Posted on 01/27/2021 7:32:10 AM PST by Red Badger
The pastors at scandalized Hillsong Church were anything but humble servants.
As the Australia-based institution continues to come under fire for allegations of “slave labor” and homophobia, ex-congregants and staff are now claiming that pastors used tithe money to help fuel their decadent lifestyles.
At Hillsong NYC, many pastors frequently splurged on fancy restaurant meals, designer clothes and weekly manicures while living in the same Kent Avenue Williamsburg high-rise and zipping around the neighborhood on ATVs, disgusted former members told The Post.
Indeed, it appears once-celebrity-beloved star pastor Carl Lentz — who was canned in November after admitting to cheating on his wife — wasn’t the only one with a fondness for costly kicks and million-dollar real estate.
Pastors and staff apparently freely used debit-like “PEX” — or pre-paid expense — cards for whatever their hearts desired, several former members and staff told The Post. The source of the funds was money donated or “tithed” by members, said former Hillsong LA service pastor Nicole Herman, who personally loaded the funds onto the PEX cards.
“I was instructed to fill them,” said Herman, who helped found the church’s California branch in 2013. “We had a team count the tithes after every service and they would allocate X amount of money for the PEX cards.”
The PEX cards were reloadable and given to volunteers to make purchases for the church and pastors, said Herman, who left the church two years ago. Pastors, including Lentz, got their own Hillsong credit cards in addition to the PEX cards they handed out to their volunteers.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Quelle surprise. /s
Homophobia = not bending to the gay mafia.
The other stuff is an issue.
But God forbid it if you complain to your pastor about the endless meaningless drivel in the Hillsong praise songs they insist on using every week during the service rather than the old time tested hymns.
The Hillsong songs are proven to draw a large crowd don’t you know.
“There was no process to track spending”
Then a few paragraphs down...
“ I was the person Kane would give his receipts to at the end of the month, and try to figure out what was spent on what and why, because they had to send a report” to Reed Bogard, who was the head of finances, she said. Phalon and the other pastors’ personal assistants maintained an Excel spreadsheet into which they’d compile the details of monthly purchases. Except Kane could never remember what the receipts were for. ”
Gee... that sounds like a process to track spending...
Smear article. I wish these “journalists” would spend more time investigating school or political corruption to see how our tax dollars are abused.
Not a very good process, if they can’t keep track of their spending.
In the first place, a tithe is for the benefit of the tither, what happens to it after that is between the receiver and God.
I also suspect that the media’s war on Christianity and anything not pushing some homo agenda is at the root of this.
However, I used to frequent a Souper Salad restaurant in North Dallas that Mr. Ross Perot would occasionally eat at.
Would come in by himself, get a simple salad and just think. We would not ever bother him, since it was his lunch time and we could all respect that time.
But it has stuck with me - a billionaire that chooses to eat cheap and healthy when he could be anywhere else.
Only if you take the article at face value.
LOL!
I’m inclined to believe what is often said about televangelistic style churches. They are not grounded in the Word of God and will attract those who see churches as a means to become wealthy.
One day a Priest, Minister, and Rabbi were discussing how to divide up the collection for Church use versus minister use.
Priest says I draw a square on the floor and toss the collection in the air. Any that lands outside of the square is for me.
Minister says I do about the same but use a circle.
Rabbi says I just toss the collection in the air. Then God takes takes what he want.
Back in the day my priest had a new Cadillac, lavender with a white vinyl top. A vanity plate with ‘HGHOST’ number.
If the charges on these cards are included in the pastor's W-2, then those are part of his salary to do with as he wants.
If they are not included on his W-2 on the theory they are for church expenses, then they are an expense reimbursement plan. Employees are expected to produce receipts for company expenses they are reimbursed for.
If, however, he can't show it was used for church business, can't or doesn't produce receipts or provide an accounting for expenditures, even if it was generally used for business expenses, it is a “non-accountable plan”, and must be included in box 1 of his W-2 as taxable income.
Pastors generally pay the employee and employer portion of the FICA and med, as well as income tax.
THAT could cause a big problem for these guys.
In the first place, a tithe is for the benefit of the tither, what happens to it after that is between the receiver and God.
We are told to be good stewards of what we have and to be wise and seek God’s wisdom. That would include being discerning about who we support with our money.
Some Hillsong songs I like, others I don’t. Some old hymns I like, some I don’t. People usually like the songs they grew up with, or if churched only after adulthood, then the songs they learned then. The church I attend has hymnals filled with songs I’ve never heard, most of which are an hundred years old or older. The worship leader does add in one or two “newer” songs (from, say, the 70’s), but I’m not familiar with them, either. Needless to say, I don’t get much out of the worship service. I like songs that praise the LORD, not ones that sing about the sweet by and by.
Yes....repeatative and almost inducing/encouraging a trance-like state!
They all sound depressing and dirge-like to me, and the singers always sound whiny and downbeat while singing them.
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.