Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Family Feud Reveals Luxuries At Largest Christian TV Network [Televangelist Crooks Galore!]
MSNBC ^ | May 05, 2012 | Erik Eckholm

Posted on 05/05/2012 4:49:14 PM PDT by Steelfish

Family Feud Reveals Luxuries At Largest Christian TV Network Granddaughter attacks founders, who accuse her of embezzlement

The Trinity Broadcasting Network, which also runs the Holy Land Experience theme park in Orlando, Fla., is at the center of a family battle.

By Erik Eckholm

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — For 39 years, the Trinity Broadcasting Network has urged viewers to give generously and reap the Lord’s bounty in return.

The prosperity gospel preached by Paul and Janice Crouch, who built a single station into the world’s largest Christian television network, has worked out well for them.

Mr. and Mrs. Crouch have his-and-her mansions one street apart in a gated community here, provided by the network using viewer donations and tax-free earnings. But Mrs. Crouch, 74, rarely sleeps in the $5.6 million house with tennis court and pool. She mostly lives in a large company house near Orlando, Fla., where she runs a side business, the Holy Land Experience theme park. Mr. Crouch, 78, has an adjacent home there too, but rarely visits. Its occupant is often a security guard who doubles as Mrs. Crouch’s chauffeur.

The twin sets of luxury homes only hint at the high living enjoyed by the Crouches, inspirational television personalities whose multitudes of stations and satellite signals reach millions of worshipers across the globe. Almost since they started in the 1970s, the couple have been criticized for secrecy about their use of donations, which totaled $93 million in 2010.

Now, after an upheaval with Shakespearean echoes, one son in this first family of televangelism has ousted the other to become the heir apparent. A granddaughter, who was in charge of TBN’s finances, has gone public with the most detailed allegations of financial improprieties yet, which TBN has denied, saying its practices were audited and legal.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: crouch; tbn; televangelists
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last

1 posted on 05/05/2012 4:49:20 PM PDT by Steelfish
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

http://www.wiscnews.com/baraboonewsrepublic/news/local/article_0153f168-9646-11e1-8e6b-0019bb2963f4.html
Hilarious in juxtaposition! :{)


2 posted on 05/05/2012 4:51:10 PM PDT by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

There’s a sucker born every minute.


3 posted on 05/05/2012 4:52:04 PM PDT by BigCinBigD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

Riches? But what about The Pope? He has a whole country! /sarc


4 posted on 05/05/2012 4:56:48 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by nature not nurture TM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

The pink haired woman?


5 posted on 05/05/2012 4:58:05 PM PDT by Sybeck1 (If Romney needs my vote to win Mississippi, he is in a heck of a lot trouble more than me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish
Read the entire article...yikes...

It's this type of exploitation that will lead to a repeal of religious tax exemption.

6 posted on 05/05/2012 5:01:13 PM PDT by Tex-Con-Man (T. Coddington Van Voorhees VII 2012 - "Together, I Shall Ride You To Victory")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BigCinBigD

There’s a sucker born every minute.

Sit in a church full of those suckers, and then ask yourself if there is hope for our country.


7 posted on 05/05/2012 5:02:36 PM PDT by WestwardHo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: WestwardHo

Most ministers are honest. These folks may have started out ok, then the greed set in. They are lost now, without repentance.


8 posted on 05/05/2012 5:04:40 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (God, family, country, mom, apple pie, the girl next door and a Ford F250 to pull my boat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: steve86
Mr. Crouch and an assistant, Matthew and his family, and two pilots are nearing the end of a six-week world tour in the larger company jet, visiting affiliates, taping programs and scouting new territory for evangelism in Rome

Good luck with that. LOL

9 posted on 05/05/2012 5:05:22 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by nature not nurture TM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

TBN has great kids shows. I never sent them a dime but they run “Drive Thru History” and I appreciate it.


10 posted on 05/05/2012 5:06:07 PM PDT by netmilsmom (Romney scares me. obama is the freaking nightmare that is so bad you are afraid to go back to sleep)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: netmilsmom

The worthy parts should be split off, maybe sold to EWTN lol


11 posted on 05/05/2012 5:07:25 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by nature not nurture TM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: steve86

Seriously!


12 posted on 05/05/2012 5:09:54 PM PDT by netmilsmom (Romney scares me. Obama is the freaking nightmare that is so bad you are afraid to go back to sleep)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: gorush

What do you think the odds are that your people donated to the Crouch’s?


13 posted on 05/05/2012 5:10:27 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: netmilsmom

Then we can put some Mary statues in the theme park lol


14 posted on 05/05/2012 5:11:20 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by nature not nurture TM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish
Televangelists? Million dollar mansions? Fraud? Love offerings in return for prayer towels?

Here's my shocked face........


15 posted on 05/05/2012 5:11:26 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (My 6 pack abs are now a full keg......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

Praise the lord, and pass the basket.

Or as Wolfman Jack used to say, “Just send Five Dollars, cash, check or money order.”

Trinity Hq. building is on 405 freeway at approx. Bear interchange, Costa Mesa, next to Newport Beach.

Nice gig. Been copied over, and over. Benny Hinn down the coast a few miles.

Conservative Orange County is very well represented in this industry.


16 posted on 05/05/2012 5:12:48 PM PDT by truth_seeker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Vince Ferrer

:{)


17 posted on 05/05/2012 5:12:48 PM PDT by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

Behind all this is a paying audience that WANTS their spiritual representatives (the Crouches, et. al) to be rich, to live an “abundant life” in the name of Jesus. I see this audience as willfully naive, since reading the Bible for themselves would prevent them from supporting such false teachers in the first place.

Even in the Old Testament, where there were some very wealthy believers, riches were always tied to loving God and people (see Job), never as a blank check for greed and self-indulgence. Flash forward to the New Testament and you find the Son of Man with “no place to lay his head”, and many reversals of the concepts of “success” (see the martyred apostles, content with “food and clothing”). No surprise then that these televangelists are heavy on the Old Testament when (erroneously) defending their wealth.

True wealth as defined by GOD? To be heavy laden with Wisdom from above. “Godliness with contentment” equals “great gain”.


18 posted on 05/05/2012 5:14:27 PM PDT by avenir (I'm pessimistic about man, but I'm optimistic about GOD!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stephenjohnbanker

These folks may have started out ok, then the greed set in.

The bigger problem is the people sitting in the pews with no discernment. Lord, have mercy on our nation!


19 posted on 05/05/2012 5:21:03 PM PDT by WestwardHo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: steve86

You made me spew ice water all over my screen!


20 posted on 05/05/2012 5:21:44 PM PDT by netmilsmom (Romney scares me. Obama is the freaking nightmare that is so bad you are afraid to go back to sleep)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson