No dude ... IT IS WRONG

[nyj]

You've got to be kidding me!

The Rev. Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church International took in $69 million in 2006, according to a financial statement released to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Dollar said his salary comes personal investments, including businesses and real estate ventures. But he said the church gave him a Rolls Royce, which he uses largely for special occasions.

"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."

That last quote has to win the Dodge and Weave of the Year award. Because yah dude, I can totally see Jesus driving to His throne come Judgement Day in His Maserati. I hope Jesus forgives you Creflo, because I think you're a lying sack of poop who deserves every poke in your derriere with a flaming pitchfork you got coming to you. Especially seeing how many of your "congregation" are probably elderly and shut-ins.

 

[rmw8855]

I don't think we know all of the facts on this and it is never a good idea to make assumptions. I do know most of these ministers are given a salary & answer to a board of directors. They also make additional money as speakers. As long as that income is reported and taxed, it is their business how they choose to spend it. If they were a CEO for a large corporation (which all of these ministries are), no one would question the size of their salary.

I do question what ax this particular senator has to grind though. If there is any doubt about their tax exempt status that is for the IRS to decide, not the senate.


(Admitted bias - I am WOF and have heard most of these ministers speak)

 

[GraceLikeRainFallsDown]

This guy lives a real nice life on Earth. I hope he enjoys it while it lasts. He can't take it with him. The Lord will judge him justly.

I do not feel it a sin to be personally wealthy. There is nothing wrong with working hard and being paid fairly. As Auntie said it is what we do with the money.

I have heard it said that you can tell a persons heart by their checkbook. Of course it is an exaggeration, only the Lord knows your heart. But, you can learn a lot about someone based on how they handle their finances.

I would rather look to the rewards of Heaven than drive a Rolls given to me with church money.

I worry about the church leaders that felt it better use of the church money to buy a Rolls for some guy to use on "special ocassions" than help the needy in their congregation or missionaries spread the Gospel.

We are to be good stewards with our money. I am not sure this would qualify.

 

[icedtea]

That reminds me of a cute story my friend told me.
A man gets to heaven, and his place-prepared-for-him is this little tiny shack.
The man says, What?
God says, Thats the best we could do with what you sent.
Cute.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

Creflo is a very gifted teacher, one of the best speakers I've heard. He's also too rich for my comfort. The only judgement I'll make is the one I have to make: whether or not to send him money. Would it be wise stewardship of what God has blessed me with? I'd have to say it wouldn't be, given that there are plenty of other ministries that can't afford to buy a Rolls for their pastor.

 

[BAFRIEND]

Unless there is misrepresentation, people can do whatever they want with their money. Send it to him or flush it down the toilet.

 

[Sketcher]

I'm not going to lie, seeing Christian leaders with that much wealth bothers me. However, I also believe that this isn't enough to judge a man on. One can be personally prosperous, yet faithful with what God has blessed you with (as Job was). I just hope for Creflo's sake that he is faithful with his riches in spite of having so much.

He is among the religious leaders who preach the "prosperity gospel," the teaching that God will shower faithful followers with material riches.

This is the thing that is definitely wrong with him.

 

[Tenebrae]

You've got to be kidding me!



That last quote has to win the Dodge and Weave of the Year award. Because yah dude, I can totally see Jesus driving to His throne come Judgement Day in His Maserati. I hope Jesus forgives you Creflo, because I think you're a lying sack of poop who deserves every poke in your derriere with a flaming pitchfork you got coming to you. Especially seeing how many of your "congregation" are probably elderly and shut-ins.

I remember once hearing someone of the WoF persuasion saying that Jesus had to be rich because how else would He have fed the 5000

One of those moments it just makes one go

 

[free2be]

Doesn't sit right, to earn that much money "in God's name" and spend it on self. Some do it, some don't...Benny Hinn is right up there with this guy (IMO). I'd be more apt (and feel better about) to send money to Billy Graham or Rev. Schuler.

 

[sevenwhiskers]

He is among the religious leaders who preach the "prosperity gospel," the teaching that God will shower faithful followers with material riches.

This is the thing that is definitely wrong with him.

i've never heard of that - sounds a little ridiculous.

 

[rmw8855]

They are teaching that you reap what you sow, which is biblical. I don't know all of the ministries targeted but I do know some of them.

We don't know what percentage of their income they give to others, so we should not judge how they spend what's left. If we equate rich with poor stewardship at the least & pure evil at the worst, then how do you explain Abraham, David, Job etc. They were blessed because they were faithful & obedient to God. There is the possibility that is equally true here. Only God knows.

I respect several of these ministries & I know they have done a tremendous amount of work for the kingdom, so I am not willing to judge them.

 

[Criada]

Never heard of the guy.
But however much someone is giving, there is still too much need in the world for me to be able to justify that kind of personal expenditure.
However, it's a temptation I'm not likely to face - and none of us are perfect yet, so perhaps we should leave judgement to God...

 

[GreenMunchkin]

The thing about Dollar is he's also started a bank for people, where they don't risk losing their home if they can't repay the loan... he really is doing something wonderful for God, also.

But, it feels a little squinky that he's *so* rich. It's like Benny Hinn. Who needs a gold-plated Rolls Royce, honestly?

