Enterprising videographer Jacob Katel spent a night in Pastor Vincent Spann's Basic Training Deliverance Academy, which is featured in this week's New Times' feature story, Holy Hustler. The video documents conversations and give a great glimpse into this wild boot camp/addict rehab/Pentecostal church in troubled Liberty City.Let's start in the same place the story does: with Spann's holy anointing methods. In order to claim drug-infested properties from corner boys and dope fiends, the
We received a voicemail from an even-toned, religiously minded reader of this week's feature, "Holy Hustler." The story, which focuses on embattled Liberty City pastor Vincent Spann, had our reader weighing the good and bad aspects of the preacher -- and returning a scathing verdict:I was reading your article about the "Holy Hustler." It's very interesting. I just have to say one thing: I don't see him doing God's work. To some extent, he's helping some people out. But he's definitely not keepin
Vincent Spann and The Spann Family Band from Miami New Times on Vimeo.Back in late December I embedded myself for 24 hours with the Basic Training Deliverance Academy in Miami's Liberty City. This video of Pastor Vincent Spann covering a classic track with his kids on keys and drums is interspersed with footage from the Liberty Square Community Center, the church next door to Spann's compound and the compound itself. Spann's got a hell of a voice and if you're into R&B, soul or gospel musi
Miami's Sex Offender Village from Miami New Times on Vimeo.
We long ago gave up on getting any credit from larger media outlets piggybacking on our sex-offenders-under-the-bridge scoop -- the story that made the rest of the nation recognize Miami-Dade County's supreme fucked-up-ness.
The terrible situation is bigger than one journalist's find, and the more scrutiny the better, so we were pleased to see the Miami Herald -- which waited nearly a month after the story broke to report on it -- p
I Want You Back from Miami New Times on Vimeo.
Pastor Vincent Spann is a recurring New Times character. You may know him for his exploits in military style drug rehab, or for his idea to house the underbridge sex offenders in a warehouse. But you probably don't know of his singing ability or history in Miami's amateur talent circuit.News of Michael Jackson's death sent Crossfade on a mission for Spann's reaction. Check the video for Spann's acapella rendition of "I Want You Back" performed in th
Jacqueline Carini​We here at New Times love Pastor Vincent Spann, drill sergeant of a Liberty City recovering-addict boot camp and subject of our January feature story "Holy Hustler." For all of his shortcomings -- most notably an allergic distaste for paying his bills -- he seems to be a true savior to people who have no one else. But sometimes it sure seems like the pastor gets himself in trouble with some of his outrageous declarations.In 2007, Spann was convicted of felony grand thef
