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Unless otherwise specified, all links were accessed summer 2025
Also See Tithing
Index
Introduction - Entertainment - the new way of 'doing church'. Amusing the masses is exactly what is being done under the guise of 'worship services'.
Chapter 1: The Investigation: Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Paula White, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer and Eddie Long
Chapter 2: Joel Osteen, Steven Furtick
Chapter 3: Ed Young, Kevin Gerald, Joseph Prince
Chapter 4: T.D. Jakes, John Hagee, Fred Price, Jesse Duplantis, Juanita Bynum
Chapter 5: Franklin Graham, Rodney Howard-Browne, Marcus and Joni, Lamb, Wendy and Casey Treat
Dean Curry, Chris Hodges, Brian Houston (Hillsong), Tim Timberlake, John Gray, Jentezen Franklin, Johnny Hunt, James MacDonald, Mark Driscoll.
Chapter 6: Jordan and Jordan.
Chapter 7: Others - Here and Abroad
Chapter 8: Conclusion - Where Did The Idea That Ministers Should Live Modestly Come From?
What Should Pastors Make And Should His Salary Be Kept From His Congregation? And more
ON THIS PAGE
Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
The Investigation:
Following up on complaints from the public and news coverage regarding certain practices of several ministries (i.e. televangelists were using their ministry's tax-exempt status to fund multi-million dollar lifestyles) in November 2007 Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa [Senate Finance Committee] launched an investigation into Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and five other TV evangelist's financial dealings including Joyce Meyer, Creflo A. Dollar, Paula and Randy White, Benny Hinn, Eddie L. Long. As Grassley said
"I don't want to conclude that there's a problem, but I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code.”
Grassley's letters requested answers about their expenses, executive compensation and amenities, including use of expensive luxury cars and private jets etc. Two of the 'ministries', i.e. those led by Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer cooperated the others did not. In fact, Copeland went to great lengths to protect his enormous wealth.
But I get ahead of myself.
Here are some of the facts that sparked Senate interest.
Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Paula White, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer and Eddie Long
Kenneth Copeland (December 6, 1936)
 Copeland, who heads the "Believer's Voice of Victory" enrolled in Oral Roberts University in in 1967 and became Robert's pilot and chauffeur [Wikipedia]. When he founded Kenneth Copeland Ministries (KCM) he, in effect took over from Kenneth Hagin as "father" of the Word-Faith movement, spreading most of the movement's unbiblical teachings via his innumerable books, crusades and international outreach centers.
He certainly practices what he preaches. According to the web site beliefnet.com he is the richest pastor in the country, with a net worth of $760 million. His ministry operates out of a 1,500-acre campus near Fort Worth, TX, and is equipped with a private airstrip, and a hangar for the ministry’s $17.5 million jet and other aircraft. [01]
An Associated Press article dated July 26, 2008 says "Kenneth Copeland Ministries is organized under the tax code as a church, so it gets a layer of privacy not afforded large secular and religious nonprofit groups that must disclose budgets and salaries". Apparently some of Copeland's relatives and friends have done very well off the 'ministry'.
They include the brother-in-law with a lucrative deal to broker Copeland's television time, the son who acquired church-owned land for his ranching business and saw it more than quadruple in value, and board members who together have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking at church events. [02]
Soon after the investigation started, it became very clear that Copeland's Eagle Mountain International Church (EMIC), did not intend to cooperate with the Committee. On July 7, 2008 Times Online reported Kenneth Copeland as saying - "It is not yours, it is God's, and you are not going to get it.” [03]
Note that 'God's money', as Copeland put it, apparently included a sizeable share for the Copelands and they went to great lengths to protect it using strong armtactics to prevent former employees from speaking about the organizations
Several former employees of EMIC/KCM indicated that EMIC/KCM used intimidation in an attempt to keep informants from speaking to the Committee. Former employees were sincerely afraid to provide statements for fear of being sued since they signed confidentiality agreements. Employees were contacted by EMIC/KCM attorneys after the initiation of the Committee investigation and reminded that they signed a confidentiality agreement agreeing not to disclose any information concerning EMIC/KCM.
One former employee said, "The Copelands employ guerrilla tactics to keep their employees silent. We are flat out told and threatened that if we talk, God will blight our finances, strike our families down, and pretty much afflict us with everything evil and unholy. Rather, God will allow Satan to do those things to us because we have stepped out from under His umbrella of protection, by "touching God's anointed Prophet". Further, employees are encouraged to shun and treat badly anyone who dares speak out.” [04]
Some of The Findings From The Report
On January 6th, 2011 Senator Grassley issued a press release that summarized his offices findings to date regarding the Senate Finance Committee's (SFC) investigation of six televangelist. A 28 page report included the following findings.
Salaries
Gloria Copeland's last known salary was $400,000 and that was in the early 2000s. Kenneth and Gloria both receive "honorariums” when they go to speak at churches, conventions and crusades that are not sponsored by KCM. The normal amount received by each is $10,000 and they at times will also receive a percentage of the offering collected by the sponsoring church or ministry. Kenneth and Gloria also received royalties f rom their music and books. The figures noted are prior to 2005.