It's just...:

[bible]Luke 21:1-4[/bible]

[bible]Matthew 19:21-24[/bible]

And both of those verses seem to say that people like Hinn and Dollar have got it so so wrong. But then straight after:

[bible]Matthew 19:25-26[/bible]

Through God, all things are possible. So ultimately, it's not down to wealth, it's down to God and God alone.

So I just don't know. Rationally speaking, why does a preacher need a gold-plated car, or a mansion or a fleet of private jets... it doesn't sit right, *at all*. But only God knows their hearts, and if they're serving the Kingdom, we must be careful not to tear them down.

It's confusing, also, cos on the one hand, we're commanded to be wary of false teachers; wolves among the flock. But on the flipside, we're told that satan is the accuser of the brethren.

So how do we know? How can we tell? Discernment, maybe. But so why do we all discern different things?

 

[Latreia]

Originally Posted by from the article
The Rev. Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church International took in $69 million in 2006, according to a financial statement released to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Dollar said his salary comes personal investments, including businesses and real estate ventures. But he said the church gave him a Rolls Royce, which he uses largely for special occasions.



What more do we need to know?

Christian churches never give away luxury cars.
(Gold-plated? Actually? Blasphemy)

Jesus never mentioned perks like that.

The followers of Christ walked with Him.

 

[synger]

I think that wealth in and of itself is not a problem. And it is consistent with his teaching of the prosperity gospel -- that God loves us and wants to shower us with good things, including physical health and material wealth.

That being said, I think anyone who is called to be a Christian and is wealthy should expect to be scrutinized carefully, especially when they are a Pastor. The Scriptures are full of commands and directions for us to give to the poor and needy, and to the work of the Church. Now, granted, his denomination may expect their ministers to be fairly wealthy (since "prosperity" is part of what they teach), so it may be normal for him to have nice clothes and house and car, etc.

But I would also expect him to give greatly of the abundance that God has given him. So articles like this, that only focus on one aspect, can't give us the full picture.

Still, I respect more those pastors who live modestly and give generously. (My Pastor doesn't handle the money is his family... his wife takes care of such things.. because he'd give it ALL away if he could. *grins*)

 

[Albion]

IMO, the main "wrong" with this kind of situation is with the contributors thinking the money is going for one thing when it really is going for something else. IOW, if the evangelist says that you should contribute to missions in Africa, but 60% of the income raised through this appeal goes for his own salary, that's wrong.

If, however, the income only goes to the church/foundation/ministry and you give for the overall success of that venture, and it also is published how much goes to what, it's a different situation entirely. There's no question but that some people want their leaders to live high on the hog because they take some pride or satisfaction in that.

 

[rmw8855]

The following was posted on Kenneth Copeland Ministries website:

We have a core set of values by which we govern Kenneth Copeland Ministries, including financial integrity. Our Board of Directors is comprised of outstanding business and ministerial men and women of God who provide direction for our organization. They hold us accountable to steward your donation dollars in the most effective and efficient manner. We also remain accountable to you through a Compensation Committee. This committee is responsible to determine compensation for each of the Copeland family members based on data compiled by an independent consulting firm. KCM also chooses to undergo a yearly financial audit by Ratliff and Sommerville, an outside accounting firm, in accordance with IRS and industry standards.

39% Outreach thru Worldwide TV
17% Seed to Prisoners, Missions, Other Ministries & the poor
13% Outreach thru Ministry Materials
11% Prayer Ministry & Personal Outreach
13% Outreach thru conventions & meetings
7% Administrative expenses

For a charitable institution 7% administrative expenses is fairly low (or so I have heard)

 

[Albion]

The following was posted on Kenneth Copeland Ministries website:




For a charitable institution 7% administrative expenses is fairly low (or so I have heard)

It certainly is. Many non-religious charities (for example those fighting various diseases) have much higher percentages of their income used for administrative expenses.

 

[nyj]

I give a portion of my tithe to the Christian Foundation for Childern and Aging (CFCA). According to their website, their administration requires 3.4% of the total contributions to run.

If you want to actually hear from the people your donated money goes to help, this is the foundation for you.

 

[nyj]

Well, I figured that I may touch a nerve or two with my OP, and if I have ... I apologize. I personally don't adhere to the "prosperity gospel", at least not in the way of monetary riches. But some people here might, and hey ... I can certainly agree to disagree, and I won't think any less of you for our opposing positions. For me ... a man can be rich without having money, and while I certainly wouldn't mind being comfortable financially so I can secure the future for my wife and family, I don't need the big house, or the fancy car. As someone else said, I can't take them with me anyways. Maybe it's because I grew up middle class, and I saw my parents struggle sometimes and so I know just how far that dollar can go and just how important it is ... but they always managed to keep a roof over our heads, and food in our stomachs, and clothes on our backs. For me a car is to go from Point A to Point B. It's not a social statement or a way for me to make up for some other inadequacy. A house is to keep me out of inclement weather, keep me warm when its cold outside, and cool when its hot outside. If I have 30 rooms, but only use 3 ... what need do I have of the other 27?

So, while I'm sure Mr. Dollar does some good things ... his comment about "sure it's excessive, but that's not necessarily wrong" ... chafes me. Dude, it's excessive! You said so yourself! If I can buy a car that will safely and securely get me from Point A to Point B, and I can use the rest of that money to not only feed my family, but feed and clothe others ... what route would Jesus really wish me to take? The sensible route, or the Rolls Royce?