Posted on 11/25/2007 9:26:29 PM PST by Terriergal
Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee is standing by televangelist Kenneth Copeland as the U.S. Senate investigates the ministry’s potential financial misconduct.
Fri, Nov. 23, 2007 Posted: 19:23:03 PM EST
Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee is standing by televangelist Kenneth Copeland as the U.S. Senate investigates the ministry’s potential financial misconduct.
Copeland has given his support to Huckabee and appears in ads with the Republican candidate in the religious magazine Charisma to promote the ministry’s upcoming TV special.
Despite the potential negative effect, former Baptist preacher Huckabee has expressed his trust in the Copelands and will appear on the ministry’s TV show next week.
“Kenneth and Gloria Copeland are about the most gracious, authentic, and humble people I know and I consider them dear friends,” Huckabee wrote to Time magazine. “They have brought hope to millions and have operated with the utmost integrity as far as I know.
“I have found them to be as warm and genuine in their private moments as they are in their public moments,” he said.
The Copelands are part of a faction of Charismatic Christianity which preaches what critics call the “prosperity Gospel” – a highly criticized theology which teaches that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing.
Copeland Ministries has expressed in a statement online that it is leaning towards not complying with the request for financial records from Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) of the Senate Finance Committee.
John Copeland – son of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, and CEO of Kenneth Copeland Ministries – said the ministry “has been, and always will be, a ministry of integrity.”
“As a church organization, we are required only to share our information with the Internal Revenue Service,” Copeland said regarding the Senate probe, according to the Texas-based Star-Telegraph newspaper. “We operate our church in full compliance with IRS guidelines.”
“We are very diligent in protecting the privacy of our Partners and Friends. We will not participate in a public spectacle. We operate our ministry with privacy – not secrecy.”
The Copelands received the longest questionnaire about their finances, according to Time.
Grassley has asked six televangelists to submit information about their finances by Dec. 6.
“Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey,” Grassley, a Christian, told the Los Angeles Times. “Do these ministers really need Bentleys and Rolls-Royces to spread the Gospel?”
The multimillion-dollar ministry heads, dubbed the “Grassley Six,” are Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Binny Hinn, Creflo and Taffi Dollar, Bishop Eddie Long, Joyce and David Meyer, and Randy and Paula White.
Long and Dollar have said they will provide financial records requested.
Copeland will have Huckabee as a guest for five consecutive days on his internationally aired television show Believer’s Voice of Victory beginning Monday.
Michelle Vu
Christian Post Reporter
If you have to ask, you dont know why.
if he committed a crime, law enforcement should be investigating. If he was a public official misusing funds, the Senate should investigate. But why would they “investigate” a private citizen for criminal?I agree.
You said it better than I could. The whole thing makes me ill. But my strongest scorn has to go to Copeland and his type. His theology is all out of whack; he even teaches that Jesus and his disciples were rich! The guy’s totally focused on money. Stay away from Copeland and the prosperity crowd.
Seems like they’re both shams.
God has made SOME people wealthy. He does NOT promise wealth to those who follow Him.
Now, while the price of his home may not be much in other areas of the country, here in Arkansas it's a mansion.
Mike has prospered and wants to continue to prosper, Praise God!
sw
Sounds like they’re investigating excesses like that of Tyco executive who spent millions from corporate coffers on priceless artwork and parties. Personal or company/organization expense? Taxable or tax exempt?
That they surely are!!
1 Tim 6:3-10 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
The SBC produced Rick Warren out of their seminary. Why do you expect better discernment from a Baptist minister?
Granted, there are some, but it is in spite of what is being taught, not because of it.
For example, Ken Silva, Gary Gilley, etc. OF course, you don't hear those names every other day on TV like you hear Rick Warren.
Joel is a little less pretentious and obnoxious that some of these guys, granted. But he still has that zillion dollar smile and presents the same false gospel. Joel actually seems like a genuinely humble man, though it galls me to say so. I probably would really like him as a neighbor. But that doesn’t excuse his false teaching.
thanks!
Oy. He sounds like he’s been listening to Jim Wallis (www.sojo.net)
How is it that he got as far as he did in this campaign? yeesh.
PING for huckabee info at posts 5, 6, and 7.
Well I suppose it should be the IRS — but they are non-profit groups and if they are they better be running as one.
“God has made SOME people wealthy.”
IMO, Satan makes more people wealthy than God does. I mean, look at them. Every time I hear about somebody rich, he’s doing something scurrilous — funding abortions, pushing communism...
Job 1:10-11
and the Lord taketh away.... blessed be his name.
Interesting point!
All those apostles, disciples, martyrs who misunderstood that Jesus just wanted them to be wealthy. /s
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