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Unless otherwise specified, all links were accessed in the summer of 2025
Also See Tithing
Index
Introduction - Entertainment - the new way of 'doing church'. Amusing the masses 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
Franklin Graham, Rodney Howard Browne, Marcus and Joni Lamb, Wendy and Casey Treat, Dean Curry, Chris Hodges, Brian Houston (Hillsong), Chris Hodges and Hillsong, John Gray, Jentezen Franklin,
Tim Timberlake, Johnny Hunt, James MacDonald, Mark Driscoll,
Franklin Graham
Billy Graham's son Franklin is president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, an international relief agency based in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Bought in 2012 the 26,000 square foot center in the Blue Ridge Mountains is used for training, conferences, meetings, and faith-based community events.
Although not a pastor he is an evangelist in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Besides which, he is wealthy - ridiculously so. As said in a 2015 Huffington Post piece,
His annual compensation of $880,000," has some worrying that too many top Christian nonprofit leaders as well as pastors are seeing themselves as CEOs instead of as God's servants".
Pastors make sure well-heeled businesspeople are on their boards, said Jim Henderson, co-author of “Question Mark,” a new book tracing the downfall of Mars Hill’s Driscoll.
“These guys make phenomenal amounts of money. So when it comes time to set the pastor’s salary, what seems like an ungodly amount of money to the rest of us, seems normal to them,” Henderson said.
A prosperous church with business executives on its board might ask “How embarrassed would we be to pay our pastor a lot less than I make?” said historian Joel Carpenter, director of the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity at Calvin College. [01]
A 2015 article in Citizen Times says
His compensation comes from two nonprofit organizations he supervises: Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ( BGEA€ť). Franklin’s salaries are actually down from the $1.2 million he was paid in 2008. [02]
This is 40 percent to 50 percent higher than the average paid the CEO's of the top 50 U.S. charities. Apparently Franklin Graham "wants to make enough money to be able to work for free when he turns 70". [03]
Good Grief! How much money does anyone need to be able to retire comfortably or work without compensation?
At the request of the Graham organization, the IRS changed its tax status from a nonprofit to an “association of churches,” The NonProfit Times reported Monday (Sept. 26). The change was made last November.
The change means the 66-year-old Christian organization no longer has to file what the IRS calls Form 990, a public statement of its financial information, including salaries for top officials. It will continue to publish an annual financial report, available to the public on its web site...
They state that the primary reason for the request for reclassification was to avoid the intense work required to file a 990. However, a Graham spokesperson also said "the new tax status will safeguard the organization's religious liberties". [04]
In this classification transition, the BGEA is not claiming that it operates as a church in the traditional sense of the word, but rather, it is operating as an association of churches or a ‘parachurch’ defined as
“... an organization that operates through the support of churches, but functions independently from church structure, or church governance. Basically, they are organizations that obtain the majority of their resources through churches, but are established separately
The BGEA shared three main reasons for requesting a change to the classification of its tax-exempt status:
1. All its resources and activities came from the assistance of local churches.
2. Churches have more liberty of religious rights compared to religious nonprofits.
3. The filing of its financial reports to the IRS became rather burdensome. [05]
End Notes - Franklin Graham
[01] Christine Wicker. How Much Is Too Much To Pay A Pastor? Religion News Service.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-much-is-too-much-to-pay-a-pastor_us_55d4be53e4b0ab468d9f583d
[02] Letters: Graham pay sparks comments. https://tinyurl.com/m87hs4hz
[03] Christine Wicker. How Much Is Too Much To Pay A Pastor? Religion News Service.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-much-is-too-much-to-pay-a-pastor_us_55d4be53e4b0ab468d9f583d
[04] Kimberly Winston. IRS changes status of Billy Graham's ministry
https://religionnews.com/2016/09/29/irs-changes-status-of-billy-grahams-ministry/. September2016
[05] Raul Rivera. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Changes Its Tax Status.
https://www.startchurch.com/blog/view/name/billy-graham-evangelistic-association-changes-its-tax-status
Rodney Howard-Browne
 Originally from South Africa Rodney Howard-Browne who has called himself the "bartender of holy laughter" is the senior pastor of the The River at Tampa Bay Church that he founded along with his wife Adonica. Together they also founded Revival Ministries International, River Bible Institute, River School of Worship, and River School of Government in Tampa
Yachts and Leased Jets
Although I cannot find anything about his home, He does own a (106 ft) motor yacht, built by Denison Yachting about which he said in 2021 was undergoing a "major refit" but "getting better everyday". SEE
In 2018, Revival Ministries International announced a partnership with the private aviation company JetLease to facilitate its worldwide travel. [01]
'Holy Laughter"
is an extremely dangerous doctrine practiced by Hindus and pagans alike yet one that Howard-Browne has espoused for years.
