TACOMA — A seminary program in Tacoma linked to a series of church raids by the FBI earlier this year has lost approval to receive federal education funding. Former members describe Chain as a cult that deceives soldiers.

In late June, the FBI issued search warrants for several locations in the House of Prayer Christian Church, primarily near military bases in the Southeast. A former church pastor told the News Tribune that the Tacoma location on South 54th Street was built in 2004 to target soldiers at nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

A JBLM spokesperson told The News Tribune this summer that the base was aware of the prayer house and referred the question to federal law enforcement. The FBI’s Seattle field office acknowledged “court-authorized law enforcement activity” at the church, but declined to provide further details.

A House of Prayer spokeswoman declined to comment on the investigation.

According to a report sent to the VA in August 2020, current and former members permanently enroll veterans in bogus seminary classes, obtain 100% VA disability, and then receive their benefits. By pressuring them to donate, they accuse Prayer Houses of draining Veterans GI Bill funds. Veterans Education Success, a legal aid non-profit organization. In the report, members also accused the church of using personal information and forging signatures to apply for veterans’ mortgages without their knowledge.

According to reports and interviews with The News Tribune, former members said the church was centered around the personality of its founder, Ronnie Dennis, and House of Prayer leaders responded to those who spoke out against the church. alleging harassment and retaliation.

Officials of the Washington State Workers Training and Education Coordination Commission, which approves GI bill funding for nondegree-granting education programs, visited the Tacoma House of Prayer facility on July 22.

The school refused to hand over student files, and the Workforce Board revoked the school’s approval to enroll students using VA benefits on Aug. 1, according to a spokesperson.

The labor commission approved the school for the first time in 2014 after an application process and an on-site inspection, according to a spokeswoman. In June 2018, staff conducted an on-site compliance audit and identified “no errors.”

According to the VA database, the Tacoma House of Prayer received more than $153,000 in post-9/11 GI bill funding from 20 students during the 2020 fiscal year. There are 32 active his GI Bill students this summer, according to records.

A Labor Commission spokesperson said the agency was not aware of attempts to warn local veterans about the university.

A 2018 report by the VA Inspector General’s Office found that programs implemented by state licensing authorities across the country had been poorly reviewed and lacked proper federal oversight. The report says he replaced 11,200 students in the 12 months the VA was under review after audits of six state agencies identified his $1.54 million improper payments to about 230 students. estimated that he made $585 million in improper payments.

Across the nation, House of Prayer received more than $7 million in GI bill funding between 2013 and 2022, according to a study of the church by Military.com.