PHILADELPHIA_A South Jersey pastor accused of distributing a so-called "miracle cure" drink containing industrial bleach in Uganda says the concoction has natural healing power to cure serious diseases and that "you just have to believe it."
Robert Baldwin, 52, of Willingboro, N.J., recently landed in the international spotlight after media reports that he operates a network of religious leaders abroad that monthly provides up to 50,000 Ugandans, including infants, the bleach mixture, which experts say has no known health benefit. The U.S. government issued a warning in 2010 urging people to stop drinking the substance after a spike in its use here.
The network was uncovered by the Guardian of London in a report earlier this month alleging that Baldwin has been importing large shipments of MMS, or "miracle mineral solution" to Uganda. A former British clergyman has been bankrolling Baldwin, according to the report.
In a brief interview, Baldwin said chlorine dioxide, used for stripping textile and industrial water treatment, can cure ailments such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. Baldwin said he promotes the drink as part of his ministry, the Global Healing Christian Missions.
"I want to get the truth out to people," Baldwin said in a telephone interview this week. "My beliefs as a Christian has to do with watching people suffer and die when they don't have to."
In an interview earlier this month with NJ Advance Media, Baldwin denied that he was personally responsible for distributing MMS in Uganda. He said his operations and social media accounts were temporarily shut down because of the negative response.
Officials in Uganda have said the government plans to investigate the alleged distribution of MMS by Baldwin's group. The U.S. Embassy in Uganda has denounced the distribution of MMS and issued a warning about its dangers.
"We strongly condemn the distribution of this substance, which is extremely dangerous and is NOT a cure for any disease," the U.S. Mission said in a statement.
Amazon on Wednesday announced that it has pulled from its inventory several books that promote MMS as a cure for autism and cancer. A spokesperson declined further comment on the reason for the removal.
The New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs is looking into the allegations of possible fraud by Baldwin because of the published reports, said spokesperson Lisa Coryell. Baldwin's ministry is not a registered charity with the state, she said.
"We're just looking into them at this point," she said.
A spokesperson for the state Attorney General's Office declined comment on a possible criminal investigation.
Sam Little, 25, a former British clergyman who donated $10,000 to Baldwin's network, was arrested in Uganda last week on suspicions of "intoxicating the public," according to the Guardian. Two Ugandans suspected of participating in the bleach distributed were also arrested.
Authorities seized exhibits, including liquids, during the arrests, the Guardian said. Little conducted a "trial" on nine patients at a Ugandan hospital and later claimed in a video that the trial proved that malaria could be cured within two hours by using the chlorine dioxide, the news organization said.
Baldwin is the founder and president of Global Healing Christian Missions, a non-profit that worked with churches, mostly in Uganda. He believes the federal government suppresses natural health remedies to boost profits for pharmaceutical companies.
"It's connected to my ministry. I believe that God already provides natural healing," Baldwin told The Inquirer. "You just to have to believe it."
Ugandans, many devout Christians who live in extreme poverty, are vulnerable to phony missionary schemes, said Jonathan Bonk, director of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography, Center for Global Christianity and Mission at Boston University. Many lack adequate healthcare and likely would willingly try a "miracle cure, "he said.
"They would really like to be healed just like in Jesus' day," Bonk said. "When people offer to heal them they will listen."
Baldwin said he is not ordained and does not have a church. He said his online ministry mostly operates in Europe and Africa. Because of recent backlash, he said he was forced to disable his website and social media accounts, which were reactivated this week.
During a phone interview with a campaigner against MMS, Baldwin said he set up his operation through the church to avoid drawing attention, the Guardian said. "You have to do it low key," he was quoted as saying.
Baldwin declined to provide details about his background or ministry to The Philadelphia Inquirer. He said he was seeking legal advice and planned to issue a statement soon.
In a text Wednesday, Baldwin sent a "MMS Facts" sheet and again stated his belief that chlorine dioxide is not poisonous.
"We should no longer stay silent and watch our loved ones die. This industry only benefits the few elite, rich at the expense and suffering of the millions," Baldwin wrote.
There is little in the public record about Baldwin. Several clergy members in Willingboro contacted by the Inquirer said they were not familiar with him or his ministry. Baldwin's website said his group seeks to educate the church in developing countries to use health treatments to care for the sick.
Baldwin lives in a rented three-bedroom rancher in the township's Buckingham section. The home's owner, Stephanie Price, declined comment, saying only that Baxter was her tenant.
According to public records, Baxter previously had ties to Detroit and the suburb of Redford, Mich., where he was the agent listed for several businesses. He trained as a student nurse, but has no other medical experience, the Guardian said.
According to the Guardian, Baldwin trained about 1,200 Christian clerics in Uganda to administer the "miracle cure," usually after Sunday service to church members, some as young as 14 months old. Baldwin offered smartphones to clerics as an incentive, the news organization said.
It appears that the network distributed the bleach free of charge, the Guardian said. It was unknown how much money the network raised. Baldwin's group seeks online donations.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers in 2010 against using the bleach solution, saying it could cause serious health problems, including severe nausea, vomiting and low blood pressure. The FDA said it was "not aware of any research that MMS is effective" in treating any of the purported conditions. MMS is banned in Ireland and Canada.
Jeremy Kahn, an FDA spokesperson, declined comment Wednesday on whether the agency would seek civil or criminal enforcement action against Baldwin.
