Televangelists' church made $69 million in 2006; figure released in response to investigation

Source: Associated Press

Televangelists' church made $69 million in 2006; figure released in response to investigation
The Associated Press
Published: November 11, 2007

ATLANTA: An Atlanta megachurch took in $69 million (€47 million) in 2006, according to a financial statement the church's minister released in response to a Senate investigation into him and five other well-known televangelists. The Rev. Creflo Dollar disclosed the World Changers Church International's financial information to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but said the money he spends is his own.

Dollar said his income comes from personal investments, including businesses and real estate ventures. But the church gave him a Rolls Royce, which he mainly uses for special occasions, he said. "Without a doubt, my life is not average," he said. "But I'd like to say, just because it is excessive doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong."

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, launched an investigation into the finances of six ministers after hearing reports of some preachers' lavish and opulent lifestyles. In a letter last week, he requested answers by Dec. 6 to questions about their executive compensation and amenities, including use of fancy cars and private jets.

Besides Dollar, the letters were sent to faith healer Benny Hinn, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Texas, David and Joyce Meyer of Missouri, Randy and Paula White of Florida and Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia.

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/11/america/NA-GEN-US-Televangelists-Probe.php

...what is this needle I see...and the sound of a camel in the distance...

:eyes:

and are now dictating the rules.

WWJD?

Jesus taught the masses the truth in the charismatic belief in God blessing us with massive wealth.

these CROOKS need prison time to think about what Jesus is all about. All that money needs turned over to charitable groups across this country that aren't in trouble for anything. These people in the church there are some MESSED UP FOLKS! I pray for them...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_Faith

Basically says rich people are holy, poor people are sinners.

"word faith" is just the latest Christian variant upon a seemingly-universal (imo) heresy. The same thinking underlies the popular New Age variant, "The Secret", and "What The Bleep". You can find the same thinking in the more conservative strains of Hinduism, and it fed the pro-slavery elements in the prewar South.

Look for it, and you'll find a strain of it, virtually everywhere a strong class- or caste system is looking to rationalize its existence. It appears in the context of religion, yes, but it is in fact political in nature, and it is reactionary politics, at that.

The thinking behind it appears rational, at least until one thinks about it enough to spot the logical flaws. It starts with the question, "what did this person do to deserve their lot in life?", and then hunts around for evidence that the subject did in fact deserve it. Assuming what is to be proven and then cherry-picking "facts" (inclusive of theological premises) which support the assumption is anything but an exercise in reason.

Despite being reactionary politics wearing religious garb, it has an unfortunate appeal with those who get the wrong side of the stick in a rigid class or caste society. It derives its appeal through offering the promise of personal control over one's circumstances. In America, things like word-faith and The Secret suck in, not only the rich who appreciate the balm to their guilt, but desperate people who really want to believe that they, alone, can transform their circumstances. They can't, of course, through individual effort (more exactly, odds that they can are low, and for many of the desperate, near zero). What they need is a social movement for political change.

What is particularly pernicious about such ideas is that they negate the idea of justice, and rip the guts out of the (near) universal religious command to love one's fellow humans and put that love into action. If someone has, say, lost her house as a result of predatory lending practices, or has been gay-bashed to an inch of his life, or has been railroaded into prison for driving while black, or will never see her seventh birthday due to starvation, why should anyone intervene if they thoroughly deserved what they got? And why shouldn't the predators run free, the gaybashers sleep comfortably in their beds, the prosecutors win kudos for their conviction rates, and the IMF lenders continue to make decisions for the citizens of nations who have no voice in the result? After all, according to the theory, it wasn't their fault -- the victims made them do it.

This is why I call it a heresy -- such an unconditional rejection of love and justice is a heresy in every major religion (and the majority of minor religions, to boot) .

that's so evil sounding. thanks for the link. I've heard the term, but not that manner of using it, and sadly, I believe there's 10's of millions in the US that believe this utter blasphemy.

:rofl:

Clearly I don't get out enough-- I've never heard of most of these folks, but DAYUM, they must cut a wide swath through the bible belt. Holy moley. $69 million in one year for preaching? That is some serious capitalism, folks. Identify a need, and use it to separate people from their wages. There is no rock too low for these snakes to hide under.