Home
The Copeland's home is situated on the Eastern shore of Eagle Mountain lake a few miles North West of the Copeland airport. In its response to the Committee, the Church acknowledged that it provides a parsonage to Kenneth and Gloria and a housing allowance to John but did not provide any further detail. However, a review of the Tarrant County Appraisal District records indicates the following. An 18,280 square foot residence owned by EMIC was built in 1999 on approximately 25 acres and receives tax-exempt status. As of tax year 2008, the property was valued at $6,249,000.
According to a third party informant, the "parsonage" has a sweeping spiral staircase and a bridge that spans across the living room and connects the two sides of the house. It also has crystal chandeliers and, according to Gloria Copeland, doors that came from a castle. The parsonage has numerous rooms including a work room where cleaning ladies did laundry, ironed and performed other miscellaneous chores.
The Copeland's bedroom has a huge drop-down ceiling projector and screen. There are three car garages at each end of the house where the Copelands stored motorcycles, cars and a golf cart. The property also has a boat dock that has three slips. All three slips are generally filled with boats so the Copelands keep their ski-boat in one of the airplane hangars.
Private Airport
in the "Use of Ministry Assets" section of this summary. Kenneth Copeland Airport - This is a private airport owned by Kenneth Copeland Ministries. As of December 6, 2010, there were nine aircraft based at the airport: four single engine, three multi-engine and two jet airplanes.
Travel and Shopping
A former ministry employee stated Gloria Copeland used a jet to fly to Naples, Florida, to go shopping. John Copeland and ministry employees, Craig Atnip, Steve Poteet and some others used a jet to take hunting trips. Kenneth Copeland used to travel back and forth to Arkansas to see a chiropractor and to visit his cabin there. The report also showed the Copelands taking extended stays in Hawaii while traveling across the Pacific.
And this is by no means everything.. Read the full report "Senate Finance Committee, Minority Staff Review of Eagle Mountain International Church d/b/a Kenneth Copeland Ministries. [Copy and Paste this link into your browser]...
https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/EMIC%20Copeland%2001-5-11.pdf
And Nothing Has Changed
End Notes - Kenneth Copeland
[01] Megan Schmidt. 8 Richest Pastors in America.
http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/8-richest-pastors-in-america.aspx?p=2
[02] Televangelist's family prospers from ministry. The Associated Press. July 26, 2008.NBC News.
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25865017
[03] Suzy Jagger. The Times. Televangelist Kenneth Copeland refuses to render unto taxman. July 7 2008.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/televangelist-kenneth-copeland-refuses-to-render-unto-taxman-fvltzv2sclj
[04] Senate Finance Committee, Minority Staff Review of Eagle Mountain International Church D/B/A Kenneth Copeland Ministries. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/EMIC%20Copeland%2001-5-11.pdf
Creflo (Augustus) Dollar: (January 28, 1962)
Creflo Dollar is the founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International (WCCI) in College Park, Georgia; World Changers Church-New York; and numerous fellowship churches scattered throughout the United States and other countries.
World Changers International church in College Park, GA, distinguished by its copper colored dome, sits on a slight rise surrounded by various building that are part of the 'campus'. The church itself boasts a lobby that befits a five star hotel . However, like Joel Osteen's Lakewood church, there are no visible traditional Christian symbols - not even a cross.
Creflo Dollar Ministries web site says he is a
"world-renowned Bible teacher, best-selling author, and sought-after conference speaker with hundreds of books, CDs, and DVDs in distribution worldwide. He is also the publisher of CHANGE Magazine, a global online publication. His award-winning television show, Changing Your World is broadcast across six continents and is translated into six languages. [01]
In fact as once reported on John Mark Ministries... Dollar's wife, Taffi, once introduced her husband as one who talks "face to face with God, like Moses" and warned that "every tongue that rises up against" her husband will "be struck down." [02]
Dollar bases much of his prosperity message on the teachings of friend and spiritual mentor Kenneth Copeland. In 1998, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Oral Roberts University. In other words, he is just one more in a long line of Christian scavengers who relentlessly attack the idea that Christians should limit material possessions. He asks his parishioners to tithe 10% of their income to his church, but gives no public accounting of how the millions are spent. However, to his very deluded followers his ostentatious lifestyle simply furnishes proof of the validity of his teachings.
Note the “God has no choice” in a 2016 post on Twitter. (Above left)
And ostentatious it is. As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch once reported
The ministry's income is unavailable, but newspaper accounts say the ministry paid $18 million in cash for his new 8,000-seat World Changers Church International on the southern edge of Atlanta. He flies to speaking engagements across the nation and Europe in a $5 million private jet and drives a black Rolls-Royce. Dollar's ministry became a focus of a court case involving boxer Evander Holyfield in 1999. The lawyer for Holyfield's ex-wife estimated that the fighter gave Dollar's ministry $7 million. Dollar refused to testify in the case. [03]
Just how much money do Creflo and Taffi Dollar have?
