Televangelists: Fakes or Real?


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But dayum 1914...

Do you have to finance this guys 5 vacation homes, 2 yachts, 3 Bentleys, 2 corvettes, ... @ the expense of those who cannot even make their own electric bill while raising 3-4 kids @ minimum wage?

I'm not talking about the preacher who is about the biz of taking care of biz. I'm talking about those ones that I see on TBN. Period. Those guys are stacking mucho paper.

I tell ya'. I get an EEEEEEEERIE feeling everytime I pass by the church that was a "mega-church" in Farmers Branch (suburb of Dallas). Even that preacher has made a comeback on BET of all places :rolleyes: . What's that white preachers' name???? You know, the one w/ the fake healings and playing on peoples emotions and all for their money.... In fact, 20/20 busted one of those "fakes" who was using an ear-piece to hear his wife describe people that he said "God informed him of"... His arse is on BET every Sunday night now.
 
Nah I'm not saying that!!! I know that our church does not turn people away and we are currently growing. As a matter of fact we have bought some tracts of land around the church and in the future plan on building another church. The church can be as big as it wants to, I just want to be able to have a great worship experience.
 

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This is true Panthro. But they have the numbers and the television exposure all over the world to get all that cheddar. I mean when you have people who are willing to send you money will you stop them??? I think not. If they are preaching the Word of God they will prosper.
 
I'm confused...

Prospering @ some elderly couples expense who's blowing their retirement $$$$ in something that more than naught isn't real?

Those televangelists are being financed by whom? Why are they prospering "physically" and the ones who are funding the "prosperity" aren't prospering likewise...

Thank God for lotto.
 
Pantro,
That is between them and thier God. I personally do not send money to any of the televangelist because my money goes to tithes in my own church, but if they send it to a fake preacher then they do. God will expose those who misrepresent his Gospel. I feel that while there are some bad apples out there only out for a buck, there are some great men of God doing some great things like Bishop Jakes.
 
Panthro

There's a lot of exaggerations and extreme cases made up here so let's start this 1 at a time and be ACCURATE.

Name preacher #1_________________.

1) What cars do you KNOW he has?(where'd u see him in it?)
2) What kind of house(s) do you KNOW he has?(have u driven by?)
3) How many trips do you KNOW he takes? vacation homes?(where u there?)
4) How much cash do you KNOW he has?(seen any bank statements?)

Also name Chirstians that you know can't pay their electricity bill who's giving money to God's Work.

Out of a houndred Mega preachers, you can only name 2 maybe 3 that had a tv show blow their sin up. 3 out of 100 = 3%. If you believe that the percentage is considerbly more. Give us some names after you answer questions 1 - 4. If you can't accurately answer these quetions than that means you've been making assumptions and should stop hating.

,
nevaehinvesting
 
I respect everyone's opinion on this matter.

But still, God did bless us all w/ "gifts." It's up to us to exercise those "gifts." Probably the greatest gift of all is common sense to know the difference between right and wrong. What I view on TV MOST of the time is dead wrong.

I know that my example is only ONE church in this whole wide world but, I do feel compelled to share this story. While in MD, I visited this "super-church" and they had a meeting on the finances of the church. Mind you, in my 23 years of life, I'd never ever seen a homeless person until I hit the district. Also, I'd never been around a TON of peeps who had cheddar all around them. One afternoon, the church held a financial meeting. They were discussing INVESTMENTS in stocks, bonds, funds, .... and making MUCHO CHEDDAR off of those ventures. "L," they even bought their own small telecomm company in the South African region and were making MUCHO $$$$ off of it. So, there I sit, listening to these big wigs speak on the thousands/millions that the church had made on these business ventures. When it came time to speak on the expendatures for the homeless, they spent a MEASELY 2,000$$$ to feed the homeless on Thanks and Xmas the previous year. A putrid 2,000$$$ on the homeless and yet they made millions on business ventures... How shameful... I won't call any names, but, the leader of this particular church I've come to know and he's very, very, very business minded. That's truly shameful...

It's kinda' hard to sit still/keep quiet when your 6th sense tells you that w/ that kind of financial backing, stuff like that is going on @ the expense of others.
 
Okay, I'll play this game...

Name one w/ statements on-line that's public 411.

Showing ALL expendatures, incomes, ... It's very, very, very private for a reason.

I now understand why some people are so gullable.
 
I'll Give that to you Panthro

They do need to focus more of all of this money that they are getting and invest it more into the community. But most don't, I mean most of the smaller churches don't invest back to the community. There needs to be a change there, but I still feel that most of them are doing what God told them to do.
 
Public Outings by Television and or Courts

1. Rev. Grant - Dallas, accused of having staff to preview worshippers for ailments, then call them and their illness by name and claim to heal them, also income tax evasion.
2. Peter Poppof - Still on BET, wife would gather info on worshippers and he would wear ear mike and use the info to proclaim healing.
3. Robert Tilton - Marriage, divorce, remarriage, divorce. One of his homes burned and asked tv audience for help (insurance???) Second wife wanted church as part of community property.
4. Rev. Lyons - tax evasion, fraud with funerals home giant, various credit card companies, keep donations from charity organization that was to be used for burned churches, wife set fire to house he purchased with girl friend #1, later info surfaced on church money used to finance girlfiend #2. Now in prison.
6. Jimmy Swaggert - relationship with prostitutes in the news and has since lost a large part of his membership.
7. Jim Bakker - convicted of several crimes, served a prison term and is now rebuilding his life.

