Posted on 01/02/2010 8:37:35 PM PST by Steelfish
Calif. Pastor Takes in $2.4M After Donations Plea
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: January 2, 2010
LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP) -- Evangelical pastor Rick Warren's plea for donations to fill a $900,000 deficit at his Southern California megachurch brought in $2.4 million, Warren announced to cheers during a sermon at the church on Saturday.
Warren said the amount raised after the appeal was posted online Wednesday included only money parishioners brought in person to Saddleback Church by New Year's Eve. More was arriving by hand and by mail, he said.
''This is pretty amazing,'' Warren told his congregation. ''I don't think any church has gotten a cash offering like that off a letter.''
The pastor said he planned to talk further about the response in a Sunday sermon called ''The Miracle.''
''We're starting the new decade with a surplus,'' he said. ''It came from thousands of ordinary people. This was not one big fat cat.''
The posting on Warren's Web site read: ''With 10 percent of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated.''
Warren said the church had largely managed to stay within its budget during the year, but ''the bottom dropped out'' when Christmas donations were down.
The letter cited the church's accomplishments in 2009 and detailed how the donations would be used, including the church's food pantry, homeless ministry, counseling and support groups.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It’s a Southern Baptist Church. The records are open to the members of the church. If you had actually read why they were in a shortfall this year you would see why there was a budgetary shortfall. This letter was sent to the members so that the church’s financial obligations can be met. This type of thing is not unusual in SBC churches. The response by the members isn’t unusual either.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418205/posts
The original article said that the church does not release finanicial records. That means the members can vote on whatever budget they want, but have no way to verify.
It's a scam.
No they aren't.
This is the original article and it says that the church does not release finanicial records. That means the members can vote on whatever budget they want, but have no way to verify.
It's a scam.
They aren’t released to the public which is not the same as the members knowing the finances of the church. I’ve been a Southern Baptist all of my life and know how they operate.
Prove it.
Of course not, but having been a member of various sized SBC churches in several states, I KNOW how they operate. Only *members* know what the church’s finances are. I gather you’ve never been to a business meeting in a SBC church?
Here’s a different article from the OC Register which has a whole lot more detail about the issue than the other “original” article.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/church-226694-warren-christmas.html
Saddleback church members raised the money to help our church take care of the needs of the less fortunate, and people who are hurting.
We helped over 4000 family's in our church who had fallen on hard times in 2009.
We help our church family, we raised that money to help the 400 ministries that provide help.
Rick didn't ask you or anyone else that wasn't a member to give.
“Envy of another man's calling can work havoc in our own.”
While I have some problems with some of what he does, I don’t think Warren takes a salary from the church and gives away a very significant percentage of this book royalties. It is my understanding that he lives in a pretty modest home and has for many years.
All this is fine and good. But when a mega-millionaire demands $1m from his congregants during a time of recession and plays on their fidelity to God as the basis for this plea, then we must question this man.
Even those who are bashing Saddleback Church remember our doors are always open to give you help, all you have to do is ask.
We don't turn anyone away.
People don’t “burn in hell” for asking for money for their church. They “burn in hell” by rejecting Christ.
Sounds like Saddleback is acting like a *church*. A church is made up of congregants, not just a pastor and staff. It’s good, then, for the members to all participate in the mission of the church.
This is from the Santa Ana Register comments on the articalabout our church raising $2.4m:
tater08 wrote:
Speaking from experience, this church paid our rent one month about a year ago because we were struggling and filed bankruptcy, lost our house and had to give up a vehicle. In addition, the church provided us with a donated vehicle so my husband and I could go to work. We were really hurting, and that helped us get back on our feet. This church helps people, and has helped our family.
We continue to give as members of the church. We give what we can in small increments. It is the number of people that do this that creates the large amount of money. It is our choice to donate to the church and we choose to do so, so I don’t understand anyone calling any of it a scam? The church members are educated people in a free society with free will. If we chose to donate to some other organization, such as PETA or the Girl Scouts, or a homeless shelter directly, would you call that a “scam”? Or is it because you don’t trust where it goes to? Check out the website to see where it goes, or come and visit a service if you’re curious.
I hope I’ve enlightened at least one person reading this. I’ve been going to this church since 2003, I am educated, I am a mother, I am not rich, but I am happy in who I am and what I stand for and I’m tired of this church being persecuted in every way possible. There’s nothing to hide with this church, they are open in every way, they encourage visitors, they ask donations from their own members, and still you guys point a finger. It’s ridiculous.
Like I said just ask and Saddleback Church will help.
Most large churches have a financial manager. Members still get the finances at the business meetings. The issue for a lot of churches is a membership that doesn’t bother with the business side of things. They don’t care enough to go to those business meetings where the information is passed out and then voted on.
He didn’t demand they give. He brought up the shortfall in a letter to members. If people didn’t want to give then didn’t have to.
Would you mind posting the Saddleback income statements and balance sheet?
Facts would certainly quiet the skeptics.
NO business meetings held in large SBC churches in my town.
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