Of the six televangelists from whom Senator Grassley sought financial data, Dollar was deemed the "least cooperative" forcing the committee "to piece together a puzzle about his finances through public documents, third parties and news reports". They
concluded that in 2006, World Changers had received $69 million in contributions at its Atlanta church alone, that the Dollars owned two multimillion-dollar homes in Georgia, and that the church and related business entities had at various points owned four aircraft flown for personal use -- although none was nearly as pricey as the luxury Gulfstream Dollar now seeks to acquire. [04]
The Dollar Home
While I do not know if the Dollar family still owns two homes in Georgia, according to the Fayette County database [05] they own two adjoining parcels of land in Fayetteville, that together amount to a staggering 182.9 acre.
Surrounded by a large stone and metal fence, at the end of a long driveway, stands a large mansion with a big pool and fountain out back. The original home, built in 1996, was recently renovated and expanded with two wings extending from the rear of the home, giving Dollar 17,000+ square feet from which to proselytize. [06]
A New 65-Million Gulfstream G650 Jet?
On November 24, 2014, Dollar's private Gulfstream III jet, N103CD, ran off the runway at Biggin Hill Airport, United Kingdom. There were no serious injuries. However, to replace the old jet, Dollar launched a fundraising campaign to get his followers to pay approximately $60,000,000 for a new Gulfstream G650 jet. He suggested his followers each commit to giving "$300 or more."
The jet he wanted was the "fastest plane ever built in civilian aviation" at that time. After receiving immediate backlash, Dollar ended his fund raising campaign. The project was kept as an option on the donation page of the ministry's website. Several months later, the board of World Changers Church International announced that they were ready to acquire a Gulfstream G650.
"It's not like a car where you can pull over on the side when something goes wrong and I knew it was time to begin to believe God for a new airplane.” he was quoted as saying. "Most definitely, most definitely. We support our pastor, that's what we're here for,” said one of his loyal followers...
To find out more about the jet, Martin Savidge of CNN, called Daniel Jennings, a long time seller of private jets. "This is not an entry level or even mid level jet.” "This is the top of the line jet.” The Gulfstream 650 is the largest, longest distance, 2nd fastest private jet in the world. The wait for a new one is 4 years, and there are only 4 used ones for sale in the entire world. [07]
Apparently all critical thinking as well as common sense has been suspended.
Here is one small example of Dollar's sad theology
Jesus "Grew" into Sonship
Dollar claims that Jesus came to earth as a man but "grew" in Sonship. One example he gave is when he said quoted the Bible as saying that
'God never sleeps nor slumbers' (Psalm 121:4), and "yet in the book of Mark we see Jesus asleep in the back of the boat" (Mark 4:38) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4LirHMPlnM].
And that people is as false reasoning as can be. Here we are some time into Jesus' ministry, but because Jesus was asleep in the boat Dollar concludes that He had not yet grown "into Sonship". Yet as they came to the other side of the water they were met by a man possessed by an unclean spirit who immediately recognized Christ and directly addressed Him saying " “What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” (Mark 5:7)"
Even the evil spirit knew Jesus was the Son of God.
Although I am sure that the psalmist was fully aware that God doesn't actually sleep. So when said "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" he was using figurative language to express his confidence in the God of Israel's ever watchful eye and that there was no danger that anything would slip by Him.
End Notes - Creflo Dollar
[01] Creflo Dollar Ministries. Creflo and Taffi Dollar Bring Message of Grace to Raleigh. https://www.creflodollarministries.org/News/Press-Release/Creflo-and-Taffi-Dollar-Bring-Message-of-Grace-to-Raleigh?returnUrl=%2FNews%2FPress-Release%3Fpage%3D1
[02] John Blake Dollar and the Gospel. Atlanta Journal-Constitution/March 5, 2000 https://culteducation.com/group/1205-tv-and-radio-preachers/21011-dollar-and-the-gospel.html
[03] Popular TV preachers. 11/18/2003 St. Louis Post-Dispatch. (STLtoday.com.)
http://www.rickross.com/reference/meyer/meyer19.html. republished with the permission of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Link is no longer valid
[04] Sarah Posner. Creflo Dollar’s Gulfstream for God?. Updated March 19, 2015.
https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/16/opinions/posner-creflo-dollar-gulfstream
[05] https://homemetry.com/house/1181+SANDY+CREEK+RD,+Fayetteville+GA
[06] Michael Kahn. Creflo's Crib: Metro ATL Mansion of a Jet-Setting Reverend. June 17, 2015
https://atlanta.curbed.com/2015/6/17/9949332/creflos-crib-the-atlanta-area-mansion-of-the-renowned-reverend
[07] Megachurch pastor wants $65M private plane.
https://www.wwlp.com/news/megachurch-pastor-wants-65m-private-plane/
Paula White-Cain
Paula White-Cain, reputed to have a net worth of some five million is probably one of the least wealthy of the tele -evangelists.
At the time of writing she was the Senior Pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Orlando, Florida However, she passed the baton to her son in 2019 but said she would continue as "a governing apostle over the church". See Apostles or Deluded Imposters
White announced in 2019 that she would pass direct leadership of her church, City of Destiny in Apopka, Florida (formerly New Destiny Christian Center), to her son, Brad Knight. She would then function as a governing apostle over the church. However, she said, she would not adopt the title “apostle” since a title like that may be misunderstood. She favored, instead, the designation “oversight pastor.” Moments after her announcement, her son told her publicly, “"ou truly are an apostle. And the quicker that people realize that God has granted you favor and authority, and unique favor and authority, the better off that they’ll be.” In response, Paula White was seen nodding in apparent agreement. (See White and Knight, “We are streaming live!” [30:00].) So, although White does not speak of herself as an apostle, she apparently does view herself as one, as does her church leadership. #[01]
Paula White is also a leading proponent of the Prosperity Gospel.
Paula and her then husband Randy White started South Tampa Christian Center (later called Without Walls International) in 1991. Her popularity sky rocketed (particularly among black women) when she met Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of the Potter's House (a Dallas mega church), who invited her to speak at his Woman Thou Art Loosed Conference in 2000. White launched her television ministry a year later. In 2007, Paula sent Jakes (her "spiritual father") a black convertible Bentley for his 50th birthday.
A 2009 article on ESPN entitled Athletes And Evangelists Cross Paths sums it up. Note: This is an article well worth reading
Bishop Randy White and his wife, pastor Paula White, once headed up one of the fastest growing Christian congregations in the country. In its heyday, Without Walls International Church boasted more than 23,000 members, took in as much as $40 million a year in donations and attracted dozens of professional athletes to its high-energy services.
Some of the athletes were so moved by the Whites' message of prosperity through faith that they donated hundreds of thousands of dollars -- one former player even donated a World Series ring -- and showered the couple with lavish gifts, such as designer shoes and expensive suits.
In the decade leading up to 2007, the Whites amassed wealth and attained a lifestyle not unlike the star athletes who came to their church. In July 2005, the couple purchased a luxury condominium in New York City's Trump Park Avenue building for $3.5 million. In 2006, they bought a home on Tampa's exclusive Bayshore Boulevard for $2.1 million, according to real estate records. Randy White owns or leases several luxury vehicles, including a 2006 Bentley, according to Florida motor vehicle records. For years, the couple had access to private jets, either leased or owned by their ministry. [02]
Note: Trump Tower - a 68-story mixed-use skyscraper on the Upper East Side of Manhattan boasts a five-level atrium in the lobby crowned with a skylight. It contains shops, a café, a seven-story waterfall that flows over rose, peach, pink and orange Breccia Perniche marble, and a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the waterfall's pool. The Atrium is "a showcase for 40 purveyors of super luxury wares such as Loewe of Madrid, Asprey's of London and the jewelers, Cartier, Harry Winston and Buccellat". [03] See several images of Trump Tower HERE https://goo.gl/ri41bk
The Senate Finance Committee, Minority Staff Review of Without Walls International Church states that the Whites used WWIC credit card and checking account to pay for many of their personal expenses such as gas, meals, clothing and other personal items including "a late model Mercedes Benz and a 2007 Bentley convertible.
The ministry – either WWIC or PWM – purchased a Gulfstream GII for $1.2 million, but also pays for ferrying the Whites around by chartered flights. One source told Grassley’s investigators that the Whites chartered a flight to Las Vegas for a boxing match and were accompanied by sports personalities including Gary Sheffield, Darryl Strawberry, Michael Pittman, and Anthony Telford. The boxing match tickets alone, costing between $17,000 and $18,000, were charged to the WWIC AMEX card. Their chartered flights, particularly on a Learjet used predominantly by Paula, were frequently to “the islands” and often involved re-filing flight plans once out of U.S. airspace to head to the Cayman Islands. [04]
Nothing has Changed
Paula White apparently lives in a 5 bed, 5 bath, 5,973 sq ft house on a 3.47 acre lot that boasts numerous high end  finishes and a includes a custom 4-stall barn with wash area and tack room. However, Jonathan Cain who has released several solo albums is more than likely to be wealthy in his own right.
However, one thing is certain - Paula's message hasn't changed one iota. A July 2018 article on Newsweek says that
Donald Trump's spiritual adviser has suggested that people send her money in order to transform their lives, or face divine consequences. suggested making a donation to her ministries to honor the religious principle of "first fruit,” which she said is the idea that all firsts belong to God, including the first harvest and, apparently, the first month of your salary.
"Right now I want you to click on that button, and I want you to honor God with his first fruits offering,” she said in a video shared to her website, in which she encourages her followers to donate to her ministries to get blessings from God. "If God doesn't divinely step in and intervene, I don't know what you're going to face - he does,” she said. [05]
She promises a book, a devotional and a Paula White 2018 wall calendar (How could anyone live without?) in return for a $75 or more First Fruits Offering.
Also the author of a 2017 article in the Orlando Sentinel wrote that wanting to know more about "this local pastor on a national stage", she watched New Destiny services on two consecutive Sundays. On both Sundays, even the one where she said she was too tired to preach, she asked congregants for a special offering — she suggested perhaps as much as a month's salary — to mark January as the first month of the year.
She called this financial contribution, which she said was separate from regular tithing, "first fruits," a reference to Leviticus 23:10...
"The difference between tithe and first fruit, first fruit is all of it," she said. "All of what? Well, if you want to bring God all of one day's salary, one week's salary or one month's salary, that's between you and God ... I try to bring a month's salary, but at the very least every year I give God a week's salary." [06]
What a tragedy that a so-called Christian minister - one that has the ear of the president no less, knows next to nothing about the significance of the Seven Feasts that the Lord Himself instituted when the nation of Israel was encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. The historic and prophetic significance of the Feasts is one of the most fascinating of all Biblical studies because God's entire plan of salvation for mankind from start to finish, is outlined by these feasts.