I strongly suggest you read the four part article on 'Slain? By What Spirit'? Especially
Chapter 3
Is There A Biblical Basis For Shaking In The Spirit, Being Drunk In The Spirit, "Holy" Laughter, And Trances
And Chapter 4
Comparing the supposedly 'Christian' phenomenon of 'Slain In The Spirit' with the ancient Hindu tradition of awakening' Kundalini - the requirements for receiving are the same, the methods of transmissions are the same and the resulting physical manifestations are virtually indistinguishable. How then can 'Slain In The Spirit' be Christian?
Howard-Browne has been closely linked with the ministries of Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland and the spiritual phenomena and experiences took place in all three of their ministries that eventually made its way to Toronto via Randy Clark the pastor of the Vineyard Church in St Louis, Missouri. Clark attended one of Rodney's meetings in Tulsa, Oklahoma after hearing of unusual manifestations that took place in Howard-Browne’s meetings.
Having received the "blessing" himself, Clark began to see similar happenings in his church after returned home. In January 1994 he passed it on to the Toronto Airport Vineyard at the invitation of its pastor, John Arnott. .. And the rest as they say, is history.
See Counterfeit Revival for a more detailed history
Also The Toronto Deception
This is a video of Drunk in the Spirit at Oral Roberts University HERE https://
And some ten years later Pentecost Power - Holy Spirit Laughter. HERE https://
End Time Revival?
On revival ministries (revival.com) which is part of his church, Howard-Browne says the following
"I believe we stand on the brink of a Third Great Awakening, a revival that will result in the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever seen"
In the very beginning of this video he says they believe in the Lord to raise 300 millionaires at his church HERE presumably to help fund his "Third Great Awakening".
Unfortunately he (nor the many other false teachers) has not paid near enough attention to what the Scriptures say a lot about end-time apostasy ("When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" Luke 18:8), it says nothing at all about an end-time revival.
The apostasy predicted by the Bible includes increasing evil, times of peril, a huge apostasy of those who profess to be Christians, false teachings, false prophets, deceptive signs and wonders, and a delusion that will even deceive God's own people which is exactly what is happening right now in churches like' The River'. As Paul said
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB)
Please remember, when asked for alms Peters reply was "Silver and gold have I none, " (Acts 3:6). Although the disciples had zero in the way of worldly good the early church was built on their backs. Without them there would be no Christianity today.
End Notes - Rodney Howard-Browne
[01] https://www.jetlease.com/newsDetail.cfm?x=35#:~:text=JetLease%2C%20Revival%20Ministries%20Announce%20Airplane,and%20counting%2C%22%20said%20Dr.
Marcus and Joni Lamb
Televangelist Marcus Lamb was president and CEO of Daystar Television Network which he co-founded with his wife Joni that grew from a single Christian station in Dallas–Fort Worth to one of the two largest Christian networks reaching an estimated 2 billion viewers worldwide.
Estimated value? a quarter of a billion dollars
He preached the prosperity doctrine and was a vocal anti-vaccine advocate.
Paycheck Protection Program
As Andrew Seidel of Religion Dispatches wrote
The federal government can’t take our money and give it to Joel Osteen or Robert Jeffress or Paula White—even in the wake of a pandemic,” I wrote back in May. But that’s exactly what Trump’s Small Business Administration has done by giving Paycheck Protection Program funds to churches. Paula White’s church took in between $150,000 and $350,000, Jeffress’s church grabbed between $2 million and $5 million and, now we know that Osteen’s megachurch pocketed $4.4 million...
Two weeks after Daystar Television took $4 million in taxpayer PPP funds, it bought a private jet, a Gulfstream V, valued at between $9 million and $10 million. [01]
After Marcus died of COVID-19 in late 2021, his wife Joni assumed the role of president. She married Dr. Doug Weiss a specialist in sex addiction and recovery on June 10, 2023. They co-host Daystar's flagship broadcast Ministry Now
Joni's 7 Homes
On March 4, 2025, Julie Roys of the The Roys Report (a Christian media outlet) published an article entitled Daystar TV President Joni Lamb Owns 7 Homes Worth $11.7 Million.
