By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
When you address Juanita Bynum you better refer to her as "Doctor."
Or that's how she prefers to be referenced as.
A media alert announcing a last minute press conference for the Pentecostal Prophetess circulated earlier this afternoon saying that "Dr. Bynum will address the media regarding the current tax issues facing Juanita Bynum Ministries."
Held at the Atlanta gospel radio station WPZE-FM, the 48-year-old self-proclaimed "new face of domestic violence" wanted to face the music in regards to reports that implied her money was funny.
Earlier this week, Ware County Tax Commissioner Steve Barnard said this week the property owned by her ministry would be auctioned off next month if Bynum didn't pay more than $33,000 in property taxes.
Today, the Chicago native said that all those taxes have been paid, adding that she wants to turn the property into a spa for women and that her lawyers told her it could be considered a tax-exempt religious building.
"It didn't work out that way...So be it," the tell-it-like-it-is televangelist said.
What she didn't say was whether she planned to charge women to visit the spa, whether it would be an overnight facility or the size of the building where the spa would be housed.
The near 7000-square-foot house sits on more than 23 acres. Bynum's Waycross-based ministry bought the building Aug. 18, 2006, tax records indicate.
The county tax commissioner said he had received a check earlier for $33,904.15 from New Light Church World Outreach in Houston, the Associated Press reported. However, that the property technically remained set for auction on Nov. 6, he added.
"It's not paid off until the check clears the bank," he said, noting he expects to know next week whether the check clears.
In other related news, the tax drama isn't holding Bynum back from releasing her new music project.
Her publicist confirmed to The BV Newswire that 'Juanita Bynum: Unplugged' will be released in November via Flow Records. Recorded in "High Definition" at a small Atlanta church, the nearly 2 hour DVD is comprised of candid interviews, anointed, uncut performances from her latest hit opus 'A Piece of My Passion,' and her trademark dynamic ministering!
If this new project is anything like the I've witnessed recently on YouTube.com, it should be thoroughly enthralling.
The record label has pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds from each DVD sale to organizations fighting against Domestic Violence.
Shortly after being allegedly assaulted by her estranged husband Bishop Thomas Weeks, III, Bynum announced she will take a stand against mental and physical abuse by lending her support to a myriad of causes.
At presstime, an organization has not yet been named.
1. I am just having a hard time relating to her since she 'altered' her appearance. She doesn't seem real to me anymore.
Ipress at 7:58PM on Oct 19th 2007