For example, the Feast of First-fruits, on the 17th day of Nisan, was a celebration of the harvest, when a sheaf representing the very first of the harvest was waved before the Lord, as a symbolic gesture that dedicated the coming harvest to Him. Jesus rose from the dead on the Feast of First-fruits. His resurrection was like a wave offering presented to the Father as the first-fruits of the harvest to come at the end of the age. The Apostle Paul said...
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, (1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NASB) READ Seven Feasts of Israel
Besides which the doctrine of tithing as taught in much of the modern church is based on a shallow and dangerous interpretation of the Scriptures. See an in-depth study of Tithing
End Notes - Paula White-Cain
[01] Holly Pivec Is the leader of the new White House Faith Office, Paula White-Cain, NAR? Feb 8, 2025
https://www.hollypivec.com/blog/ispaulawhitenar
[02] John Barr. Athletes and evangelists cross paths. http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=4076585
[03] John Barr. Athletes and evangelists cross paths. http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=4076585
[04] Marylin Bender. The Empire and Ego of Donald Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/07/business/the-empire-and-ego-of-donald-trump.html
[04] Rick Cohen National Correspondent | Senator Grassley and the Televangelists. January 24, 2011. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2011/01/24/senator-grassley-and-the-televangelists/
[05] Newseek. Thu, Jul 05, 2018.
http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trumps-spiritual-adviser-paula-white-suggests-people-send-her-salary-775228
[06] Beth Kassab. Paula White preaches for Donald Trump, but not at Apopka church. Orlando Sentinel Columnist. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-paula-white-inauguration-beth-kassab-20170119-column.html#
Benny Hinn (Toufik Benedictus Hinn)
 About: Hinn was born in 1952 - in Jaffa, then in the newly established state of Israel. His family emigrated to Canada soon after the 1967 Arab-Israeli 'Six-Day War'. In later life, heavily influenced by evangelists Kathryn Kuhlman and Aimee Semple Mcpherson, he began claiming that God was using him as a conduit for healing, and began holding healing services in the Orlando Christian Center, which he founded in 1963. Not long after that his so called "miracle crusades" began to be held at large stadiums and auditoriums across the country.
Benny Hinn is yet another in a long line of Tele-evangelists who preach that God does not want His people to want for anything in this life and, if they do, they are somehow lacking. However, it seems that his teachings are wackier than most.
For example, he once taught that the Trinity is actually nine persons, because each member of the Trinity--Father, Son, Holy Spirit--is also a Trinity - that God talks to him more frequently than he talked to Moses, that a man rose from the dead in his presence, while another turned into a snake, that angels come to his bedroom to speak to him.
He is also master of exaggeration claiming he once "preached at an all-girls Catholic school in Jerusalem in 1976 and "every single girl in that school got saved, including all the nuns." All the nuns who were at the only Catholic girls school in Jerusalem in 1976, and Father Dusind, who has overseen all religious instruction since 1955 said no Protestant preacher was ever let in to talk to the girls saying ”a Charismatic healer or Protestant preacher would never ever be let in to talk to the girls." [01]
Few, if any of the claimed miracles at Hinn's healing services have been verified. However they have been carefully orchestrated to have maximum emotional impact inducing the thousands who attend to dig deep into their pockets.
"A Preacher's Life".
And, like all the others, Benny Hinn has capitalized on his own teaching, living the kind of life that we usually associate with celebrities.
Many years ago, on March 6, 2005, NBC Dateline aired a segment on televangelist Benny Hinn, entitled A Preacher's Life. The segment was years in the making and included the use of hidden cameras, hidden identities and visits to numerous "healing" crusades. Apart from the not surprising findings that Hinn manipulates individuals and preaches a self-serving prosperity theology message at the so called "miracle crusades", but Revelations from the program also included the facts that...
Hinn's salary is somewhere between half a million and a million dollars per year. He also gets royalties from the sales of his books;
Personal perks for Hinn, family and his entourage include a $10 million seaside mansion; a private jet with annual operating costs of about $1.5 million; a Mercedes SUV and convertible, each valued at about $80,000;
What the church termed "layovers" between crusades included hotel bills ranging from $900 per night to royal suites that cost almost $3,000 for one nights stay. Layover locations included Hawaii, Cancun, London, Milan and other exotic locations.
Beverly Hills shopping sprees;
Receipts showing Hinn’s daughter receiving $1,300 in petty cash; her boyfriend getting $2,550 for babysitting; $23,000 in cash dispersed to Hinn and his wife; and, $25,000 in cash for expenses for a crusade – 30 minutes away from Hinn’s home; [02]
His current home in Ritz Cove, CA. may not be worth $10 million, but it certainly is an ocean side mansion. The house that Hinn bought in June 2013 for $3,837,000 is a huge - 7,438 sq ft with 7 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. It is now valued at well over $7 million.