I hadn't heard of him either, but the aptly named Mr. Dollar has some dandy classes on how to "experience financial increase."

I am guessing that students are told that they will need to "sow freely into the needs of the ministry" before they can count on God wanting them rich.

http://www.worldchangers.org/soponline/soplanding.html?site=CDM

Are you tired of living from paycheck to paycheck? Have you ever observed a need that you longed to meet, but you didn't have the finances to help? Do you yearn to sow freely into the needs of the ministry? Do you want more out of life for you and your family? If so, you need the School of Prosperity!

Even though you are to "owe no man any thing, but to love " (Romans 13:8), having no increase renders you useless to the kingdom of God. By the same token, you can experience financial increase, but existing debt can just as easily hinder you from kingdom advancement. Dr. Creflo A. Dollar's School of Prosperity is a course designed to teach you how to fulfill your God-given destiny to be a blessing to others and by being His distribution center.

Whether you are financially comfortable or head over heels in debt, you need this course! You will learn:

* Why God wants you rich
* How to use biblical principles to make natural principles work on your behalf
* The keys to debt reduction
* How to increase for kingdom advancement
* The automatic systems for financial freedom

That is basic material from Grifter 101. That's predation, pure and simple, surpassed only by the stupidity of the folks who send in their money. There's an old saying-- if you can talk someone into just giving you their money, it's not stealing-- it's a short con.

¢reflo is a typical Ameri¢an ¢hri$tian! He bullshits about Jesus, but he follows Ayn as in Mine Rand

have to open your money maker. And the sheeple line up to play.

(more or less - 99% retired, 100% unpaid) and can't even imagine ever making $69,000/year at it, let alone $69 mil.

That ain't preaching. That's pornography.

Money porn.

A brief description of how the job description is supposed to work. I spent three of the last four days sitting with someone watching comedies on my Comcast On-Demand, roughly 12 hours each day. Why? The person has a excruciating facial nerve disorder, is waiting for treatment, and is nearly suicidal.

Total profit to myself? Well, I bought the pizza, and am picking up the tab on the movies.

The good Reverends mentioned in the above article would rather tell persons in severe pain to donate their food money and TV sets to their "ministry".

You can't make this stuff up.

"The basis of religious criticism is: Man makes religion, religion does not make man. Religion is the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet found himself or has already lost himself again. But man is no abstract being encamped outside the world. Man is the world of man, the state, society. This state, this society, produce religion, an inverted world-consciousness, because they are an inverted world. Religion is the general theory of that world, its encyclopaedic compendium, its logic in a popular form, its spiritualistic point d'honneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, its universal source of consolation and justification. It is the fantastic realisation of the human essence because the human essence has no true reality. The struggle against religion is therefore indirectly a fight against the world of which religion is the spiritual aroma.

Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and also the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of spiritless conditions. It is the opium of the people.

To abolish religion as the illusory happiness of the people is to demand their real happiness. The demand to give up illusions about the existing state of affairs is the demand to give up a state of affairs which needs illusions. The criticism of religion is therefore in embryo the criticism of the vale of tears, the halo of which is religion." - Contribution To The Critique Of Hegel's Philosophy Of Law - Karl Marx

