Posted on 11/11/2007 5:20:17 PM PST by Graybeard58
An Atlanta megachurch took in $69 million in 2006, according to a financial statement the church's minister released in response to a Senate investigation into him and five other well-known televangelists.
The Rev. Creflo Dollar disclosed the World Changers Church International's financial information to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but said the money he spends is his own.
Dollar said his income comes from personal investments, including businesses and real estate ventures. But the church gave him a Rolls Royce, which he mainly uses for special occasions, he said.
"Without a doubt, my life is not average," he said. "But I'd like to say, just because it is excessive doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong."
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, launched an investigation into the finances of six ministers after hearing reports of some preachers' lavish and opulent lifestyles. In a letter last week, he requested answers by Dec. 6 to questions about their executive compensation and amenities, including use of fancy cars and private jets.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
I agree - at least it is voluntary!
According to history... the basis of your reference was certainly found to be the first "shakedown artists".....and sometimes with deadly force.
Even so, I have a hard time accusing anyone dedicated to the ministry without having hard facts first. Some here are judging only by personal feelings, differing religious beliefs and misguided conjecture/hearsay.
Many evangelicals make a tremendous amount of money selling tapes, books and doing lectures... besides getting their alloted salary from the church. If they've invested well.....it grows. They do have more opportunity than the average pastor because appearing on television exposes them to a much greater audience.
Wait......I feel like I'm defending why it's better to have freedom of religion and the right to own one's personal property/prosperity in the U.S. ....as opposed to a gov't controlled entity/church which demands resources by force and puts a cap on the amount of income a pastor receices.... if "they" feel it's excessive. Silly me. :)
I just want to know why he needs bodyguards...
What is it in excess of then?
How dare you....
However, mega church televangelists disturb me. They seem kind of like the "American Idols" of pastors. I hope my suspicions are unfounded and I hope God blesses such churches, but I would not join one.
Gross.
Other CEO Salaries
“Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's largest charities”. The compensation Package of the following CEO’s is based on information reported on various organization's most recent Form 990. The compensation package includes salary, cash bonuses, and unusually large expense accounts and other allowances. (www.charitynavigator.org).
Paul Crouch’s compensation package stands at $419,000 and Janice Crouch’s at $361,000, which makes a whopping total of $ 780,000
As near as we can tell Paul C is only out salaried by
Peter Popoff (President of Peter Popoff Ministries)… $628,732, His wife makes $203,029 as Executive Business Administrator. Do the math and remember that not to many years ago Peter Popoff’s claim to receive ‘messages from God’, turned out to be messages from a concealed transmitter. How do frauds make this much money? And of course
John Hagee [$842,005 in compensation and $414,485] in benefits. (Above)
Other salaries include
Billy Graham [Director and Chairman of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA)] … $406,830.
William Franklin Graham III [as President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA)] ... $94,998. William Franklin Graham III [as President and CEO of Samaritan's Purse] …$304,308 Total Package… $399,306.
Richard E. Stearns [President of World Vision] … $366,892 in 2004.
Jack Van Impe, President of Jack Van Impe Ministries International … $153,143 His wife Rexella Van Impe [secretary] .. $85,971. Total Package … $239,114
Hank Hanegraaff [President of The Christian Research Institute (CRI)] … $210,192, His wife Kathy Hanegraaff [Director of Planning The Christian Research Institute (CRI)] … $127,431 Total Package … $337,623.
Ravi Zacharias, President of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries... $191,498.
Ned Graham [president of East Gates International] … $104,337 His wife Christina K. Graham [Director of Operations of East Gates International] … $46,453 Total package … $150,790.
Bob Larson, President of Bob Larson Ministries... 133,430
Charles F. Stanley, President and Chairman of InTouch Ministries was paid $123,222.
While Both CRI and Hank Hanegraaf (The Bible Answer Man Show) provide invaluable contributions to Christian Apologetics, sadly much controversy has swirled around Hank’s finances. See Greed: Case Study in Bad: CRI by Bernie Dehler, Executive Director of FreeGoodNews.com. [INDEX]
They're Leavin' On a Jet Plane by Pete Evans & Todd Bates (www.wittenburgdoor.com)
ENTRY-LEVEL, STARTER JETS Up-and-coming Tilton impersonator Paula White owns a Hawker-Siddeley "Jet Dragon" – aptly named for the trail of smoke it would leave IF it could fly or IF she could get parts for this 1965-vintage relic. Truly a vanity purchase, it's been grounded since she bought it, just so she can SAY she has a jet.
THE CESSNA CITATION CLUB · Copeland proteges Jesse Duplantis and Jerry Savelle, plus Florida upstart Mark Bishop, each fly their own Cessna Citation 500. They cruise at 400 mph with a range of 1,400 miles and carry a price tag of about $1.25 million each.
THE GRUMMAN GULFSTREAM GUYS · Fred Price, Creflo Dollar and Brother Benny Hinn all have their own Grumman Gulfstream II's. With a two-man crew and 19 passengers, these babies cruise at 581 mph with a range of 4,275 miles. Used, they're worth about $4.5 million each.
