Philadelphia, PA — September 2024 — In late September of 2024, singer and composer Robert Jeffers, known professionally as Bobby Wizdum, was preparing for the release of his album Long Way Home. While the project addressed themes of organized corruption, its central message focused on personal growth, enlightenment, and profound trauma recovery. Days before its scheduled release, Jeffers alleges that his ability to speak publicly was deliberately obstructed by a powerful and widely recognized Christian organization.

That organization is the Salvation Army, an international evangelical institution known for its thrift stores, red kettles, and high-profile partnerships, including annual Thanksgiving Day halftime performances with the Dallas Cowboys. Publicly branded under the slogan “Doing the Most Good,” the Salvation Army presents itself as a defender of the poor and an advocate against human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Jeffers alleges, however, that the organization has instead played a direct role in labor exploitation, coercive control, and retaliatory abuse.

Founded in 1865 by William Booth, the Salvation Army developed a model known as “work therapy,” a term Booth derived from biblical scripture during a period when slavery and indentured servitude were being outlawed in England. Jeffers alleges that this framework has allowed the organization to legally extract unpaid labor while maintaining vast wealth and global power, benefiting generations of leadership at the expense of vulnerable populations.

Jeffers was placed into the Salvation Army program on November 4, 2022, following events stemming from an alleged organized attack in York, Pennsylvania, in 2021. According to Jeffers, he was illegally removed from his home after winning a housing case, when Judge James H. Morgan allegedly issued an off-the-books ruling authorizing a self-help eviction on August 12, 2021. Jeffers asserts that this ruling initiated his involuntary passage through the mental health and rehabilitation system, despite having no prior history of mental illness or substance abuse.

In September 2022, Jeffers released the song Declaration, which later became the foundation of Long Way Home. Instead of being allowed to promote or speak about the work, Jeffers was involuntarily hospitalized and transferred to the Salvation Army, where he alleges the organization had full prior knowledge of his identity and circumstances. He claims they failed to provide care and instead participated in a broader effort to suppress his voice.

While enrolled in the Salvation Army program, Jeffers completed all required labor without missing a single day, despite policies that prohibited sick leave and imposed punitive “bed rest” confinement for absences. Assigned primarily to clothing sorting operations, Jeffers alleges he consistently outperformed paid employees while remaining unmedicated, contradicting official characterizations of severe mental impairment.

Jeffers further alleges that the program relied heavily on coercive religious indoctrination, including repeated assertions that participants were incapable of good without submission to the organization’s authority. Mandatory nightly readings of extensive institutional rules were enforced during participants’ initial months. Despite an exceptionally low program completion rate, Jeffers completed the program without disciplinary action.

Following graduation, Jeffers was hired full-time at the Salvation Army’s Roxborough thrift store in September 2023 and was quickly promoted to Assistant Manager. During his tenure, the store’s annual revenue reportedly increased from approximately $200,000 to $650,000, with Jeffers contributing original merchandising, marketing strategies, and display concepts. Despite professional success and positive evaluations from coworkers and customers, Jeffers alleges that renewed retaliation began when he prepared to speak publicly.

Throughout 2024, Jeffers independently recorded Long Way Home, authored a book, produced digital content, and developed a comprehensive marketing plan. The album’s intended release date, September 25, marked the anniversary of the death of Jeanette Briganti, whose case Jeffers alleges was misclassified as a drug overdose in 2020. He states that the song Declaration was titled at Briganti’s request.

As the release approached, Jeffers filed a federal judicial complaint against Judge Morgan. While no action has been taken against the judge, Jeffers notes that no charges were filed against him either, despite severe penalties for false accusations against judicial officials.

Days before the album’s release, Jeffers alleges that his digital accounts were compromised, his workplace environment became hostile, and his housing situation deteriorated. Despite a consistent rental history, Jeffers states that his landlord, Bernadette Copeland, illegally locked him out of his residence, resulting in the loss of all personal belongings. He further alleges that Copeland received unexplained material upgrades during the same period.

Jeffers documented these events in real time, recording the songs Sent and Before Your Eyes live, alongside video evidence. Shortly after releasing the combined video, he was forcibly displaced for the second time in four years. With no access to communication or financial resources, Jeffers traveled to Washington, D.C., seeking assistance from Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, the firm representing a class-action wage violation lawsuit involving the Salvation Army. He reports that his outreach has gone unanswered.

Rather than ending his story, these events culminated in the release of Jeffers’ new album, Before Your Eyes, now available to the public.

For more information, visit
www.Bobbywizlives.com