All religion, however, is nothing but the fantastic reflection in men's minds of those external forces which control their daily life, a reflection in which the terrestrial forces assume the form of supernatural forces. In the beginnings of history it was the forces of nature which were first so reflected, and which in the course of further evolution underwent the most manifold and varied personifications among the various peoples. This early process has been traced back by comparative mythology, at least in the case of the Indo-European peoples, to its origin in the Indian Vedas, and in its further evolution it has been demonstrated in detail among the Indians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Germans and, so far as material is available, also among the Celts, Lithuanians and Slavs. But it is not long before, side by side with the forces of nature, social forces begin to be active — forces which confront man as equally alien and at first equally inexplicable, dominating him with the same apparent natural necessity as the forces of nature themselves. The fantastic figures, which at first only reflected the mysterious forces of nature, at this point acquire social attributes, become representatives of the forces of history. *16 At a still further stage of evolution, all the natural and social attributes of the numerous gods are transferred to one almighty god, who is but a reflection of the abstract man. Such was the origin of monotheism, which was historically the last product of the vulgarised philosophy of the later Greeks and found its incarnation in the exclusively national god of the Jews, Jehovah. In this convenient, handy and universally adaptable form, religion can continue to exist as the immediate, that is, the sentimental form of men's relation to the alien, natural and social, forces which dominate them, so long as men remain under the control of these forces. However, we have seen repeatedly that in existing bourgeois society men are dominated by the economic conditions created by themselves, by the means of production which they themselves have produced, as if by an alien force. The actual basis of the religious reflective activity therefore continues to exist, and with it the religious reflection itself. And although bourgeois political economy has given a certain insight into the causal connection of this alien domination, this makes no essential difference. Bourgeois economics can neither prevent crises in general, nor protect the individual capitalists from losses, bad debts and bankruptcy, nor secure the individual workers against unemployment and destitution. It is still true that man proposes and God (that is, the alien domination of the capitalist mode of production) disposes. Mere knowledge, even if it went much further and deeper than that of bourgeois economic science, is not enough to bring social forces under the domination of society. What is above all necessary for this, is a social act. And when this act has been accomplished, when society, by taking possession of all means of production and using them on a planned basis, has freed itself and all its members from the bondage in which they are now held by these means of production which they themselves have produced but which confront them as an irresistible alien force, when therefore man no longer merely proposes, but also disposes — only then will the last alien force which is still reflected in religion vanish; and with it will also vanish the religious reflection itself, for the simple reason that then there will be nothing left to reflect.

Herr Dühring, however, cannot wait until religion dies this, its natural, death. He proceeds in more deep-rooted fashion. He out-Bismarcks Bismarck; he decrees sharper May laws not merely against Catholicism, but against all religion whatsoever; he incites his gendarmes of the future against religion, and thereby helps it to martyrdom and a prolonged lease of life. - Anti-Dühring 1887, Part III: Socialism, V. State, Family, Education - Frederick Engels

Religion must be declared a private affair. In these words socialists usually express their attitude towards religion. But the meaning of these words should be accurately defined to prevent any misunderstanding. We demand that religion be held a private affair so far as the state is concerned. But by no means can we consider religion a private affair so far as our Party is concerned. Religion must be of no concern to the state, and religious societies must have no connection with governmental authority. Everyone must be absolutely free to profess any religion he pleases, or no religion whatever, i.e., to be an atheist, which every socialist is, as a rule. Discrimination among citizens on account of their religious convictions is wholly intolerable. Even the bare mention of a citizen's religion in official documents should unquestionably be eliminated. - Socialism and Religion - Vladimir Lenin

But anybody who is able to treat Marxism at all seriously, to ponder over its philosophical principles and the experience of international Social-Democracy, will readily see that the Marxist tactics in regard to religion are thoroughly consistent, and were carefully thought out by Marx and Engels; and that what dilettantes or ignoramuses regard as wavering is but a direct and inevitable deduction from dialectical materialism. It would be a profound mistake to think that the seeming "moderation" of Marxism in regard to religion is due to supposed "tactical" considerations, the desire "not to scare away" anybody, and so forth. On the contrary, in this question, too, the political line of Marxism is inseparably bound up with its philosophical principles. The Attitude of the Workers' Party to Religion - Vladimir Lenin

The funny thing is that the brain-dead who tithe to these hucksters are probably enthusiastic that he gets his Rolls and everything else associated with his vulgar lifestyle paid for by their contributions. The money would be well spent on the disadvantaged, but here we have true cults. They're giving their money willingly to this Elmer Gantry as a proxy, in their feeble minds, for god.

The Rolls reference reminded me of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his frequent tours of Rajneeshpuram (Antelope, Oregon) in a Rolls Royce.

They were also responsible for the largest bioterrorist attack in U.S. history.

That profit should be calculated as any income over and above the cost of the charitable work that the organization maintains it non-profit status.

