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Christianity Today, January, 2008 |

Oversight Overstep

The government should not ask whether churches break God's laws.

A Christianity Today editorial | posted 1/02/2008 09:11AM

Like many of us, Senator Chuck Grassley is concerned about the lavish lifestyles of many prosperity-gospel preachers he sees on television. "Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, corporate jets, $23,000 commodes in ...

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Tommy O

Posted: January 14, 2008 8:27 AM

"Release the provision God has already established and activate His promise into prosperity - - success in your spirit, mind, body, emotions and finances by KEEPING FIRST THINGS FIRST!" http://www.paulawhite.org/microsites/firstfruits/ How many agree we should all donate our "First Fruits" directly to God? (Well, of course, not directly but through televangelist Paula White.) BTW How many documented cases are there of humankind having independent knowledge of the god of the Jews and Christians without the benefit (?) of being proselytized? If none, why not?

zzx375

Posted: January 13, 2008 7:27 AM


IRS Yes, Congress No. Congress in general and Grassley in particular have better things to do with their time. Most if not all of these organizations will have a 501 c 3 status and therefore file an Form 990. If they are following the current code, so what. If the code needs to be changed, then change it.

Robert Winkler Burke

Posted: January 10, 2008 12:05 AM

A Telling Tithe – John Copeland says in a new video that his family used their Kenneth Copeland Ministry jet for personal trips ten percent of the time. He says the high flyers reimbursed the ministry. But not receiving reimbursements, apparently, were the donating partners who paid for “Bling One.” Oh well, that’s TV ministry family prosperity for– them, not – you. See: http://www.kcm.org/ and click on “Interview with our CEO John Copeland.” What can you expect from a TV ministry that spends less than half the money it receives on TV ministry? See their hard-to-tell-where-the-money-all-goes pie chart: http://www.kcm.org/about/financial/. It says seven percent goes to its local church, which is run by daughter and son-in-law. This is an interesting concept for global donations for a global ministry.

Mike in NM

Posted: January 07, 2008 7:29 PM


The Church is more interested in receiving their tax deduction, receiving Federal tax dollars for charity (foot in the door to meddle in Church activities) and believing the hollow claims of our president's Christianity than ending abortion and opposing unjust wars. Besides the Government interference in Church matters was established in 1993 in Waco Texas and was legitimized by your silence then

Keith

Posted: January 07, 2008 4:56 PM

CT is off base here. The Church is in an uneasy partnership with the government in accepting the tax-exempt status offered by the IRS, and thus this IS an appropriate thing for the legislative review. If secular charities such as the Red Cross are obligated to disclose to the public how much of their donations are spent on actual good works v. how much is retained for salary & overhead in order to retain their tax-exempt status, then why not sectarian charities? Why is it inappropriate to insist that any and all 501c3 status be linked to public disclosure of this simple statistic?

Dee	Posted: January 05, 2008 12:55 PM

Cut it out already. Why are you so worried? How much money Senator Grassley have you ever given to any of the ministries that you are accusing of wrong doing. How much tithe does he give to his local church. Does he go to church? To the pure all things are pure. He needs to know that these ministries have paid their dues and are reaping the benefits. All of these ministries mentioned and many others are successful because of their commitment to God. They also make lots of money selling their personal books. God blessed Abraham. Will you also question all that Abraham had? You say that you are a Christian. When and if you get to heaven, will you be embarassed and complain to God about all the riches that are there? Will you ask God for a little shack to live in? Would you dispise the streets of gold, etc? Do God's prophets no harm. Get a life Senator. You are probably more interested in pleasing your colleagues than God.

James, Sheffield England

Posted: January 05, 2008 7:22 AM

I don't have the understanding of US tax laws to comment other than to say that as an English person I am confused with terminology. I thought these TV ministries are just that 'ministries' not actual churches or 'the body of Christ' The fact is that if there is extravegent lifestyle it will detract from the gospel. I have fallen myself for the so-called 'prosperity' message I now see I was wrong to do so. Surely in the interests of the integraty of the gospel it is only right to be open and honest but I would add that English folk cannot really grasp the sheer size of these ministries, the money they raise is way of our radar. I would also add that the fact that many are run by what appear to be family groups which keep things 'in-house' is also worrying.