 1.) Her main residence which she owned in 2012 with her then husband Marcus Lamb is a 7,358-square-foot home in Colleyville, Texas. The $2.9 million home sits on more than two acres and boasts five-bedrooms and five-baths and in-ground pool and spa.
2.) In March 2022, Joni purchased a two-acre lot in a gated community in Colleyville with numerous multi-million dollar homes. The initial property was worth $1.5 million. The architectural plans filed for a Colleyville building permit show the planned new home on the property will be 9,738 square feet and valued around $3.9 million.
3.) In September 2023, Joni and her new husband, Doug Weiss, bought a 3,030-square-foot Gulf-front condominium in Miramar Beach, Florida, for $2.9 million overlooking the Gilf. It was designed with the help of one of the top design firms in the area
4.) Since 2012, Joni has owned a 3,061-square-foot home on the Brazos River in Granbury, Texas. Worth $814,301 i has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, granite and custom cabinetry in the kitchen, and a private dock.
For photographs of these four homes and the three others that Joni owns see HERE
End Notes - Marcus and Joni Lamb
[01] Andrew L. Seidel. Religion Dispatches. Inevitable Megachurch Abuse of PPP Funds is Coming to Light — Private Jet Included.December 2020.
https://religiondispatches.org/inevitable-megachurch-abuse-of-ppp-funds-is-coming-to-light-private-jet-included/
Wendy and Casey Treat
Casey Treat and his wife Wendy are joint senior pastors of Christian Faith Center, a multi-campus, multi cultural church in the Seattle area including the $58 million, 2,500-seat church in Federal Way WA. that they opened in 2007. "In 2008, the Treats applied to add a helipad at their Federal Way locations so they could fly between their churches." [01]
He is also the founder and president of Vision College (formally Dominion College) and hosts a weekly television program called “Successful Living”.
Under the heading Kingdom Culture his web site says
BY CHOOSING TO RENEW YOUR MIND TO THE WORD AND POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE CAN ALL LIVE A VICTORIOUS AND PROSPEROUS CHRISTIAN LIFE HERE ON THIS EARTH [02]
By worldly standards it certainly has been successful living for the Treats. According to City-Data.com, Wendy and Casey Treat live in a luxury 5 bedroom 8,100 square feet home on a 57,935 square feet lot on Lake Fenwick  in Kent WA. The house has an almost 2000 sq. foot attached garage.
At one time Zillow described the house as an
Elegant, custom built home with stunning Mt. Rainier and Valley views. Natural light, flowing floor plan. 3 master suites, bonus/media room, 4 and 2 car garages, indoor basketball/racquetball court with adjoining 2 shower bathroom, sauna, walk-in pantry, coffee bar room, coat room, huge laundry area on upper floor, built in shelving, huge closets & storage areas, exercise/bonus room.
The 3 Essentials - (Is All About The Money)
The foreword to Casey Treat's book The 3 Essentials: All You Need for Success in Life, was written by Creflo Dollar (Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (September 6, 2011). It says in part
"By activating the three essentials, you will be in the perfect position to rise above average and achieve the abundant life He has designed for you to live"
In the Introduction, Casey Treat writes (Emphasis Added)
You were created in the likeness and image of God, and every aspect in your life can reflect the abundance and creativity of our amazing Lord... Faith causes us to see good things in the future and because of this we develop vision of success and prosperity in life..
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In Chapter 1, Treat says that he and his wife Wendy were in their third year of Bible college when they first heard a Fred Price television broadcast in which Price was speaking about Christians being able to use faith to actually initiate the change they wanted. Treat also mentions that Price had a revelation that faith was not just a wish for God's promises to come to pass, but it was a tangible force to make dynamic things happen in our lives. More about Price
And as he also says, Fred Price set a course for their future in ministry. They devoured every book and tape by Price that they could get a hold of and began Christian Faith center the next year in 1980.
