Grassley Probes Televangelists' Finances
By JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS 11.06.07, 7:36 PM ET
Acting on tips about preachers who ride in Rolls Royces and have purportedly paid $30,000 for a conference table, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday he's investigating the finances of six well-known TV ministers.
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said those under scrutiny include faith healer Benny Hinn, Georgia megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar and one of the nation's best known female preachers, Joyce Meyer.
Grassley sent letters to the half-dozen Christian media ministries earlier this week requesting answers by Dec. 6 about their expenses, executive compensation and amenities, including use of fancy cars and private jets.
In a statement, Grassley said he was acting on complaints from the public and news coverage of the organizations.
"The allegations involve governing boards that aren't independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls Royces," Grassley said.
"I don't want to conclude that there's a problem, but I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code."
Those ministries that responded Tuesday either said they were cooperating or committed to financial transparency and following the law.
The investigation promises to shine new light on the kind of TV ministries that were crippled by sex and money scandals in the 1980s. Experts also say it stands out as an unusual case of the government probing the inner workings of religious organizations.
Most of those under investigation preach a variation of the "prosperity gospel," the teaching that God will shower faithful followers with material riches.
Grassley's letters went to:
_ Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries of Newark, Texas, a $20 million organization and prosperity gospel pioneer. Questions were raised about the transfer of church assets to a for-profit company, Security Patrol Inc., a $1 million loan from Gloria Copeland to the group, and a "personal gift" of more than $2 million given to Kenneth Copeland to mark the ministry's 40th anniversary.
A Copeland spokeswoman released a statement saying the ministry is working on a response to Grassley's letter, follows all laws and best practices governing churches and religious nonprofit groups, and "will continue to do so."
_ Creflo and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Church International and Creflo Dollar Ministries of College Park, Ga. Grassley's letter asks for records on private planes, board makeup, compensation and donations and "love offerings" to visiting ministers. In a statement, Dollar called his ministry an "open book" and said he would cooperate. He also questioned whether the investigation could "affect the privacy of every community church in America."
_ Benny Hinn of World Healing Center Church Inc. and Benny Hinn Ministries of Grapevine, Texas, is asked about use of a private jet, a home in Dana Point, Calif. and "layover trips" while traveling on ministry business. Hinn did not respond to requests for comment.
_ Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Bishop Eddie Long Ministries of Lithonia, Ga., was questioned about his salary, a $1.4 million real estate transaction and whether he, and not the board, holds sole authority over the organization. Long plans to fully comply with the Senate's request, and his church has "several safeguards" to ensure transactions comply with laws governing churches, according to a statement from Long's spokesman.
_ Joyce and David Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo., who were quizzed about receiving donations of money and jewelry and the handling of cash from overseas crusades. They also were asked about expenditures at ministry headquarters, including a $30,000 conference table and a $23,000 "commode with marble top."
The ministry's lawyer released a statement describing the ministry's work and public release of several years' worth of audits. He also said the IRS found in October that the group continues to qualify for tax-exempt status.
_ Randy and Paula White of the multiracial Without Walls International Church and Paula White Ministries of Tampa, Fla. are asked about home purchases in San Antonio, Texas, Malibu, Calif., and New York, credit card charges for clothing and cosmetic surgery and the reported purchase of a Bentley convertible as a gift for Bishop T.D. Jakes, a prominent Texas preacher and televangelist. An e-mail to a spokeswoman for Jakes was not immediately returned.
Rest of article is here.
I have a problem with Prosperity Preachers. It's just not the Christianity I grew up with; it's foreign and hostile to the teachings that I learned as a child. They seem to be long on prosperity and very short on social/community empowerment.
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7 comments:
I echo your comments about this sub-culture being foreign. This is not the same thing that helped us through the Reconstruction period, The Civil Rights movement, etc. It's unrecognizable and really runs contrary to many of the core teachings in Christianity.
Religion has become big business now. I am leery of even the traditional churches... so megachurches just send my BS detectors off the charts. lol I have little patients or interest in the nonsense surrounding these Churches.
Anyone silly enough to give their money to these folks has more issues than just their faith to be concerned about. IMHO.
Unfortunately Congress isn't going to do much of anything about these Churches...because members of Congress don't want to offend an important voting block.
"Anyone silly enough to give their money to these folks has more issues than just their faith to be concerned about..."
Brotha, you done said a mouthful there!
One of my siblings is affiliated with a church run by local "tele-hustlah". This dude just opened his THIRD church location this year. Seriously, outside of competing with the other pastors, why does someone need three churches, huh?
