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Meyer received millions, records show (TV Preacher Joyce Meyer)
STL Today ^ | 4/30/05 | carolyn tuft

Posted on 05/02/2005 6:18:32 PM PDT by pissant

TV evangelist Joyce Meyer and her family have received millions in salary and benefits from her worldwide ministry in recent years, according to newly released records.

The documents, obtained by the Post-Dispatch under Missouri's Open Records laws, provide the first public look at how the worldwide broadcasting and publishing empire has compensated Meyer and her family.

They paint a picture of a minister and her family who have reaped large financial rewards from the ministry they created and control. Over 20 years, Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton has grown to a $90 million-a-year empire with TV and radio programs that reach millions of people in about 70 countries.

Among the details included in the financial statements, board minutes and other documents Meyer provided to the assessor of Jefferson County in a dispute over the tax-exempt status of its headquarters property:

The ministry's board of trustees, which is headed by Joyce Meyer, agreed to pay her a $900,000 annual salary in 2002 and 2003.

The board agreed to give her husband, Dave Meyer, the board's vice president, an annual salary of $450,000 in each of those same two years.

(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: elmergantry; evangelist; joycemeyer; preacher; tvevangelists
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To: Cecily

Forgot one other thing -

2 Thessalonians 3:8, "Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you."

Looks like maybe Paul worked in addition to his ministry, in order to avoid being a burden on the churches. Never noticed that one before either.


241 posted on 05/04/2005 1:53:34 PM PDT by agrace (All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. - Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: agrace

"Anyway, that point was, none of the NT letters discussed tithing, or used the word at all in reference to giving, and Jesus only mentioned tithing twice, both times in condemnation of the Pharisees. You'd think they would at least have used the word in context, if it was important pertaining to giving, which they discussed a bunch. And none of the early church fathers did either."

The Jews of the early church probably did still tithe in accordance with the Law. This might not have been mentioned in the epistles because it was a settled issue as far as Jewish life was concerned (Jewish Christians didn't need to hear about it), and wasn't a church issue (Gentiles didn't need to hear about it either, i.e., contributing to the Levites, going up to Jerusalem at certain times for festivals, etc.).

You already made the point that tithes were for worship and celebrations, and for support of the Levites, the poor, and others without means of support. They were partly a tax used for the public good.


242 posted on 05/04/2005 2:17:47 PM PDT by Cecily
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To: agrace

Paul was a tent-maker. Don't know the scripture, but I'll look it up.


243 posted on 05/04/2005 2:23:39 PM PDT by colorcountry (To disagree, one doesn't have to be disagreeable. ....Barry Goldwater)
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To: agrace

Acts 18:2-3
Paul went to see them, and because he was a tent-maker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.


244 posted on 05/04/2005 2:25:30 PM PDT by colorcountry (To disagree, one doesn't have to be disagreeable. ....Barry Goldwater)
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To: colorcountry

Thank you, I knew that, and completely didn't relate it! :)


245 posted on 05/04/2005 3:19:19 PM PDT by agrace (All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. - Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: Cecily
The Jews of the early church probably did still tithe in accordance with the Law. This might not have been mentioned in the epistles because it was a settled issue as far as Jewish life was concerned (Jewish Christians didn't need to hear about it), and wasn't a church issue (Gentiles didn't need to hear about it either, i.e., contributing to the Levites, going up to Jerusalem at certain times for festivals, etc.).

Good points, thank you.

246 posted on 05/04/2005 3:20:00 PM PDT by agrace (All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. - Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: pissant
I don't think Joyce is in the Sweigart/Tilton category. At least I hope not!

Sorry to let you down, but she is just like Benny Hinn

247 posted on 05/04/2005 8:16:09 PM PDT by Nightshift (Faith is something everyone has. The question is faith in what?)
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To: agrace; Cecily; All

Read Malachi 3:8-3:10.......epecially 3:10. I'll save you some hunting; it's the last page of the Old Testament.

It's the only place in the entire Bible where God is literally saying "Try me in this." Challenging God is considered a sin.......yet in this one instance, he LITERALLY says "try me". Good enough for me.

Know what the #1 topic in the Bible is, in terms of number of references, discussions, etc.? By far?? Faith? Redemmption? God's love?

Money.

There's a good reason for it. God knows that where a man puts his money, there his heart lies also.

Sometimes things are deceptively straightforward and simple. It just never ceases to amaze me how man tries to overly complicate God's messages by interjecting his own "wisdom" and "analysis".


248 posted on 05/05/2005 3:40:36 AM PDT by RightOnline
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To: RightOnline
Sometimes things are deceptively straightforward and simple. It just never ceases to amaze me how man tries to overly complicate God's messages by interjecting his own "wisdom" and "analysis".

Seems to me that's what you're doing by changing the literal meaning of the text. Nothing in Malachi 3&4 (much of which is directed squarely at the Levites themselves) changes the fact that the tithes and offerings discussed there are specifically defined in Deuteronomy as being agricultural, intended for the purpose of having a celebration, as well as food for the Levites, orphans, widows and strangers.

