Those pimps would want to turn over everything fast, because it’s going to get really ugly if they don’t.
Senator to push probe of Atlanta churches, others
TV ministries question senator’s authority over them
Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is preparing another round of letters to Christian television ministries, prodding them to answer questions about their spending and the way they are governed, a spokeswoman said Thursday.
At the same time, an aide to the committee’s Democratic chairman indicated it would be in the ministries’ best interest to cooperate with the Iowa Republican’s investigation.
Grassley started his probe of the ministries in early November but has met resistance from some of the six ministries he has questioned.
The senator’s latest attempt to get answers from the holdouts comes as criticism of his probe is mounting within the evangelical establishment. The flagship magazine of the movement, Christianity Today, editorialized this month that the Grassley probe amounted to “oversight overstep” that risked delving improperly into theology.
Others ? including the head of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and the editor of Charisma, another evangelical magazine ? still support Grassley but say they’ve been pressured to change their positions.
…
Under IRS guidelines, ministers may receive “reasonable” compensation but cannot enrich themselves through their nonprofits.
…
Jill Gerber, Grassley’s finance committee spokeswoman, said the follow-up letters would go out in the next few weeks to ministries that have raised concerns or not responded. Gerber said the letters will describe Congress’ authority and duty to investigate and evaluate laws over which it has legislative authority ? in this case, tax-exempt policy.
“It’s been extremely rare for tax-exempt groups to decline to cooperate with his requests for information,” she said in a statement.
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(Hat tip misaligned_user)
Basically at this point it appears that Joyce Meyer is the only one who has turned over all the information requested. Kenneth Copeland turned over information, but it’s not clear if he provided all the information that was requested.
It’s sad to not only see pimps, but others of the Religious Industry acting so arrogant and defiant. One would think that for a moment they might humble themselves. And anyone that is not defiant is being pressured to be rebellious in defense of the con-men.
Those who fight the request and stand with those who fight the request stand against not only government, but against the ordinance of God and bring condemnation on themselves, Romans 13.
Related posts:
January 19th, 2008 at 11:12 am
IC, thanks for the information. I said to myself, since the initial inquiry, that the probe on these ministries was likely to expand, and it seems to be the case.
The piece I am curious with centers on the tax deduction issue for parishoners’ financial donations to churches in general. Should the feds and the IRS move to eliminate tax exemption status for the church, not only would the institutions have to pay property and income taxes, but this could likely mean that parishoners may no longer claim financial giving to a church tax deductible.
These would act as a double-whammy to shut the doors of many churches very, very quickly.
The funds, being hit by taxation and the parishoners no longer giving b/c of the likely tax deduction elimination (and negative press on their leaders), would be devastating. This would prove disatruous to churches who built million dollar facilities on many acres of land.
It could also be an issue for the surrounding communities, having these cavernous buildings sit empty and exposed to vandalism and blight, an already huge issue in many urban cities.
Again, this is rather far-reaching, but can likely be reality if the current tax code for churches is changed.
IndependentConservative reply on January 19th, 2008 at 1:13 pm :
ncatina said:
It would be to our benefit if the government did what you said. Because at the moment we are in violation of scripture in how we give, so we can tell government about it for an earthly reward in the form of a tax break. See: Matthew 6.
If people are giving for a sake of a take break alone, they certainly are not at all giving for the glory of God. So if the tax break being removed lowers someone’s donations on that fact alone, it shows where their heart is. Better that they keep their money till their heart is right, rather than be judged for playing God with it.
If the buildings go vacant, maybe homeless people will move in them, read the Bibles minus a pimp and be saved. Then those buildings will finally be used for some real good.
IndependentConservative reply on January 19th, 2008 at 1:15 pm :
I’ll add that I feel those doing real good will not grow weary in their well doing.
January 19th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
IC, I totally agree with you concerning the motive to which one gives these days (a means of giving specifically to get). To that end, I would do better to be an effective manager of my money resulting in being in a position to answer all of my emergency and recurring needs. From there, I can make an intellegent decision to fund donations of my choice to those people or organizations that will effectively address the needs of people in want.