My sibling and spouse are quite proud that their congregation has bought this dude a private plane, his and her Rolls Royces, and a sprawling McMansion with all the trimmings.
Just recently, the church bought a fully loaded BMW for dude's eldest child who dropped out of college after just one semester in order to "give her life to Christ full-time and work in the church."
Mmmmm hmmmm
Meanwhile, my sibling's child is struggling to make her freshman year living expenses meet. Their child doesn't have car.
I gotta give it to this "pastor" though; dude's hustle is sweet. He's got his entire family in on it - and all of 'em have big homes and top-of-the-line imported cars.
You know, very "Christ-like."
I'll be interesting to see whether Congress can persuade my family about the importance of putting themselves first. We shall see.
I don't know about other communities...but I often wonder about all the other things that this money could be used for in troubled urban communities....
With all the crumbling schools, lack of good educational opportunities, lack of childcare and healthcare, lack of music programs, high crime, lack of job training centers & programs, lack of trade schools, lack of small business opportunities, the problem of hunger, lack of programs for the homeless.... including homeless families, etc... that money could go towards more important causes...than to someones private plane...and Rolls.... or even Lexus for that matter.
Just think how much could be accomplished if all that money was diverted to the right causes?
That is just the point, these pastors are trying to get us out of living down by the river, eating beans out of a tin can. I will not follow the lies the secular world is trying to put out about these pastors. I might not be financially blessed at this writing, but I think God for these great men and women of his, that has taught me to hope for better. The old time pastors knew what they knew according to what they understood in the word of God. Now, we have pastor that are teaching us the word, what is wrote in the bible and not in their heads. I have nothing to say but good for these pastors. These pastors deserve every penny and more trying to teach you stubborn-hardheaded people the right way.
And likewise anonymous... these Pastors love you back....just like Dick Cheney loves the average American voter. Why? Because you are so easy to manipulate...and brainwash. Jim Jones, David Koresh, & Warren Jeffs all had the same kinds of people in their flock. It's easy to lead the mentally blind wherever you want to take them (even to the point of literally convincing grown men & women to hand over their daughters for sexual abuse).
I was going to try to explain Non-profit status to you....and why these "men and women of God" are ripping you off. But I doubt that you could be convinced. You seem to have your mind made up.... (which is so often the case in these situations).
The supposed followers of Jesus have somehow been able to turn the
Master's message on its head. While Jesus stressed to give to the poor,
the prosperity preachers have the poor giving to them, and that giving
is in abundance. Jesus, the gospels claim had nowhere to lay his head,
yet the prosperity folks live in unchained opulence. So much so, the
stench of this hypocrisy has now come before the Congress of the United
States. Under the guise of claiming prosperity for their flock, these
contemporary Elmer Gantry's have hoodwinked their followers with the
slickest of promotions and entertainment. These chiselers also gain
much of their monies by the selling of tapes and CD's through their
unabashed infomercials, teaming with the rest of the late-night
infomercial hucksters. This garbage of spiritual self-help and wealth
claiming propaganda videos and recordings are typically reworded and
redone and sold again the very next year. They claim that their
followers can find the same wealth by giving just a small amount, like a
seed. Then this seed will grow into large tree of wealth. Unfortunately,
the prosperity and wealth has only fallen to the likes of Paula White of
the Without Walls International Church, Benny Hinn of World Healing
Centre Church Inc., Joyce Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Kenneth and
Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, and Creflo Dollar.
IIPeter 2.3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make
merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and
their damnation slumbereth not.
WOW, WOW, WOW! I've got alot to say so where do I begin. Well, first let me say that the investigation in itself isn't wrong, but the motive is. I have no problem with the government making sure that churches, a.k.a tax exempt organizations aren't abusing the law. That's the government's job. They need to make sure that the laws of the land aren't being abused, BUT................ here is the problem. What is the motive of this Senator to investigate these 6 churches. If you ask me, it seems as if he is singling out 6 mega churches out of the thousands that exist in this country. If you're going to investigate funds and how they are allocated, than investigate all churches. Don't single out 6 because they are the most popular. While everyone's giving mega-churhces the crooked eye, store-front-corner-we-only-got-10-members churches are doing some shady stuff too. They're just so small that they don't draw that much attention.
P.S Just because I'm a Christian doesn't mean that I should be broke, depressed and tore up. That's the world's definition of a Christian. They want God's people to live this way, so Satan can rip and run the earth.Driving a nice car, and wearing fancy close doesn't make Pastors criminals. If that's the case, then we need to investigate Senators too.
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