MAKES ME WANT TO SPIT

Isn't the purpose of a church to give back to the community?

They always have a purpose in mind when asking for money, whether it's to buy a radio station, fund a new foreign mission, pay for a new building, roof, whatever - there's always a purpose for it.

How it's actually spent, who knows?

Also Marilyn Hickey is another big time snake-oil salesperson.

I'm such a sick puppy that I watch these charlatans

for entertainment.

Senator Grassley, lookie here in Orlando!

Your list is getting longer.





Paul and Jan Crouch's Trinity Broadcasting Network recently purchased the Holy Land for $37 million in June, 2007. Check out their "sacrificial giving by faith" doctrine.




Cetainly they will be in good company with this crowd :

It's an entertaining look into bizarro world.

But a bit frightening.

One late night, I listened while people gave testimonials to the importance of sending in money to the tele-ministry. Each testimonial had fresh-faced actors doing a heart-warming re-enactment.

Testimonial after testimonial was about how down in their luck they were - no job, little food, foreclosures, medical bills, utilities turned off, car not running, etc - but after listening to Rev. SoAndSo speak, they'd send in their last ten, twenty dollars, and wouldn't you know it, almost immediately, they were rewarded back with money.

Their instant money rewards were tax refund, insurance, social security checks, a social program, or an inheritance. Money or services they would have received regardless of their donation to the grifter-preacher on TV.

Interestingly, the re-enactments spent a considerable amount of time showing exactly how poor these individuals or families were, and how listening to the preacher on TV gave them hope, and how that hope gave them the wherewithal to give their very last dime. Yet, very little re-enactment time was used to show how they got their win-fall, and of course, how that little win-fall wasn't really enough to sustain them very long.

My son tells me people who fall for this get what they deserve. "If they're stupid enough to fall for it ..." But my heart and mind tells me, when people are desperate, they will try almost anything. I believe those of the Cloth have a responsibility NOT to use the faith of trusting people against them; and if they do, then they are running a scam. A scam that baffles me at how it can pass muster.

It's good Grassley is investigating, but I hold no hope it will find much wrong-doing, if any. These con artists have the money to hire the right people to hide what needs to be hidden. If they are found to be 'clean' by Grassley, the tele-evangelists will milk it for even more money.

Why would a minister even accept a Rolls Royce from his ministry? I don't think they have to take a vow of poverty, but do they not believe that gluttony is sinful? To insure that car must cost an arm and a leg.

Joyce Meyer's $20,000+ Bombardier Challenger Jet

Bombardier Challenger 604 in that configuration (seats 24 with all seats in place) goes for about $20 MILLION, not $20 THOUSAND.

You can't get a single engine CESSNA new for $20K.

than the millions of people dying of famine worldwide.

Than the millions dying of famine worldwide.

I'm gettin' in the Gawd Bizness !!!!!!!

YE$$$$$$$ !!!!!!!!

Amazing, when I watch ol Helmet Head Paul Crouch and his Wife Racoon Face Jan on the Jesus Channel say that God shows his love based on how much money you have...well I guess God really love Bill Gates more than anyone else

BTW when it comes to gut busting humor, nobody does it better than Paul and Jan. Who needs Jay or Dave when these plastic people constantly make assholes of themselves on live TV! :rofl:

Satan loves them so.





The pink wig:

Because that is what they are religion salesmen.

But I wonder how much Chuck can do.

Some idiots like to give away their money to a bunch of con-artists. And these con-artists are protected by "freedom of religion".

with all that money, one would think they would be able to afford a decent hair cut.

n/t

Willing to sacrifice his castle in heaven for a castle on earth. He's saving that for YOU. He's leaving more real estate in the clouds for the meek. What a guy!! (sarcasm)

that they just willfully donate to charlatans such as this.

I have no sympathy for those people who are stupid enough to send in their hard earned dollars. Didn't anyone learn anything from the Jim and Tammy Faye fiasco?

The pathos of this type of error in judgement stems from hopelessness and ignorance. Judgement and learning get thrown right out the window when it comes to desperately wanting to "believe".

We know there's at least one Rolls Royce in the garage. Thank you Jesus-- and American taxpayers.


