Craig Mack‘s passing at just 46-years-old from heart failure on March 12 brought so much sadness to the rap world. The ’90s legend once lived large, but almost a decade ago he denounced all of his worldly belongings and moved to South Carolina to be part of the Overcomer Ministry Church according to the New York Daily News. The controversial church has been branded an alleged “cult” by some, as it allegedly doesn’t allow its members to leave its compound and founder Ralph Gordon Stair, 84, allegedly tells his followers to avoid doctors as well as seeking medical care. Media Take Out claims that Mack had diabetes and high blood pressure and speculated that he may have followed church rules and not sought medical care.
It’s not known if Mack had received medical treatment that could have saved or at least prolonged his life. He died in a hospital just outside the church’s Walterboro, SC property, where he had a nearby home. Record producer Alvin Toney revealed the former rapper’s death to the Daily News. Mack had reportedly been sick for quite some time. Alvin paid Craig a visit just last week, and during their meet-up, Craig admitted that he didn’t think he’d live much longer. How sad!
Mack signed on to Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment label in 1994 and had a massive hit with “Flava in Ya Ear.” He later denounced his lavish lifestyle when he got involved with the Overcomer Ministry, declaring in a 2012 YouTube video that he chose a path of “righteousness.” In the video Preacher Stair declares, “Craig Mack is dead. We have somebody who used to be Craig Mack. He didn’t join anything. God joined him.”
In a 2002 interview Pastor Stair’s wife Teresa revealed that “Medical doctors – it’s almost like a – they call it a practice. They practice on your body, a medical practice. We believe the Bible that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and he received stripes on His back for our healing. We believe that. We believe he’s our healer. The Bible talks about gifts of healing. We don’t think medical doctors are included in those gifts of healing.” She added that “If medical doctors healed everybody, nobody would be dying in the hospitals.”
A brochure for the church says that, “We live in community homes of mobile trailers for each family or accommodations for brothers or sisters with common baths and common eating, all seeking to live together in love for God and each other. We go nowhere, no shopping or trips to see what have you. Your life will be here on the farm until Jesus comes.”
It also says that followers must be willing to separate themselves from family members and “be willing to add support in both work and finances to maintain the community.” Former members have branded Overcomer a “cult.”