WALTER KAMBULOW

Posted: January 05, 2008 3:20 AM

This is not the first financial scandal in the church. The silver lining to past embarrassments is the greater transparency they launched in the evangelical movement. In response to some nonprofit scandals in the late 1970s, George Wilson (Billy Graham's business manager) and Sen. Mark Hatfield took the lead in creating the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, a "Christian Better Business Bureau." One concern was donor confidence, but another was fear of government intervention. Some similar reforms came out of the televangelist scandals of the 1980s. THIS IS A JOKE SEE http://cnt10d.tripod.com/ecfa.htm

Norm	Posted: January 04, 2008 8:51 PM

Mostly, I agree with the editorial. The Internal Revenue Service should make sure that tax exempt religious organizations are following the letter of the law under the statues concerning exemptions from taxes. The United States government is not to concern itself with matters of church polity or doctrine. To me separation of church and state means that the church will not seek government money under any guise nor should the state seek to tax the church or its members for contributions made to the church. Church property that is actually used for worship should not be taxed. The great majority of churches and other religious organizations in our nation and world are giving to the faith and community far more than they receive in any monetary way. Pastors, preachers, priest are moderately paid, some even paid poorly yet work on. In my opinion, many of these "wealth and happiness" multi million dollar organizations which claim to be churches should instead be for profit organization

Tommy Brown

Posted: January 04, 2008 3:15 PM

I admit , I'm a "Penecostal" and listen to many of whom you suppose preach a heretical doctrine. I suppose you can reach that far if you try and it seems your organization is very much willing to do so. However it is suprising to me that the denominations that are classified as "Evangelical" are some of the riches organizations whether secular or Christian. The Catholics, Baptists, Methodist , Presbyterian and others have some of the largest real estate holdings and other assets in the country. I wonder on a scale howmuch money these organizations take in on an average Sunday and what they spend on salaries and other perks for themselves. This a very divisive and negative response to the article , I know it is as was my intention. We can all point fingers, but I'd rather not do it to my brothers and sisters but will let my Father take of it , he always does and has never solicited the help of the rest of the family.

Scott McCarty, missionary

Posted: January 04, 2008 10:52 AM


High-flying évangelical crooks have Matthew 7 : 21 - 23 waiting for them at the end of the road.

Jeff Fairchild

Posted: January 04, 2008 9:12 AM

Having a 503-c and being classified as a non-profit does not make one not make a profit. It all has to do with classifications and governance of an organization. That said, maybe it is time that churches drop the tax-exempt stuff altogether. It would help make us more honest in what we do and give us a greater prophetic voice in our society. If people only give for the tax break than I really question their committment to Christ and His Church. We need to get our acts together and start living as Jesus called us to live. I do not think His idea of the Church was to have big buildings with our own fitness centers, bookstores and whatever else. The main purpose must be to preach the Gospel and help the poor and needy. Furthermore, we are to be a holy people and therefore we must be transparent in all of our lives including finances.

Chip Watkins

Posted: January 04, 2008 12:47 AM

Sen. Grassley admits he doesn't think the law needs to be changed. So his real complaint is that the IRS isn't doing its job. In that case, he ought to send the information he has to the IRS, and ask them to audit these exempt organizations (EOs) if it thinks an audit is warranted. (The IRS just completed an audit of Joyce Meyer Ministries, and apparently issued a "no change letter," indicating that no significant problems were found.) The Senator's job is not to oversee EOs, but, together with his colleagues in Congress and on the Senate Finance Commitee, to oversee the IRS. He should stick to that, and not try to be the Commissioner of the IRS. In addition, in 1984, Sen. Grassley himself sponsored the Church Audit Protection Act, which (in Sec. 7611 of the Internal Revenue Code) gives churches (including these 6 EOs) procedural protections in connection with IRS audits. Sen. Grassley's demands for information wrongly attempt to bypass these protections.

Robert

Posted: January 03, 2008 6:37 PM

If these frauds are claiming tax exemption, the government has every right to examine their financial records, etc. If these charlatans do not want the government asking questions stop taking its tax benefits. The 1st amendment guarantees religious freedom, it does not promise tax exempt status. As with all its editorials CT has a hidden agenda here; its concerned with the slippery slope argument that it may be next in the cross hairs of a governmental inquiry into its tax exempt status. Personally, I don't care one way or another, for the simple reason I am not foolish enough to give my cash to those who use it to line their own pockets, indulge in creature comforts, etc. Nor would have Jesus, but this is beside the point. These are charlatans who are abusing both God's word and the 1st amendment, and that CT is taking the side of the charlatans in this matter is reason enough to question what might be going on behind the scenes at CT.

Marie

Posted: January 03, 2008 3:45 PM

The Bible has a lot of teaching about money, tithing, offering, first fruits, etc. Personally, I would rather see a ministry use a jet to travel spreading the gospet throughtout the world than to have the money spent on a fancy church where people don't do anything for anyone else their entire lives. I read and study the Bible, yet I don't see any verses that say-Go and build churches. Jesus said to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. I find that after people accept or are born again as Jesus said, they spend their money wisely.