THE PASTOR'S HOUSE: Creflo A. Dollar's followers don't seem to mind his posh Atlanta home or his Rolls-Royce and private jet.

Is prosperity a blessing from God, or a crime?

A Senate investigation into the use of donations at mega-churches may pit tax laws against religious freedom. The Rev. Creflo A. Dollar is resisting.

By Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

November 12, 2007

ATLANTA — In the Rev. Dollar's chapel last week, a man in jeans and a baseball jersey bowed his head and opened his wallet. In front of him, a woman in nursing scrubs leaned on her Bible to write a check. And when the congregation stood up in prayer, some -- speaking in tongues -- waved collection envelopes in the air.

Creflo A. Dollar, senior pastor of World Changers Church International, preaches that God will reward the faithful with material riches. It is a gospel that has won the flamboyant preacher a 25,000-strong congregation -- and a Rolls-Royce, a multimillion-dollar mansion and a private Gulfstream III jet.

Now a Senate committee is investigating whether Dollar and leaders of several other mega-churches have illegally used donations to fund opulent lifestyles.

<snip>
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-prosperity12nov12,1,6526447.story?coll=la-news-politics-national&track=crosspromo

that house makes me physically ill. no man of god should live in something like that.

What about Joel?

My boss is hooked on him and it drives me crazy...

I must have either forgotten or missed something somewhere. :shrug: :)

That one with the fancy wife...

Pastor of the Lakewood mega-church here in Houston. His books are best-sellers. I've seen him preach on TV-- he seems like a nice guy, but I know the church rakes in money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Osteen

Since I really don't know that much about what he does with all the money made I think I'd best reserve comments. I don't mind someone making a decent living off of being a religious/spiritual leader as long as they're actually helping those who have not like what I think Jesus taught they should be doing with lot more of it. ;)

He seems like an interesting person though.. sounds a bit like Robert A Schuller whom I used to watch quite often years ago. He was one of the few "big" ministers I'd seen that had a really positive attitude and taught that and acceptance of others... which is what I was taught Jesus was all about as a child by my parents.

Tax these guys.

And STILL they wander in blindly, willingly.

'Twas ever thus, I suppose.

any unrelated business income. So if the church isn't spending the money on upkeep or on programs/services, then they probably do have to pay income tax on it.

I wonder when he'll release the records of how that money was spent.

anyone wonder whether there might possibly be other things for Grassley and the rest of the senate to be doing?

Not that I'm the least upset with these creeps getting caught.

But that Grassley is the force behind this makes me wonder what it is he DOESN'T want us to be seeing while this gets the press, you know?

for churches?

Feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless come to mind. But isn't this the guy with the $23,000 toilet?

The Bible clearly says, "No."

Everyone is free to give everything but no one is free to demand anything but love. Romans 13:8.

Tithing is 100% Unscriptural Under the New Covenant.

A Scriptural Exposition on the Fraudulent Fleecing of the Flock

Arguments for tithing range from simply quoting the prophet Malachi sent to the priests and nation of Israel:

"Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse…."

While others who can find absolutely no Scriptural authority for Christians to tithe, invent clever little doctrines like this:

"Tithing was a form of worship to God, and since we still worship God, we must still tithe."

I will answer this one in one sentence: Since burnt offerings were a form of worshiping God, and since we still worship God, must we still offer burnt offerings to God? Ridiculous.

Let’s see how Paul did things:

"And because he was of the same craft , he abode with them, and wrought : for by their
occupation they were tentmakers" (Acts 18:3).

"I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:33-31).

Don’t kid yourself, there’s a whole army of men of the cloth out there coveting your gold and your silver.

Many television ministries are little more than highly sophisticated Hollywood-produced, tithe-collecting infomercials.
http://www.harlancountypotluck.com/wrdfth/tithe.html

I grew up around this stuff. They go straight to questioning the faith and conviction of viewers who do not tithe. It's vile to say the least.

And they make fun of used car salesmen? This is gross and disgusting. How can people fall for this stuff though-Please somebody tell me how they can get people to send the money? I don't get it.