IMO, I haven't seen any indication from the names that have been most harshly judged as making appeals for the tv audience to support their lifestyle. I do know that some have asked for help in supporting the tv ministry, which I know is very expensive. I have also heard some say that if the ministry has been a blessing you may send your tithes and/or offering if you do not belong to a local church. I am definitely in favor of helping the less fortunate and know that a church should be as well. But at the same time, a church or Christian should not allow themselves to be taken advantage of by the greedy who expect you to pay their bills upon request, no questions asked, and the first time you refuse set out a campaign to smear your reputation. Been there, and know what I'm talking about.

I am not naive enough to believe that dishonesty doesn't exist in some churches, but I believe the numbers to be small in both the small and large churches, however I believe that it probably isn't as wide-spread in the larger churches because of checks and balances, and staff that reduces the chances a pastor of deacon chairman's control.
 
Thx LMBH, I had brain freeze for a moment there...

Robert Tilton and that former church in Farmers Branch is the one that I pass by every single day.

Everybody up in that thang was getting paid. Now, it looks like a ghost town. Even the supposed "school" closed when all of that stuff came to light.

Just be careful of what/whom you're funding.

NN:
I was LMAO reading the stuff in that link. You cannot help but LOL @ those peeps and the ones who supported them. They didn't use their gift. Can't feel sorry for someone who knows/knew better....<b>"Send me 20$ and I'll send you a croker-sack patch that was flown over from Jerusalem itself... I'll send you a plastic table cloth w/ a white man on it dressed in white clothes and gothic hair....(my mother :rolleyes: )...."
 
Pison: I feel you.

LMBH: I'm with you on that there! We have to be careful of where we spend our funds, but at the same time...

Bottom line is...if you're broke, don't send no money....pay your bills first then send money if you're so load.
 

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Originally posted by Ms. Jag4Jag

Bottom line is...if you're broke, don't send no money....pay your bills first then send money if you're so load.
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My sentiments exactly
 
Bartram,

Money is important but not integral. I know preachers here in Kansas City who will go out on the worst street corners here and preach the word. As a matter of fact our church is having a street corner service tomorrow in the neighborhood. Money is important because it pays the bills. Have you ever seen some of the churches these evangelists have. Some are bigger than civic centers and convention centers and they have a lighting and sound system that is better than concert style. I mean at the Potters House in Dallas the announcements are on big screen televisions. Money is needed to pay the technicians, producers, camera operators, sound people. That can add up.
 
Speak on that!

Originally posted by Tha Truth1914
Money is important because it pays the bills. Have you ever seen some of the churches these evangelists have. Some are bigger than civic centers and convention centers and they have a lighting and sound system that is better than concert style..... Money is needed to pay the technicians, producers, camera operators, sound people. That can add up.
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<b>Question for those opposed to Mega Churches and pastors who are seemingly rich: </b>

If the church grossed say.... 15 million (from tithes, offerings, donations, gifts from big businesses, gifts from the government, etc.), how much of a LOVE GIFT should that church give to it's leader(s)?

Consider the cost of the lighting, cameras, recorders, water, books and literature passed out FREE in Sunday school, reading material for Wednesday night and Thursday night Bible study, lights are run in all 5 services in the sanctuary, ummm the cost of COMMUNION food, ummm the cost of cleaning a church that size,... AFTER CONSIDERING ALL OF THAT... how much would YOU deem reasonable for the leader of said church?
 
Being a preacher's kid for 31 years, I should know. it costs to run a church and the pastor doesn't get as much as some might think. :D


Originally posted by Tha Truth1914
After you do that for a day once it can add up to mucho dinero. Believe me some are not as rich as you think they are.
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I mean there are many pastors who have to work a second job to make ends meet. Some don't have time to do the real work of the ministry. Pastoring is tougher than most people think. I mean you have this person and that person needing prayer, families in bereavement over a lost loved one, funerals, weddings. Most people only see the Sunday morning side of things but there is a lot of spiritual warfare that goes on and most pastors need to be full-time to really meet the needs of the church or ministry that they are over, hence the paycheck for the pastor and making sure that his family is taken care of.
 
Does taking care of them mean, the biggest mansion for a 4 member family? Plus a few vacation homes in exotic spots? Fleet of luxury cars? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

J4J,

Now that I think about your question, isn't that money for the uplifting of God through the ministry? It would stand to reason that the leader would not be entitled to lion's share of that. It's not his to be living large off of.

As for costs and expenses, I understand that. But that ain't my point. I'm talking about the personal lifestyles of some these cats. No more, no less.
 
So you are talking about a situation that is like the Lyons situation and things similar to that. I can see that but you still have to take care of your pastor.
 
And when I say take care of I mean make sure that the bare necessities for survival(food,shelter,transportation) are in order. All other things are gravy. This goes back to my former take of if people want to give away thier money then let them do it. It is a personal choice and you should let God tell you whether this is the right thing to do or wrong. " Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding"
 
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