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Senate member seeks financial records of Atlanta megachurches
Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | November 6, 2007 | Christopher Quinn

Posted on 11/07/2007 4:43:26 AM PST by fkabuckeyesrule

The gospel message that links God with dollars has been called to judgment before a powerful U.S. senator.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters requesting detailed financial documents to two metro Atlanta preachers and four other ministries nationwide whose leaders are known for opulent, or as the ministers would say, blessed, lifestyles.

Grassley is the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee and has developed a reputation for demanding financial transparency from non-profits.

He wants to know how much Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia and the Rev. Creflo and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Church International in College Park make, how their church-issued credit cards are managed and how many cars, planes and foreign bank accounts they own. He has asked for information on the ministries' boards, business relationships and associated organizations.

"I'm following up on complaints from the public and news coverage regarding certain practices at six ministries," Grassley said in a press release.

The other ministers are the Rev. Benny Hinn, based in Grapevine, Texas; David and Joyce Meyer, Fenton, Mo.; Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Newark, Texas, and Randy and Paula White, Tampa, Fla. All are well known in the evangelical religious broadcasting world. They are also known for preaching that financial blessings are part of Christian life.

"The allegations involve governing boards that aren't independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowance 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."

A spokesman for Long said that he intends to comply fully with Grassley's request.

Dollar said in a written response that Grassley is setting a precedent that would allow the Senate to pry into donations from any church or church school.

"Because of this fact, we feel it is prudent to consult well-respected legal professors and scholars to see what their thoughts are," the statement said in part.

"The questions are much bigger than World Changers as it could affect the privacy of every community church in America."

Dollar said his life and ministry have always been an open book.

Not so, said Rod Pitzer, who helps run Ministrywatch.com.

The 7-year-old group finds and asks for information on ministries and grades them on openness so that donors can decide where to give their money.

Many nonprofits have to file Form 990s with the Internal Revenue Service that detail salaries and expenses. Those forms are public documents, but religious ministries are exempt from filing them.

Pitzer said because of that, he depends on churches to voluntarily provide information. He has requested documentation from Dollar's church, such as audited statements or yearly reports. He has never received anything from them, he said.

Because of its lack of transparency, Ministrywatch.com grades World Changers an F.

"He's one of the few organizations that have an F, among about 500 that we are currently grading," Pitzer said.

Pitzer has not dealt with Long's ministry.

None of the six organizations that got Grassley's letters belong to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

It is a voluntary organization of more than 2,000 members that sets professional standards for ministries.

Ken Behr, its president, was an executive with Ford for 24 years. He called the letter from Grassley unprecedented.

"If they were [ECFA members], this probably wouldn't have happened," Behr said.

The agency requires its members to have independent boards that do not include family members, but do adhere to high accounting standards and justify expenses.

"When a person using a credit card turns in a receipt, they have to justify that charges were ministry purposes, not for a family vacation to Hawaii," he said.

Jill Kozeny, a Grassley spokeswoman, said the senators chose the six ministries because of reports from third parties, whistle-blowers and the press.

In 2005 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran a story that looked into Long's founding of a charity that paid the minister more than $3 million over a 3-year period, bought him a $1.4 million house and paid for the use of a $350,000 Bentley car.

Grassley's letter to the Dollars mentions information that Dollar tried to raise $1 million from other minister to give to Kenneth and Gloria Copeland for a celebration of their 40th year of ministry and that Dollar's ministries gave more than $500,000 to them.

Kozeny said, "Some of the accounts were of particular concern about lack of transparency, about how [the ministries] spend millions while you have it all exempted from federal taxes."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: 110th; gospel; grassley; paula; probe; prosperity; televangelists; white
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It sounds like they are going after the "prosperity gospel" types here. There 's a definite theme running thru all these people.
1 posted on 11/07/2007 4:43:27 AM PST by fkabuckeyesrule
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To: fkabuckeyesrule
Good luck Senator! My mega church in Memphis doesn’t give out financial information, even to the members!
2 posted on 11/07/2007 4:47:05 AM PST by Coldwater Creek
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To: fkabuckeyesrule
Unless there is definite probable cause to believe that these folks are committing fraud, this is a very dangerous road to go down.

I think many of these "prosperity preachers" are tacky, but so are almost all your nouveau riche who acquired their wealth in perfectly legal fashion. How the CEO spends his salary is entirely up to him, unless his Board of Directors or the stockholders decide it's fishy. And if it's a sole proprietorship or closely held corporation, it's nobody's business but his own, unless he's cheating the IRS (and the tax man can deal with that without the intervention of the state legislature).

What's to stop the government from investigating any church, once they set this precedent?

This looks like an attempt on the part of the legislature to get its hands on those tax-exempt church dollars. It's SOP to target the unpopular first, makes it easier to get the rest of them later.

3 posted on 11/07/2007 4:51:18 AM PST by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: Coldwater Creek

I’m trying to figure out why the lifestyles of the rich and shameless behind the pulpit are any business of the even more rich and shameless hypocrites in Congress. Maybe they are looking for trade secrets.


4 posted on 11/07/2007 4:51:25 AM PST by SailormanCGA72
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To: fkabuckeyesrule

2 Peter 2
1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

3And 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.


