Rick Warren Asks for Urgent Donations

AP ^ | California, Dec. 31, 2009 | Staff

[FTJM]

Evangelical pastor Rick Warren is begging parishioners at his Southern California megachurch to cough up $900,000 before Jan. 1 to keep the parish out of the red.

In an urgent letter posted on the Saddleback Church Web site on Wednesday, Warren says expenses are up because parishioners are out of work and "the bottom dropped out" when year-end donations dropped dramatically.

He asks parishioners to donate before the new year to keep the Orange County church out of debt, The Orange County Register reports.

A spokeswoman for Warren said the church does not release financial details, so it's difficult to put the $900,000 shortfall in context.

Warren delivered the invocation at the inauguration of President Barack Obama and is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling "The Purpose Driven Life."

[Terriergal]

It’s about time people stopped supporting that dog and pony show.

[Gamecock]

YBPDLN PL Ping

The YBPDLNPL is generally published infrequently, but based on the exploits of the megachurch pastors posts can spike for a period of time. If you would like on or off of this list please FReepmail me

[Gamecock]

Once upon a time churches supported it’s members during hard times.

[PAR35]

A spokeswoman for Warren said the church does not release financial details, so it's difficult to put the $900,000 shortfall in context.

I'd estimate at $25-30 million a year budget. That would make normal December giving about $6 - 7 million. In any event, they ought to be able to cut $1 million a year in spending without the congregation really noticing it.

[GOPPachyderm]

Yeah, I’ll get right on that./s

His influence destroyed our church.

[NormsRevenge]

Hey Rick. Go ask your Big O buddy for a bail-out..

[troy McClure]

The wife and I attend Saddleback & are members of the church. Its a round trip of 250 miles every Saturday to attend the service.

Rick gives 90% of his income to the church, he has not taken a salary for the last 8 years.

Do you give 90% of your income to your church?

With unemployment running at about 20% in orange county the tithing has dropped off. I see that at the service I attend.

Rick drives a 1999 ford truck and has lived in the same house for the last twenty years.

Mrs McClure has a bit to say:

I'm glad that Rick was honest enough to tell us of the financial situation and give us a chance and challenge to give to the Lord. I challenge all of you to go on to the Saddleback website in Lake Forest California and look at all of the ministry's that this church has. It truly reaches the entire world and it takes an enormous amount of money to run all of these programs.

After all if you don't give away anything God wants you to give, you don't own it. . . it owns you.

Pastor Rick did not kiss Obama’s butt. He held a fair forum and he asked questions and let them answer each one.

[TommyDale]

"His influence destroyed our church."

Hundreds, maybe even thousands of churches are suffering as a result. Warren is going to end up paying far more than $900,000 in the long run.

[TommyDale]

"I thought he gave 90% of his book proceeds to the church"

I think if you go back and research this, Warren claims to "pay 90% of his Purpose Driven sales in tithing" which could be something like a self-directed foundation. The money is somewhere other than his church, I guarantee.

[TommyDale]

In Rick Warren’s Bio, it says “The Warrens gave 90 percent of their earnings to charities and programs dedicated to starting microfinance and preventing HIV.”

It mentions nothing of giving to Saddleback Church.

[TommyDale]

http://www.exponential07.org/speakers/rick_warren.asp

[pby]

Maybe Warren should heed some of his own wisdom:

"is is natural for it [a church] to grow if it is healthy. ... If a church is not growing, it is dying" (Purpose Driven Church, p. 16)

[pby]

Microfinance?

That is what Geithner Sr. and Obama's Mom were doing in Indonesia.

[pby]

250 miles round trip?!

You can't find a local church?

[TommyDale]

LOL! Follow the money!

[Hoodat]

Didn’t Warren support Obama? Perhaps he needs a refresher course on ‘reaping & sowing’.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Warren delivered the invocation at the inauguration of President Barack Obama “

Once a HO........

[stephenjohnbanker]

“I think if you go back and research this, Warren claims to “pay 90% of his Purpose Driven sales in tithing” which could be something like a self-directed foundation. The money is somewhere other than his church, I guarantee. “

I guarantee it is a foundation too. (He controls the money, and can pay himself big money, through a number of “foundation” loopholes.

[library user]

He doesn’t allow comments at his blog. Interesting. Just show him the money, apparently.

[Matchett-PI]

900,000. shortfall, huh? Don't want to open your books to scrutiny, huh?

So how much of that shortfall is due to getting involved in the politically-driven "Creation Care" Greenie shake-down scam and his wife's "calling" to get his church involved in politically-driven AIDS shake-down scam.

Following the lead of his wife, Kay, Warren also has championed the fight against AIDS in Africa, rallying support for U.S. relief programs.

2006 RICK WARREN: Obama is "amazing" and has "got the stuff" to be Prez...

"Remember back when Rick Warren was adamantly denying that his inviting Barack Obama to his HIV conference had anything to do with politics? Well - if that's the case - why is it that he's now TALKING POLITICS on CNN and sending the message that "Obama's Da Man"? Warren also says the reason he believes Obama would be such a good President is because of his character. And other than the whole killing the most vulnerable amongst us both in and out of the womb - who could argue? It must be Purpose Driven DoubleSpeak."

Deal Reached On Global AIDS Bill ($50 BILLION!)
CBSNEWS ^ | Jun 25, 2008 | Daniel W. Reilly HERE

(The Politico) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Wednesday night that lawmakers from both parties had agreed “in principal” on a deal to move a massive international AIDS relief package.

The $50 billion program to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria abroad had been stalled in the Senate for months after clearing the House earlier this year.

Several Republican senators, led by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) had objected to the manner in which some of the AIDS funding was to be distributed in the bill.

Reid announced the breakthrough in a statement Wednesday night, however he did not offer any specifics on the compromise.

“Now that we have an agreement in principle, my strong preference would be to get this bill done this week,” said Reid. “We should be able to do this quickly and easily – and it should be done before President Bush goes to the G-8 Summit next week. That would send an important message to the world that our country’s commitment to fight HIV/AIDS has not wavered.”

Reid said he hoped his Republican colleagues would agree to pass the bill by unanimous consent, thus avoiding a protracted debate on the issue which has broad bipartisan support.

He also said he was “confident” that Republicans would agree to the agreement, although Reid did say lawmakers were still waiting on the final text of the bill.

*