Biblically Unsound Defense
In a 2009 letter to the editor of the Federal Way Mirror Debbie Willis Board, member of the Christian Faith Center, defended Treat echoing his claim that
Compared to Heaven, Jesus was not rich, but compared to earthly standards of his time, Jesus was not poor. He had a trust fund provided to him by the Magi (Kings) who brought him gold and other gifts when he was a young child in honor of his birth. Jesus had a treasurer.[03]
The extent to which people can fool themselves boggles the mind. All the Bible says is that the Magi brought gifts to the New-born king but tells us nothing about what happened to them. To turn those gifts into a trust fund is beyond ludicrous.
See Is There ANY Indication in the Bible That Jesus Was a Rich Man?
Caleb Treat
In 2017, a suit was filed in July in King County Superior Court that alleged that Casey Treat's son Caleb who got married in 2010
The suit also alleges that "Caleb Treat's improper sexual activities were known to his superiors " and "Christian Faith Center failed to take effective action to protect female Christian Faith Center employees and church members" [04]
Eventually Caleb and his family spent almost two years under the leadership of Chris Hodges (below) at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama but he and his wife are now Executive Pastors at Christian Faith [05]
End Notes - Wendy and Casey Treat
[01] Craig Sailor. Casey Treat's megachurch hit with sexual harassment suit over founder's son.
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article181163556.html
[02] https://caseytreat.com/#successful-living
[03] Federal Way Mirror. Jesus, money, Casey Treat and helicopters | Federal Way letter to the editor, Jan. 15 2009. http://www.federalwaymirror.com/letters/jesus-money-casey-treat-and-helicopters-federal-way-letter-to-the-editor-jan-17/
[04] Craig Sailor. Casey Treat's megachurch hit with sexual harassment suit over founder's son.
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article181163556.html
[05] http://www.cfcchurch.org/leadership/
Casey Treat and Dean Curry
A photograph of Casey and Wendy Treat with Dean Curry and his wife Ann on Treat's Instagram (apparently poste d around the first of August 2018) bears the caption "Love these guys. They always make us bigger and better. Friends are gold". [01]
Dean Curry was lead pastor of the multi-campus Life Center Assembly of God church in Tacoma, Washington. However, in the summer of 2018 the churches "executive board" fired him after 14 years of service. The decision "followed allegations of sexual misconduct with a female former employee and other allegations of repeated inappropriate behavior with sexual overtones, stretching back several years. [02]
Leaders at the Assemblies of God's Northwest District Council
said late Monday that they unanimously decided to fire Pastor Dean Curry of the multicampus Life Center Assembly of God church in Tacoma, Washington, based on the "testimony of two or more witnesses" about alleged misconduct with a former church employee. [03]
An article in the Seattle Times originally published July 11, 2018 carries more detail including the fact that Curry was investigated for other incidents in the past. At that time women who spoke out were portrayed as "crazy" or having drinking problems.[04]
Although no person is responsible for the behavior of another, it seems like a pastor has an obligation to either distance himself from sordid behavior or try and/or bring the person concerned to repentance.
End Notes - Casey Treat and Dean Curry
[01] https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl7GRa4nNwd/?taken-by=caseydtreat
[02] Sean Robinson. Megachurch meeting reveals that fired pastor faced two separate investigations for sexual misconduct Read more at: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article218827470.html Updated September 23, 2018
[03] Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Tuesday, July 03, 2018 Assemblies of God Church Says Pastor Dean Curry Fired for Misconduct on Testimony of '2 or More Witnesses'. https://www.christianpost.com/news/assemblies-of-god-church-says-pastor-dean-curry-fired-for-adultery-on-testimony-2-or-more-witnesses.html
[04] Sean Robinson. Pastor misconduct complaints rattle Tacoma megachurch. Updated July 12, 2018. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/pastor-misconduct-complaints-rattle-tacoma-megachurch
Chris Hodges
Chris Hodges founded Church of the Highlands in 2001. Simultaneously, he, along with five others, founded the  Association of Related Churches (ARC).
ARC is one of the largest church planting organizations in North America with over 1,000 churches in its network. It ...
"is charismatic in its theology and (like Hillsong) has a similar emphasis on growing mega churches with slick programming, youth-oriented worship, and charismatic pastors. "
ARC was criticized for restoring pastors involved in scandals, including Dino Rizzo, former senior pastor of the Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Micahn Carter, and Robert Morris.