Ritz Cove, hidden away from the traffic of the Pacific Coast Highway, boasts some of the largest luxury estates in Dana Point, California. It has stunning views of the ocean, one of the best beaches in the state with private gates that take residents down to it, and a Scottish links style golf course with 18 championship holes. Dana Point Harbor (one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast) houses 2,500 boats within two marinas, inside a one-and-a-half mile jetty.
Homeowners enjoy privileges at the Monarch Bay Club, as well as the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Nearby upscale restaurants, stores and private schools almost complete the picture.
Reforms?
In a letter responding to the probe by Senator Charles Grassley Benny Hinn promised some reforms.
In the final analysis, as said by the Orange County Register [All Emphasis Added]
And for all this transparency, we note that the financials Hinn provided Grassley were from 2006; there were apparently no updates; and current finances are not disclosed anywhere on Hinn’s web site that we could find. There is a page titled "church finances"[58] which includes a pretty pie chart of where money is going (59 percent media ministry, 29 percent international missions and crusades, etc.), but no actual dollar figures, and certainly no detail on who is being paid what.
What is he pulling in today, and what he's doing with it? Only Hinn knows for sure [OC televangelist Benny Hinn gets kudos for 'financial reforms'. [03]
However, NOTHING Has Changed
In the much more recent past, Benny Hinn's nephew Costi Hinn described his uncle's about lavish lifestyle. In his words, when he "joined his uncle's ministry as an eager young man", he worked as an usher who "carried around uncle Benny's Louis Vuitton bag". He added
"We lived the dream. Expensive hotels, cars, travel. The biggest being that 'Jesus provided all of that.’ You didn't touch the Lord's anointed … we revered our leaders. We believed that we were part of an anointed heritage of leaders?— they were all men of God. They could heal and operate in the five-fold ministry: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher.”
"I worked for my uncle for well over a year,” he continued. "We would go to London, Australia, Greece, Israel, preaching our version of Christ. I carried his Louis Vuitton briefcase. I stayed in his hotel rooms in places like Dubai. The royal suite there was a $25,000-a-night bill, along with the other suites that we had.” [04]
In another article featured on Christianity Today, Costi Hinn said that before going to college, he "took a year off and joined Benny's ministry as a "catcher".
That year was a whirlwind tour of luxury: $25,000-a-night royal suites in Dubai, seaside resorts in Greece, tours of the Swiss Alps, villas on Lake Como in Italy, basking on the golden coast of Australia, shopping sprees at Harrods in London, and numerous trips to Israel, Hawaii, and everywhere in between. The pay was great, we flew on our own private Gulfstream, and I got to buy custom suits. All I had to do was catch people and look spiritual! [05]
Costi Hinn goes on to tell of how doubts began to surface especially after he got married. One thing led to another and he, no longer a believer in the Prosperity Doctrine, is currently the pastor of Mission Bible Church in Orange County, California.
And how does he do it? Here is one of the many, many instances of Hinn's manipulation of believers.
End Notes - Benny Hinn
[[01] John Bloom. The Heretic. Trinity Foundation. https://www.trinityfi.org/press/heretic.html
[02] The cruelties of the Prosperity Gospel – a very modern heresy by quaesitor.
https://markmeynell.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/the-cruelties-of-the-prosperity-gospel-a-very-modern-heresy/
[03] January 12th, 2011.
https://www.ocregister.com/2011/01/12/report-praises-oc-televangelist-hinn-for-financial-reforms/
[04] Will Maule. Benny Hinn’s Nephew Rips Prosperity Gospel and Explains Why He Left Lavish Lifestyle Behind. April 2018 https://www.faithwire.com/2018/04/06/my-questions-didnt-get-answered-benny-hinns-nephew-rips-prosperity-gospel-and-explains-why-he-left-lavish-lifestyle-behind/
[05] Costi Hinn. Benny Hinn Is My Uncle, but Prosperity Preaching Isn’t for Me
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/october/benny-hinn-costi-uncle-prosperity-preaching-testimony.html
[06] Benny Hinn: Todd Coontz and the two-minutes blessing scam
https://www.religionnewsblog.com/21802/benny-hinn-todd-koontz-and-the-two-minutes-blessing-scam
Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer Ministries (JMM) is a Christian-based non-profit organization that's financially supported by contributions from friends and partners of the ministry. Headquartered in Fenton, Missouri, where they employ more than 400 people, they have 9 international offices and 25 field offices.
Their television program Enjoying Everyday Life, broadcast in more than 90 different languages on over 1,000 television and radio stations, reaches millions of people around the globe each day and their web site averages more than 5 million visits from 1.5 million individuals each month. They also boast Over 10 million Facebook fans and nearly 4 million followers on Twitter. [01]
Joyce who has an honorary doctorate in divinity from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma is president of the ministry, her husband Dave is vice president. Their two sons David and Daniel are CEO of Hand of Hope, and CEO of US operations respectively. Dr. Paul Osteen, Joel Osteen's older brother and a prominent general surgeon is also on the board of directors. He says he "felt God's call to move to Houston and help serve at Lakewood Church in whatever capacity he was needed." [02].
Bob Yandian, another member of the board "spent several years with Kenneth Hagin Ministries and Rhema Bible Training Center, where he served as an instructor and held the position of Dean of Instructors." [03].
