Pastor Who Bought $200K Lamborghini Lives In $1.8M House Paid For By Church

NDL

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Relentless Church bought John Gray a $1.8M house in Simpsonville

"At the time, Gray was living in a $1.8 million home that was bought by the church in October. Church leaders said the Relentless-owned home was needed to attract a leader of Gray's caliber."

"The existence of the church-owned residence was brought to The Greenville News' attention through a tip from a reader. The News verified the ownership of the home through property records and real estate transactions."

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/st...ay-house-relentless-church-pastor/2360826002/

 
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YanKee Gal

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You know what Christ said - it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter Heaven.
This is not a rich man who earned his wealth... no... this is a hireling... who fleeced the sheep to steal the wealth for himself. It is much worse than a rich man. It is covetessness and greed which is idolatry.
 
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This is not a rich man who earned his wealth... no... this is a hireling... who fleeced the sheep to steal the wealth for himself. It is much worse than a rich man. It is covetessness and greed which is idolatry.

This kinda hits "home" for me, as we currently live 90 minutes from Greenville, and are considering a move to the City.

It seems as though a few area newspapers picked up the story, and people are kidding themselves, if they think that this type of extravagance doesn't feed the cynics.
 
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SkyWriting

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Relentless Church bought John Gray a $1.8M house in Simpsonville

"At the time, Gray was living in a $1.8 million home that was bought by the church in October. Church leaders said the Relentless-owned home was needed to attract a leader of Gray's caliber."

"The existence of the church-owned residence was brought to The Greenville News' attention through a tip from a reader. The News verified the ownership of the home through property records and real estate transactions."

Relentless Church bought John Gray a $1.8M house in Simpsonville. Here's why

As long as the church owns it, it was the decision of the people, so it's up to them. We cannot judge their decision.
 
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TheLostCoin

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As long as the church owns it, it was the decision of the people, so it's up to them. We cannot judge their decision.

With all due respect - as I've been disrespectful on this site several times - I respectfully disagree.

If we weren't allowed to judge the decisions of religious communities, we wouldn't have the Epistles of St. Paul, where he judges communities for corruption, fornication, idolatry, Judaization, etc., nor would we have the Apocalypse of St. John, where those who commit idolatry by receiving the Mark of the Beast are condemned to Eternal Fire.

Plus, by this very logic, we would not be allowed to criticize cults, which almost always lead to an idolatry of the leader, and mental / physical / emotional abuse to the people following the leader, sometimes even to suicide / murder, in the case of Jim Jones or the Heaven's Gate Cult.

 
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As long as the church owns it, it was the decision of the people, so it's up to them. We cannot judge their decision.

While there's one part of me that agrees, that this was a decision made "in house," the other part of me looks at it thusly:

People outside of the faith seldom look at us as individuals; they seldom see our decisions in singularity; they tend to look at us as a collective group. Few people will distinguish this man's extravagance as the work of one church; instead, they will use the extravagant expression of this one church to tar all of those in "organized religion."
 
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SkyWriting

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While there's one part of me that agrees, that this was a decision made "in house," the other part of me looks at it thusly:

People outside of the faith seldom look at us as individuals; they seldom see our decisions in singularity; they tend to look at us as a collective group. Few people will distinguish this man's extravagance as the work of one church; instead, they will use the extravagant expression of this one church to tar all of those in "organized religion."
Right. People who judge others. Do these people have a handbook to follow?
 
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SkyWriting

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With all due respect - as I've been disrespectful on this site several times - I respectfully disagree.

If we weren't allowed to judge the decisions of religious communities, we wouldn't have the Epistles of St. Paul, where he judges communities for corruption, fornication, idolatry, Judaization, etc., nor would we have the Apocalypse of St. John, where those who commit idolatry by receiving the Mark of the Beast are condemned to Eternal Fire.

Plus, by this very logic, we would not be allowed to criticize cults, which almost always lead to an idolatry of the leader, and mental / physical / emotional abuse to the people following the leader, sometimes even to suicide / murder, in the case of Jim Jones or the Heaven's Gate Cult.

The secret to not getting banned on this site is to disagree with a post content and not get personal with the writer. If you want to actually change your methods, always start your post with "Yes". It quite hard to do.

And, likey this church does have a problem and the problem is worth evaluating. Attend the church and do a proper evaluation. But judging from this post as most have done, is a poor analysis. I didn't say is was wrong to judge them. I said we cannot judge them. I guess I left off "from this distance."

1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
 
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We don't have the power to judge anyone . Only Christ can judge " For judgment I've come " .We do though have the authority to make the calls to Jesus for judgment ........ In the name that I Am that I AM Jesus Christ I call for the judgment of the false preachers and blind teachers those who claim to represent Christ , but are really only serving the god of mammon . I invoke the Sword of Christ to cut the leaders and their members free to reform their churches and follow the true teachings of Jesus mission and message . Amen
 
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SkyWriting

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It stinks, but it's reality. We have to be ever vigilant, because people aren't going to cut us slack.
Should I change my lifestyle for people who don't cut me slack?
I have a really shiny car. Others have rust buckets. How should I judge them?
 
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Ringo84

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As long as the church owns it, it was the decision of the people, so it's up to them. We cannot judge their decision.

Sure we can. No pastor needs a house like that.

The duty of a pastor is to preach the word of God and to live it; not to live in luxurious houses.
Ringo
 
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Should I change my lifestyle for people who don't cut me slack?
I have a really shiny car. Others have rust buckets. How should I judge them?

I am not being insincere in asking: how would you like me to approach this?

This Pastor lives in the Deep South, where 1.8 million dollars will buy you a palace. If/when someone derides our God with scorn and ridicule, because they view the clergy living in excessive luxury, as leaches who are raping the system by claiming a 501c3 tax exemption on all of the wealth that they accrue...how do I answer?

And before you reply: consider the stands that the Catholic church has taken. How many irreligious people believe in the celibacy of the Priests? How many people believe in abstaining in Lent? How many people are as outspoken on right to life issues?

Yet, in spite of the incongruity of Catholic teaching with the West's mainstream values, many Catholics are respected by outsiders, because they see the vow of poverty that many Catholics take, thus is the faith of many Catholics seen as genuine - because of the cost that's attached to their walk.

So...when mockers justify their scorn in view of a clergyperson who lives in tax free excess, how do I answer them?
 
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JCFantasy23

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While I'm against megapastors who make enough money to buy mansions on their own, this seems to be a different case - the church bought the property before the pastor, and will house the next pastor in it as well. The pastor didn't pay for it. That's definitely a wealthy church, but there isn't anything inherently wrong with that.
 
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