I find, in my obeservation, that parishoners giving the most in these churches are the ones that can least afford to do so. This was evident in voluntary service in the music ministry (I have since stepped down). The majority of those that were giving tithes and offerings (and spending money for matching outfits to appear “in uniform” while singing on the platform) were, in some combination, living with other family members, working multiple low wage jobs, renting and having no vehicle and relying on public transit. In my nearly four years of service, I was the only one having any real “progress” in attaining all in what everyone here was promised and is still pursuing.
The service we “provided” was sincere, in-step with the “give-to-get teaching.” This is in the face of weekly hours’ long rehearsals and providing “live praise and worship” for four services each Sunday, across two locations in PHL and two mid-week services, again at two different locations. However, the cracks in the facade were indeed showing when people were not seeing their promised “manifestation.”
The majority of the people that stepped down from the music ministry have since left the church, after having been bled dry of their time, effort, energy, talent and money. It’s happening in an environment where everyone is expected to give more w/o some degree of gratitude from the leadership. it’s absolutely sickening.
IndependentConservative reply on January 19th, 2008 at 4:06 pm :
When done as outlined in scripture, there is nothing wrong with sacrificial giving. Like the saints in Macedonia as noted in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. They were in poverty and gave, but they were giving to actually help others in need, not for some desires to be rich themselves and not to feed the greed of a pimp.
(On a side note, I’ll add that they gave their hearts to Christ first. It’s odd how cults like the JWs [not really Jehovah's Witnesses] seek money from people who they feel are heathens, when JW is a total cult.)
I think it’s terrible what was done to you and others you know. But perhaps it will help you all to help others who are now being fleeced.
stan reply on January 19th, 2008 at 7:26 pm :
The service we “provided” was sincere, in-step with the “give-to-get teaching.” . . .
It’s happening in an environment where everyone is expected to give more w/o some degree of gratitude from the leadership. it’s absolutely sickening.
Too many people don’t realize that giving to false teachers actually puts them under a curse, for they are blessing them in their evil work. 2 John 10-11.
January 19th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Again, this blog, Pulpit Pimps and other sites of this category are a HUGE help to me. I have since forwarded the addresses to these sites to those that are “coming into the light” in their own respects.
Regarding sacrificial giving, I have no qualms with that. I know that when that type of giving is done, it is helping to satisfy the practical needs of that person versus giving to an institution that is looking to enrich itself at the expense of others.
January 19th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Romans 13:4 calls the government “ministers of God.” Therefore, God may certainly be using them to judge these wolves. And, true to form we see some of them stonewalling and resisting the authority God set up over this land by claiming their constitutional rights which were also granted to us by God Himself. God is not mocked by such manipulation of His own Word and kindness.
The first amendment protects the free expression of the opinions and beliefs of religion; but the government can clamp down on its practices when they violate even more basic human rights, such as protection from evil-doers. These con artists are practicing theft by deception against their trusting sheep. The government has every right to step in on them hard, “for they bear not the sword in vain.”
art123 reply on January 19th, 2008 at 7:58 pm :
Stan says:
Too many people don’t realize that giving to false teachers actually puts them under a curse, for they are blessing them in their evil work. 2 John 10-11. Do you believe that God pardons our ignorance until truth comes to light for us? He did it for me. I have also witness people who have sacrificed their time and money in the ministry to the point of exhaustion. Some have left, feeling unappreciated.
IndependentConservative reply on January 19th, 2008 at 7:59 pm :
And the more they resist, the “harder” the government is going to step in!
stan reply on January 20th, 2008 at 12:58 am :
Yes, art123, I believe that God pardons ignorance. But, once it is unmasked, the deceived one needs to recover himself from the snare of the devil, just as 2 Timothy 2:25-26 says. As long as people “seed faith” to these wolves, they are in jeopardy. This is what Jesus says, that when the blind lead the blind; they BOTH fall into the ditch. The one who is led is the deceived and ignorant one. He suffers according to Jesus’ statement, unless God grants repentance unto the acknowledging of the truth.