MIDLAND (MI)
MLive [Walker MI]
April 18, 2026
By Gus Burns
In the aftermath of three sexual abuse convictions, an MLive investigation examined the history of Living Word Church in Midland County and its founder, televangelist Mark T. Barclay.
Reporting explored how the initially small church over nearly five decades grew into an international religious enterprise — and how allegations of abuse inside Barclay’s inner circle exposed divisions between church leadership, victims and former members.
Here are some takeaways from the MLive investigation:
THE CONVICTIONS
Beginning in 2023, three leaders within Living Word Church were charged and convicted of sexual abuse involving at least eight children.
The offenders included Associate Pastor Randy L. Saylor, who has followed Barclay since 1980; Randy Saylor’s son, church elder Brandon Saylor; and James P. Randolph, who is Barclay’s son-in-law.
Brandon Saylor and Randolph worked with the youth ministry, according to the church and former members.
Related: The rise of Mark Barclay’s televangelist empire—and the sex abuse scandal that followed
During an August 2024 preliminary examination, two sisters, ages 15 and 20, testified that Randy Saylor repeatedly gave them massages at his Sanford-area home, and those escalated to sexual assaults. The sisters did not tell anyone of the alleged assaults for years and came forward after they heard of Brandon Saylor being charged.
Mikayla Williams, now 27, was nine when she moved in with the Randolph family, including Barclay’s daughter and grandchildren, in 2011. Her parents, devout members of the church, were struggling financially while caring for another terminally ill child. They trusted the so-called “First Family” with their daughter’s care.
Williams went to police following Brandon Saylor’s arrest and told them Randolph began sexually abusing her when she was 12. It lasted until she moved out at 19.
“Finding my voice was not easy, and it came through the courage and testimony of other survivors who spoke their truth despite their fear,” Williams said at Randolph’s sentencing.
Brandon Saylor is serving five to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Randy Saylor pleaded no contest to four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and five counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He is serving 10-25 years in prison.
Randolph, the only abuser to take his case to trial, was convicted and sentenced to between 25 and 40 years in prison.
PROSPERITY GOSPEL
Barclay built an extensive, tax-exempt religious network under Mark Barclay Ministries, which generates revenue through Bible schools, book publishing, preacher certification, donations and tithing.
Former members described Barclay as living an upper-middle-class lifestyle that included high-end watches, tailored suits and flights across the nation to attend religious conferences in a church-owned jet once dubbed “Angel 1.”
Barclay and his wife own multiple properties, including a $500,000 home in Midland and a lakefront cottage in Cadillac.
Barclay preaches that poverty is not a sign of godliness and that financial giving leads to greater spiritual rewards.
Following the conviction of his son-in-law, Barclay sent a letter to members of the church’s Partners Plus Program, in which contributors donate at least $50 per month, asking for further donations.
“I want you to be confident that every penny of your money is appreciated and properly applied where you designate,” the letter said. “I know better than to make any bad confession, but I admit that we could use every dollar possible to keep our ministry strong and going forward.”
DID THEY KNOW?
One of the most controversial aspects of the scandal was the dispute over whether Barclay and other church leaders were aware of Randolph’s past.
Randolph served nearly a decade in prison for a 1985 third-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction involving the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl in Jackson County.
Randolph said during a 2021 podcast interview that he was recruited by Living Word Church after being released from parole in June 1995. While in prison, Randolph said he completed Barclay’s Supernatural Ministries Training Institute Bible school and met Barclay at the graduation.
Barclay said he first learned about the prior CSC charge in October 2024, “when the news made it public,” and had he known sooner, Randolph “would never have been permitted to participate in youth ministry in any capacity.”
Midland County Assistant Prosecutor Courtney Driscoll disputes that account. She said, “They knew of his background and put him in that position of authority.”
CULTURE OF SILENCE
Victims and former church members say Barclay’s leadership created a “cult-like” culture where questioning the “prophet” was portrayed as slander or evil gossip.
Mikayla Williams and Aaron Senor said fear over being believed and questioning church authority stalled them from reporting abuse for years.
Former members said an undercurrent of intimidation from the pulpit, where Barclay talked metaphorically about how “breaking a hedge” with the pastor could lead to spiritual and physical harm, contributed to the environment of silence that allowed abuse to persist.
While still attending Living Word Church, former members said they observed as Barclay and other leaders often dragged the names of those who chose to leave the church “through the mud.”
LOSS OF TRUST
Despite the eventual convictions, Barclay initially responded to the allegations by dismissing them as “false” lies intended to attack his family.
Following Randolph’s sentencing, Barclay issued a lengthy written apology, which some victims dismissed as “disingenuous.”
“For years, you spoke horribly about me and about those who supported and believed me,” Williams wrote in a Facebook response to the apology. “You compared us to demons, called us liars and accused us of attacking the church.
“Your actions have caused deep and widespread harm. Lives have been damaged. Trust in Christ has been shaken because of the confusion and false teachings that came through your leadership.”
While the church has acknowledged that some of its public statements were “inappropriate in tone,” it continues to operate with a focus on fundraising and global evangelism.
Today, the church remains active, hosting high-production services with professional lighting and digital broadcasts, but the scandal has also left a lasting impact. Past members who spent decades in the church looking up to Barclay as a man of righteousness, now say he’s lost their trust.
Living Word Church sex scandal
- The rise of Mark Barclay’s televangelist empire—and the sex abuse scandal that followedApr. 13, 2026, 9:30a.m.
- Three church leaders and eight child victims: Inside the Living Word Church abuse scandalMar. 22, 2026, 8:35a.m.
- Michigan youth minister with prior rape conviction sentenced for sexual abuse of minorMar. 19, 2026, 4:29p.m.
- Mark Barclay Ministries associate pastor professes love for victims he sexually abused at sentencingFeb. 24, 2026, 4:38p.m.
- Michigan youth minister sexually assaulted girl for years, jury findsSep. 2, 2025, 1:04p.m.