:13according to the podcast. If attendees can't afford the price tag, LifeSurge
- 2:18reportedly connects them with third party lenders, who encourage them to apply
- 2:22for credit cards or take out home equity loans, according to the
- 2:25podcast. LifeSearge has denied any wrongdoing, according to the podcast. Sign up
- 2:31for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here, and
- 2:35see the AP's full college football coverage here.