Please explain to me how, using scripture, how OT tithing requirements are to be applied to the churches of today. Are we to offer burnt sacrifices as well?

Of course not. The new covenant fulfills that original system. So please show me how the new covenant requires 10% tithing. And if indeed scripture indicates that we are to take the 10% aspect literally, then why shouldn't the other details (agricultural, brought to a storehouse, etc) be taken literally too?

249 posted on 05/05/2005 6:24:23 AM PDT by agrace (All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. - Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: RightOnline

As agrace said, you should study Malachi, Chapter 3 in its original context. God was dealing with and admonishing His people Israel through the words of the prophet Malachi within the theocratic and economic system He had set up for them. So many pastors preach Old Testament scriptures dealing only with the children of Israel as if they are promises made by God to, and literally applicable to, the church.


250 posted on 05/05/2005 8:39:46 AM PDT by Cecily
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To: Cecily
Sure. Right. So look, let's just do away with the Old Testament. I mean, after all, using your logic, what good is it any more in light of the New Testament? Utterly useless, right? None of its principles apply any longer, right? Tithing......shoot, giving......to the church is utter, old style nonsense.

Yes, churches will build themselves. Pastors will work as cabbies on the side to make ends meet. Missionaries? Fuhgedaboutit.

Thanks so much for straightening me out on "context", sweetie. I feel refreshingly enlightened. I'll ignore lifelong teachings and many decades of personal experience and God's word, now that you have set me straight.

251 posted on 05/05/2005 4:48:13 PM PDT by RightOnline
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To: RightOnline; Cecily
The very LAST thing that any reasonably Christian would suggest would be to do away with the Old Testament. The message of God is hardly complete without it, they are intricately intertwined. For example, pretty much every major doctrine finds itself in the first 11 chapters of Genesis. Jesus Himself quotes 24 of 39 books, and all but 4 are referenced when we include all the NT writers. And we are grafted into THEIR tree after all.

But the fact is, certain things are/were intended for Israel alone, of which I could cite multiple examples. You could too, no doubt.

With regard to tithing, again, why doesn't our tithing system include bringing our agricultural surplus to a storehouse and having a party with it?

And also again, what tithing guidelines are we given in the NT? You see, the point is, the standard is now HIGHER than in the Old, just as with the rest of the law.

It's just like the sacrificial system - all it did was point to an ultimate fulfillment. The ultimate fulfillment of the tithing system is found in Jesus' instruction on keeping the law, which He made about the heart rather than the outward appearance.

We see that in the only times the NT mentions tithing, when Jesus is reprimanding the Pharisees.

Matthew 23:23-28, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."

We are called to give from the heart, which for most people probably means a greater sacrifice than just 10% of our income. We are called to give with sincerity, serve others with selflessness, because Jesus' point was that what goes on in the heart is far more serious than what we actually do outwardly. The same was reiterated by Paul.

A pastor friend of ours puts it like this - he says, "I don't give to get, I give to give." He considers it a privelege to bless others through giving, just as Paul said (and I paraphrase) - everyone as he feels in his heart, not begrudgingly or because he feels he has to, but because he wants to, because God loves a cheerful giver.

No one is suggesting that we shouldn't give, and give abundantly. But it's about the heart. In other words, giving because we feel we have to is a lot different than giving because we want to - the former is worthless in God's eyes. David lends some insight when he is repenting of his sin with Bathsheba -

Psalm 51:15-17, "O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

252 posted on 05/06/2005 7:34:40 AM PDT by agrace (All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. - Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: agrace

To add to what you wrote, I believe the Holy Spirit will guide Christians in their giving, and help them to be good and sensible stewards of their money as well.


253 posted on 05/06/2005 9:36:05 AM PDT by Cecily
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To: Mr. Mojo

Ping!


254 posted on 05/06/2005 10:03:54 AM PDT by NRA2BFree (Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ..)
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To: Cecily; RightOnline

You know what, I think I should apologize. I just realized that's twice now I posted to Rightonline before you responded yourself. Please forgive me for stepping on toes!


255 posted on 05/06/2005 10:13:42 AM PDT by agrace (All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. - Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: agrace

No apology necessary. You responded far better than I could have. I agree with you completely about verses for Israel as well as the high standard needed to keep the Law not just in letter but in spirit. If some of the outwardly righteous Jews of Jesus's day couldn't perceive the wickedness of their hearts and their sinful state after He read the riot act to them, I don't know what would have convinced them.


256 posted on 05/06/2005 10:35:20 AM PDT by Cecily
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To: agrace

Anyone who tries to convince me that tithing is Old Testament only......that it doesn't apply to us today......that it's useless, etc. etc. is wasting their breath.

Such a person should also find a real church, frankly.


257 posted on 05/06/2005 11:08:59 AM PDT by RightOnline
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To: RightOnline

No one said it was useless, and no one is trying to convince you to that end. You're reading things into posts that aren't there. And you have yet to address any points made.


258 posted on 05/06/2005 11:25:42 AM PDT by agrace (All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. - Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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