Pastor Ed Harvey

Posted: January 03, 2008 2:26 PM

One of the disturbing things about the Christian community today is that many of us think because something is legal its alright to do it. I can't believe you dismiss the question about a $23,000 artifact so lightly. Even if this person's financial books are found to be above board, I still can't understand the seeming lack of sensitivity to the plight of most people in the world. It's seems to me the wrong message is being sent and taught. This type of attitude can only lead to more government inteference in the business of the church. So you can't fault Sen Grassley, we can only fault ourselves. Somehow I am not convinced that God approves even thought WE think He approves of our overindulgence in things.

chas pike

Posted: January 03, 2008 11:45 AM

i do not think that Jesus is so weak that the church cannot stand up to a little scrutiny. if the kingdoom is to protect the smallest, weakest, neediest, doesn't the church body have, not just the right, but the responsibility to ask why there are so many poor among us, and why these people should be allowed to profit on the hopes and fears of the vulnerable? i think the church really needs to clean the stain glass windows and take a closer look, who is the biggest enemy to Christ, the government or the church itself. heaven and earth WILL pass away, but...

Ann	Posted: January 03, 2008 7:00 AM

If you don't have anything to hide, you shouldn't have any trouble giving the senator the info he needs. Maybe it will make one of these liars stop lying about how much money they will receive if they only give more. They teach that we, the church receive material blessings that were only promised to Israel. We are the Body of Christ, not spiritual Israel. We are not promised weath. We have the gift of eternal life by the cross. We are blessed spiritually while they were blessed materially. If people would actually read and study the word, we wouldn't have this problem in the first place. Paula, Creflo, Paul, Larry Huch and others wouldn't be living in their mansions if it wasn't for ignorance of the word. Don't even start about the catholic church. They have deceived billions with their works religion. They have lavish buildings that house priest's trying to take the place of God.

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: January 03, 2008 6:49 AM


For churches, everywhere, whose very reason for existence and mission (Matt. 16: 13-28) is largely overlooked and falsified, oversight by an independent body not only into finances and administration but also into adherence to Biblical standards of teaching and preaching priorities is smore than welcome!

josh spencer

Posted: January 03, 2008 3:51 AM


to rate the article, i will say it is poor. these " as seen on TV " gangs are destroying the image of the church and as one of them always say no one is talking to me. dr greed has come to town and mr responsibility is on holiday is what i will say. God help us. what amazes me is how nobody talk just for fear falling out of favor

Matt	Posted: January 03, 2008 3:23 AM


When freedom is abused regulation often results

Don't Kid Yourselves...

Posted: January 02, 2008 10:22 PM

The editorial says that laws restricting ministries financially will be met with fierce opposition. Don't be so sure. This is not the day of Little House On The Prarie when the small church was spared a tiny tax burden. Nowadays, we have megachurches with food courts, fitness centers, publishing and bookstore arms. Some are big in the conference business, or have major TV and radio ministries bringing in big money. It is not uncommon for a megachurch pastor to have a private jet, summer homes, or huge book royalties. Even a typical church facility uses local infrastructure without paying property taxes like businesses and residences. And don't forget the good press from scandals and financial games. It's been the custom, but as revenue obsessed municipalities scour the landscape for more money, why wouldn't tax exempt get a hard look. Put it to a vote, and the typical unchurched citizen might not support carrying the load for faith communities. The times, they are a changin..

Chuck Patterson

Posted: January 02, 2008 10:01 PM

I have a problem with most of those being investigated. They teach a lie and should pay a penalty for their prostituion of the Gospel. But I have a much bigger problem with ANY Senator or Congress person Standing in judgement, or investigating of any one. Lets face it, our political leaders are wolves in sheep clothing themselves. They have wonderful retirement plans, health plans, and insider info on the hottest stock pics. I have become very cynical of our leaders in politics and some Church circles. I do not know the answer for this delima that the Churchn is facing. But it reeks of open persecution of God's people. Read the BOOK, we were warned.

Derrick

Posted: January 02, 2008 9:40 PM


Bravo for hitting a nerve. The tax exempt status is certainly one of the issues and losing it would give the Church a complex for perceived persecution from our own government. At stake would be a great deal of non-governmental social good. Why give so much if it is not tax deductable?

Roger - Australia

Posted: January 02, 2008 8:03 PM

Couple of issues here: 1. Politicians are the last people who should talk about financial transparency as they are often the ones who most flagrantly abuse tax-payer funded perks and gravy trains. 2. Christian organisations should be as financially transparent as other organisations as they are often not far behind politicians in extravagant misuse of funds to line their own pockets. Complete financial transparency and honesty is a good witness and reduced charges of hypocrisy and manipulation of the trusting faithful. 3. There is no excuse for the ridiculous excesses of Prosperity Doctrine Preachers and excesses like $5.7million fit outs of organisational headquarters is absolutely obscene and indefensible in my view. It is so far away from the traditional Christian teaching as to be laughable. If Health and Wealth doctrine is not heresy, it is at the very least a dangerous and gross misinterpretation (either accidental or deliberate) of Scripture and is definitely unbiblical

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