Additionally, Israel Houghton, worship leader at Joel Osteen's Lakewood church appeared with Joyce at a three day event in Toronto in the fall of 2014. [04]
Joyce Meyer's Outreach Programs
There is little question that her ministry does an enormous amount lot of good. In fact, from everything I have read Joyce Meyer's organization does more for people locally and around the world than most of the other tele-evangelists put together. In part, they
provide necessities like water, food and even charging stations for their phones after Florida was hit by Hurricane Irma and Houston by Harvey, digging wells in "remote communities across the globe". They also helped "women and girls in 42 different countries by providing food, education, clean water, safe environments, the truth of God's Word, and rescue from the horrors of human trafficking".
They launched a new, state-of-the-art malnutrition clinic in East Africa and provided temporary medical/dental outreaches in locations like Cambodia and Haiti. Leprosy patients receive vital care and medical treatment in India. And there is more - much, much more. Read their annual report HERE.
I have the greatest respect for all that JMM does for people in need of help. There is no question that both Christianity and human compassion require us to do whatever is possible to relieve the suffering of our fellow man. However, let us never forget that as valuable as it may be in this life, providing clean drinking water to a village will do them no good in the long run. Practical help and the message of the Bible have to go hand in hand.
And I cannot help but keep coming back to one fact and one question.
1) a great deal of money is spent on lavish living, which Joyce Meyer calls being "blessed"...
2) Does the 'truth of God's word' (above) include sin and repentance without which there is no gospel. Jesus did say "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
See Sin, Repentance and Salvation
The problem is that virtually everything that have read or heard from Joyce Meyer concerns seem to deal more with practical life lessons rather than Scriptural teachings. Besides which she makes the same fundamental mistakes made by countless others - believing we are "little gods".
"... listening to a set of tapes by one man and he explained it like this - his kind of gets the point across - he said why do people have such a fit about God calling his creation, his creation, his man not his whole creation, but his man, little gods? If he's God what's he going to call them but the God kind? I mean if you as a human being have a baby you call it a human kind. If if [sic] cattle has another cattle they call it cattle kind. Tell me what Gods supposed to call 'em? Doesn't the Bible say we are created in his image?
Now you understand I am not saying you are god with a capital G. That is not the issue here so don't go trying to stone me or yell blasphemy at me." "The Bible says right here John 10:34 - 'and Jesus answered is it not written in your law (Psalm 82:6) I said you are gods little g.' So men are called god by the law..." SEE
However, there is a lot more to Jesus' reference to Psalm 82:6 than first meets the eye. In fact Psalm 82 was a warning to corrupt leaders
This is borne out by the very next verses which says "Nevertheless you will die like men And fall like any one of the princes." (Psalms 82:7) Details HERE
Lifestyle
According to Belief.net, Joyce Meyers net worth is estimated at $8 Million [05]
Ministry Headquarters
An article entitled From Fenton to fortune in the name of God on November 15, 2003 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave its readers a great deal of insight into Joyce Meyer's lifestyle.
The ministry's headquarters is a three-story jewel of red brick and emerald-color glass that, from the outside, has the look and feel of a  luxury resort hotel. Built two years ago for $20 million, the building and grounds are postcard perfect, from manicured flower beds and walkways to a five-story lighted cross. ...A message in gold letters greets employees and visitors over the front entryway: "Look what the Lord Has Done."
The building is decorated with religious paintings and sculptures, and quality furniture. Much of it, Meyer says, she selected herself.
A Jefferson County assessor's list offers a glimpse into the value of many of the items: a $19,000 pair of Dresden vases, six French crystal vases bought for $18,500, an $8,000 Dresden porcelain depicting the Nativity, two $5,800 curio cabinets, a $5,700 porcelain of the Crucifixion, a pair of German porcelain vases bought for $5,200.
The decor includes a $30,000 malachite round table, a $23,000 marble-topped antique commode, a $14,000 custom office bookcase, a $7,000 Stations of the Cross in Dresden porcelain, a $6,300 eagle sculpture on a pedestal, another eagle made of silver bought for $5,000, and numerous paintings purchased for $1,000 to $4,000 each.
InPlainSite Note: The word "Commode" was often used to refer to a cabinet with one or more doors, that served as a washstand with a washbasin and water pitcher, which also offered an enclosed area below for storing a chamber pot. In contemporary English "Commode" usually refers to a low chest of drawers on stubby legs.
Inside Meyer's private office suite sit a conference table and 18 chairs bought for $49,000. The woodwork in the offices of Meyer and her husband cost the ministry $44,000. [06]
Personal Spending
"Meyer says she expects the best, from where she lives to how she looks. Much of her clothing is custom-tailored at an upscale West County dress shop. At her conferences, she usually wears flashy jewelry. She sports an impressive diamond ring that she said she got from one of her followers. Meyer has a private hairdresser. And, a few years ago, Meyer told her employees she was getting a face-lift.
Last year, the Meyers bought a $500,000 atrium ranch lakefront home in Porto Cima, a private-quarters club at Lake of the Ozarks. A few weeks later, they bought two watercrafts similar to Jet Skis and a $105,000 Crownline boat painted red, white and blue that they named the Patriot...