5 posted on 11/07/2007 4:52:50 AM PST by Migraine (...diversity is great... until it happens to YOU...)
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To: AnAmericanMother
Unless there is definite probable cause to believe that these folks are committing fraud, this is a very dangerous road to go down .... What's to stop the government from investigating any church, once they set this precedent? This looks like an attempt on the part of the legislature to get its hands on those tax-exempt church dollars. It's SOP to target the unpopular first, makes it easier to get the rest of them later.

Exactly --

6 posted on 11/07/2007 4:57:42 AM PST by Uncle Chip (TRUTH : Ignore it. Deride it. Allegorize it. Interpret it. But you can't ESCAPE it.)
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To: SailormanCGA72
why the lifestyles of the rich and shameless behind the pulpit are any business of the even more rich and shameless hypocrites in Congress

Just what I was thinking. A Senator implying that others' wealth is illegitimate? Go get an honest job yourself, Senator!

7 posted on 11/07/2007 5:02:24 AM PST by Tax-chick ("How inscrutable are His judgments and how unsearchable His ways!")
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To: Coldwater Creek
My mega church in Memphis doesn’t give out financial information, even to the members!

My church home has turned from being a very small outfit meeting in someone's living room to a large church. They hand out an annual financial statement summarized on four or five pages; if you want more detail about salaries and other expenses, you have only to ask. They figure that parishioners have a right to know that their tithes are being spent on God's work and not on cars and boats. If your church isn't that forthcoming, maybe you might ask them why, and consider finding another church.

8 posted on 11/07/2007 5:04:14 AM PST by Fairview ( Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.)
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To: Fairview

My church puts annual financial statements in the bulletin, and holds an open meeting of the Finance Council so that people have the opportunity to discuss it.


9 posted on 11/07/2007 5:06:51 AM PST by Tax-chick ("How inscrutable are His judgments and how unsearchable His ways!")
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To: Tax-chick

When I went from being a Presbyterian to being a Methodist, I was shocked at the amount of secrecy in the church. Presbyterians put everything in clear view.

The Lutherans are so secretive, a friend left his Lutheran church because he saw financial shennanigans. The committee basically told him to shut up or leave. Nothing illegal just using money the wrong way.


10 posted on 11/07/2007 5:16:45 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: Coldwater Creek
My mega church in Memphis doesn’t give out financial information, even to the members!

The church I grew up in and the one I belong to now are open books to their members and always have been. If the state of fed wants to see what we are up to, no problem. If it were any other way, I wouldn't be a member.

11 posted on 11/07/2007 5:18:17 AM PST by Dixie Yooper (Ephesians 6:11)
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To: Dixie Yooper
Me ,and plenty others are on their way out!
12 posted on 11/07/2007 5:26:44 AM PST by Coldwater Creek
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To: Fairview

I know why, and I am gone. You can’t run a church like a business. Heck, even business’s have financial disclosure.


13 posted on 11/07/2007 5:28:35 AM PST by Coldwater Creek
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To: AnAmericanMother

***This looks like an attempt on the part of the legislature to get its hands on those tax-exempt church dollars. It’s SOP to target the unpopular first, makes it easier to get the rest of them later.***

I’m glad you said that. My thoughts exactly.


14 posted on 11/07/2007 5:49:03 AM PST by kitkat (I refuse to let the DUers chase me off FR.)
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To: Coldwater Creek

My ‘megachurch’ outside Atlanta prints financial information in every Sunday’s bulletin. As transparent as they come.


15 posted on 11/07/2007 5:52:16 AM PST by T.Smith
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To: Coldwater Creek

If I didn’t know how my church was spending my money it would no longer be “my” church.


16 posted on 11/07/2007 5:52:49 AM PST by kalee
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To: AppyPappy
When I went from being a Presbyterian to being a Methodist

Just curious...was there some theological reason, or did you just happen to find a Methodist church you liked better than your current Presbyterian church?

17 posted on 11/07/2007 5:53:43 AM PST by murdoog
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To: fkabuckeyesrule
Q: When are they going to look into Rev. Jesse's Rainbow Coalition??

A: Never.

18 posted on 11/07/2007 5:57:02 AM PST by Lawgvr1955 (You can never have too much cowbell !!)
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To: murdoog

Presbyterians don’t have summer Sunday School. It was either Methodist or Baptist. I liked the Methodists better.


19 posted on 11/07/2007 5:57:51 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: AnAmericanMother
Unless there is definite probable cause

Please tell me I'm not the only person who finds something wrong, maybe even humorous, in that phrase.

And if it's a sole proprietorship or closely held corporation, it's nobody's business but his own, unless he's cheating the IRS (and the tax man can deal with that without the intervention of the state legislature).

It's nobody's business but his own until he claims tax-exempt status. There have to be some kind of standards and oversight for tax-exempt church status, or otherwise small businesses will start disappearing, replaced by used-car ministries and real estate ministries.

unless he's cheating the IRS (and the tax man can deal with that without the intervention of the state legislature).

Who said anything about state legislatures? This investigation is being launched by Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, of the United States Senate. Congress oversees all federal agencies, including the IRS.

What's to stop the government from investigating any church, once they set this precedent?

What's to stop the government from investigating any business, or any citizen? The courts, public backlash, and so on. You aren't immune from every rule by the simple act of calling yourself a church.

20 posted on 11/07/2007 6:04:08 AM PST by ReignOfError
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