DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) — Fired HealthSouth Corp. chief executive Richard Scrushy used a break in his corporate fraud trial to speak at a south Alabama church, where he gave an impassioned sermon about weathering life's storms. [...]

Scrushy was welcomed to the pulpit by Rev. Paul Hollman, whose brother knows the former chief executive. Hollman compared Scrushy to the biblical figure Joseph, who was sold out by his brothers into slavery in the Old Testament.

"When you seek to help people, your own brothers get jealous sometimes and seek to sell you out," Hollman said. "He is like Joseph, a man of vision and he is a dreamer."

Fifteen former HealthSouth executives have pleaded guilty in the fraud, and many of Scrushy's top aides helped prosecutors build their case against him.

Scrushy, who is white and mostly employed whites in top positions at HealthSouth, has gained attention for joining a predominantly black church since his legal troubles began. In court, many supporters sitting on his side of the courtroom are black, as is a majority of the jury.

In church, Hollman said Scrushy supported the black community long before his indictment. The minister named a list of predominantly black charities backed by Scrushy, originally from Selma.

"He has poured his heart into the community that birthed him," Hollman said. [...]