The Meyers have put the Mercedes, the lake house, the boat and her parents' home into an irrevocable trust, an arrangement that tax experts say would help protect them from any financial problems at the ministry.
Meyer says she should not have to defend how she spends the ministry's money. "We teach and preach and believe biblically that God wants to bless people who serve Him," Meyer said. "So there's no need for us to apologize for being blessed."" [07]
All of which makes it no surprise that she was one of the ministries that was the focus of Sen. Grassley's investigation.
Home
Additionally, at the time the ministry had spent at least $4 million on five homes for Meyer and other key employees -  namely her four children in a sort of 'family compound'.
Meyer's house, the largest of the five, was a 10,000-square-foot Cape Cod style estate home with a guest house and a garage that can be independently heated and cooled and can hold up to eight cars. The three-acre property has a large fountain, a gazebo, a private putting green, a pool etc.
She said that federal tax law allows ministries to buy parsonages for their employees, so the arrangement does not violate any prohibitions against personal benefit. Meyer also said the decision to cluster the families together was a way to build a buffer to better ensure privacy and security. "We put good people all around us," she said. "Obviously, if I was trying to hide anything or thought I was doing anything wrong, I wouldn't live on the corner of Gravois and 270." However, she no longer lives there.
Current Residence
Joyce Meyer's home in Eureka MO is about 15 minutes away from JMM headquarters. Built in 2006, this 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom single family residential house in Eureka MO. is approximately 7,858 square feet and comes with Pool parking spots.
It's estimated value is $1,713,044.
Note: It has since been reported that two of the homes, occupied by two of Meyer's four adult children and their families, are up for sale. [07]
End Notes - Joyce Meyer
[01] Joyce Meyer Ministries. https://joycemeyer.org/about/what-we-do
[02] Joyce Meyer Ministries. About Us. https://joycemeyer.org/about/board-of-directors
[03] Joyce Meyer Ministries. About Us. https://joycemeyer.org/about/board-of-directors/pastor-bob-yandian
[04] Joyce Meyer Ministries Presents “Worship with Israel Houghton” in Toronto. The Christian Mail.
https://www.thechristianmail.com/joyce-meyer-ministries-presents-worship-with-israel-houghton-in-toronto/
[05] Megan Schmidt. 8 Richest Pastors in America.
http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/8-richest-pastors-in-america.aspx?p=9
[06] Carolyn Tuft and Bill Smith. From Fenton to fortune in the name of God. St. Louis Post-Dispatch/November 15, 2003. Original link is no longer available but article is available here
https://www.culteducation.com/group/1050-joyce-meyer/13441-from-fenton-to-fortune-in-the-name-of-god.html
[07] https://www.religionnewsblog.com/10965/joyce-meyer-ministry-is-selling-posh-homes
Eddie Lee Long (born May 12, 1953)
was the last of the six tele-evangelists investigated by the Senate committee. At the time of the investigation (he has since passed away) he was senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a mega church of more than 25,000 members near Lithonia, Georgia. 
A 2010 New York Times piece described Eddie Long's flamboyant lifestyle that was in keeping with his theology
Bishop Long cuts a flashy figure in Lithonia, the Atlanta suburb where he lives and has built his church. He is often seen in a Bentley attended by bodyguards. He tends to wear clothes that show off his muscular physique. He favors Gucci sunglasses, gold necklaces, diamond bracelets and Rolex watches. He lives in a 5,000-square-foot house with five bedrooms, which he bought for $1.1 million in 2005. [01]
Long's defense of his 'compensation' reeked of superiority.
"We're not just a church, we're an international corporation, " Long said. "We're not just a bumbling bunch of preachers who can't talk and all we're doing is baptizing babies. I deal with the White House. I deal with Tony Blair. I deal with presidents around this world. I pastor a multimillion-dollar congregation.
"You've got to put me on a different scale than the little black preacher sitting over there that's supposed to be just getting by because the people are suffering." [02]
The Sex Scandal
Since this is an article on "lifestyles" of the Tele-evangelists, I guess the following excerpt from a New York Times articles is not out of place.
Four former members of a youth group he ran accused him of "repeatedly coercing them into homosexual sex acts and of abusing his considerable moral authority over them while plying them with cash, new cars, lodgings and lavish trips". [03]
Separate lawsuits were filed in DeKalb County Superior Court [04]
However, I dread to think where all of Eddie Long's shenanigans eventually got him after he died of cancer in January of last year (2017).
End Notes - Eddie Lee Long
[01] James C. McKinley and Robbie Brown. Sex Scandal Threaten a Georgia Pastor's Empire. The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/us/26pastor.html.
Article available https://www.theroot.com/bishop-eddie-longs-empire-at-stake-1790881037
[02] John Blake. The Bishop Eddie Long I knew. February 4, 2017.
https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/03/us/bishop-eddie-long-i-knew
[03] James. C. McKinley and Robbie Brown. Sex Scandal Threatens a Georgia Pastor's Empire.
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/us/26pastor.html
[04] CNN Wire Staff. Men allege sexual coercion by prominent Atlanta pastor.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/21/georgia.pastor.abuse/?hpt=Sbin
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