THE BIG-BUCK BOYS, THE CHALLENGER 600s · Paul Crouch owns the current Queen of the Flying-Televangelist Fleet – a Bombardier Challenger 604. Carrying a crew of two plus 19 passengers, she cruises at 529 mph with a range of 3,860 miles. She's valued at $16.5 million, not including Paul's "special interior remodeling."
· The late Ken Hagin's Challenger 601, about 10 years older than Paul's, is "only" worth about $9.6 million.· Recently exposed uberspender Joyce Meyer has her own Challenger 600. A full 18 years older than Paul's, this one's only worth a paltry $4.5 million. Let's hear it for Joyce's frugal stewardship!
KENNY COPELAND – UNDISPUTED KING OF THE FLYING COWBOYS · His Cessna Citation 550 Bravo (valued at $3.4 million), PLUS his Grumman Gulfstream II (worth $4.5 million) AND his Cessna Golden Eagle AND his Beech E-55 AND his assorted lesser aircraft AND his own airport all add up to untold millions of poor folks' dollars. But Kenny's masterstroke is the fact that he's now telling the faithful that God wants him and wife Gloria to EACH have their own Cessna Citation Ten super-jets. Flying just below the speed of sound, these state-of-the-art flying palaces carry a base sticker price of $20 million! That means when "God" has his way, the widows and orphans will have "invested" just about $50-60 million in Kenny's Heavenly Air Force.
UPDATE: “Over the past several years Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have been believing God for a Cessna Citation X jet—a plane they would be able to use in fulfilling their God-appointed assignment and the calling on Kenneth Copeland Ministries to take the Word of God to the world—from the top to the bottom and all the way around. At 2 p.m. on Friday, July 22, 2005, we made the initial deposit and signed the order for Citation X #240. We will take delivery on the plane the first week of March 2006”! (http://elitecxteam.org/update.php)
“It would seem like the nonprofit groups singled out in the article are actually over-funded since there is money left over for opulent living.”
not overfunded just not properly spent.
“Congress may get away with squandering our money, but I think you would have to not believe in God to dare squandering the gifts of his people on yourself, and if you’re wrong there could be hell to pay.”
If he’s truly spending his own money made through investments there I don’t see any problem. Except for the Rolls Royce.
Its a travesty to waste church money on luxuries. That said the Congress blows $69 in a heartbeat without even a Rolls Royce to show for it. They are hardly the ones to talk.
“I hope their money is used to fuel the fires in hell that they will experience. Hell is too good for these people. They pervert the Gospel of Christ for personal gain. They are worse than a murderer or a pedophile”
SO if he uses money he earned through investments then he deserves to go to hell?
I don’t have an issue with them being well compensated. We need good people in the ministry. There is a difference between well compensated and greedy.
So you have a problem with a minister making over a $100k and flying in fast planes?
US69 Million can buy a lot of bling.
I find it strange that Grassley is getting involved into something that is of no concern for him. If I were these religious groups...I’d trump him with freedom of religion and demand that he let the IRS do their job. Grassley and these idiots in the Senate and House wrote these rules and laws...and IRS can only obey them.
What further complicates this matter...is that he won’t go after Scientology, which is the king of the fake religions.
If Grassley wants to have impact...just write a simple law that says that no church can take in more than $2000 per member per year...and the rest after that...is taxed as a corporation. You force each church to name membership and thier social security numbers in order to claim the tax-free status. If you have a congregation of 200 members...then you have up to $400k per year. These mega churches and the various “services” they are providing...are all taxable organizations in my book. Grassley fails to grasp this and fails to write regulations to rein in this mess.
Let me be clear here: I don't like the whole idea of "mega-churches" and I really dislike almost all TV evangelists.
That being said, I wonder when someone will launch an investigation into the lavish and opulent lifestyles of 100 senators. When was the last time Grassley went to dinner and spoke the words, "This is on me."?
Putz.
Bears repeating...
Having said that, a Rolls? That he only uses on special occaaisions? I was'nt aware that employees of Jewish Carpenters required any more than their daily bread and any other gift The Spirit chosses to give them.
Claiming to do good and while doing very well indeed...
“Having said that, a Rolls? That he only uses on special occaaisions? I wasn’t aware that employees of Jewish Carpenters required any more than their daily bread and any other gift The Spirit chosses to give them.”
I agree the rolls is way beyond proper. Who wants to see a church representative pull up in a rolls? Perhaps their wife or hubby. That said you won’t get too many people working for bread today. God doesn’t require that his servants be poor, dirty and hungry.
“If Grassley wants to have impact...just write a simple law that says that no church can take in more than $2000 per member per year”
So much for tithing eh. SO much of keeping govt and religion seperate. Now you want to register religious people. Whats next? Perhaps forcing the to wear a cross or star on their jackets?
“These mega churches and the various “services” they are providing...are all taxable organizations in my book. Grassley fails to grasp this and fails to write regulations to rein in this mess.”
Churches provide many many many real and needed services in America. They are onsite during disasters. They hand out food to hungry people. They give counseling to troubled individuals and couples. Your plan would result in the destruction of organized religion. You are either completely ignorant of what it costs to run a church or wish to destroy churches.
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