In August 2013, just 14 months after Rizzo resigned as senior pastor of the Healing Place Church due to an inappropriate affair with a woman who was not his wife, Chris Hodges presented Rizzo as a new member of Church of the Highlands' pastoral team. [01]
Michael Hodges
Chris Hodges' son Michael was also removed as pastor of the church's Greystone campus due to a "moral failing "but I believe has since been reinstated.
On 2 February 2025, Chris Hodges announced he was stepping down as the Church of the Highlands lead pastor and transitioning to chancellor at Highlands College.
End Notes - Chris Hodges
[01] Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter. The Christian Post, INC. Michael Hodges, Son of Megachurch Founder, Removed as Pastor Due to Moral Failing. https://tinyurl.com/bdh4n4df
Brian Houston and Hillsong
Brian Houston, the founder and senior pastor at Hillsong - Australia's biggest evangelical church known for its extravaga nt worship conferences and popular contemporary Christian music - is based in Sydney with locations around the world.
Houston and with his wife, Bobbie founded the 150,000 strong church in Sydney in the 1980s and set up ministries in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. He was also the national president of Australian Christian Churches - the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God, from 1997 to 2009.
For a time Carl Lentz, the young, tattooed "hype-priest" was the face of the global mega church Hillsong, preaching a cool brand of Christianity to sports stars and celebrities such as Justin Bieber. Carl Lentz was the lead pastor of Hillsong NYC until November 4, 2020, but was fired by Hillsong Global Pastor Brian Houston for "leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures." [01]. His affair was with Ranin Karim, a designer in New York.
Fraud, Money Laundering And Tax Evasion
Hillsong was accused in Australia's parliament of "fraud, money laundering and tax evasion". [02]
Andrew Wilkie, member of the Australian House of Representatives claimed on March 9 that the Australia-based Hillsong had engaged in fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, based on a set of financial and business records he said were leaked by a Hillsong whistleblower.
He called a $10,000 payment from global megachurch network Hillsong Inc. to Chris Hodges "curious." There was also a 10,000 made to New Zealand megachurch pastor Paul de Jong - both pastors "investigated allegations of (Hillsong founder) Brian Houston's 2019 sexual misconduct in a Sydney hotel room involving a female parishioner,"
Wilkie said the leaked documents show hundreds of thousands of dollars in church donations were spent on honorariums and airfare for visiting U.S. evangelists like Joyce Meyer and T.D. Jakes as part of a reciprocal scheme in which Houston traveled to American churches and received his own "eye watering honorariums."
Note: An honorarium is a payment given to a professional person for services for which fees are not legally or traditionally required.
Wilkie also accused Hillsong leadership of lavish spending "that would embarrass a Kardashian," saying Houston and others dropped hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax-exempt church funds on luxury trips, private jets, designer clothes and cash gifts to church board members. He said Hillsong earns $80 million more in annual income than it publicly reports. [03]
Recent Hillsong whistle blower documents show that Hillsong's alleged "celebrity preacher's scam "didn't just enrich Brian Houston (founder of the global mega church) with hefty speaking honorariums. It also enriched other preachers participating in the "scam" including many belonging to the leadership of ARC
Also See Why do pastors keep falling? inside the shocking downfall of Hillsong church by David Smith 2023 HERE
Chris Hodges and Hillsong
In a preface to his sermon at Hillsong’s main Hills Campus in 2018 Alabama Church of the Highlands pastor Chris Hodges says he's spoken at every Hillsong conference since 2008, except one. Hodges also calls Brian Houston "a hero" and one of seven people who have impacted his life over 35 years of ministry. Hodges calls Hillsong his "second home.”
Three honorarium payments to Hodges ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 (USD) are included in a whistle blower documents, [04]
Hodges was mentioned by name in an Australian parliamentary session, amid questions about an international megachurch's lavish and allegedly fraudulent spending.
Hillsong Founder Brian Houston Resigns After Church Finds Evidence Of Inappropriate Behavior
Brian Houston stepped down as the global senior pastor of the church after he was found to have breached its moral code in his behavior with two women. An internal investigation concluded that he had acted inappropriately.
The church said Houston, 68, had sent unacceptable text messages to a female staff member and had entered the hotel room of, and spent time with, another woman who was also involved with the church after an event. This was another blow to an influential organization already reeling from charges the leader had covered up sex abuse... [05]
End Notes - Brian Houston and Hillsong
[01] Ruth Graham, "The Rise and Fall of Carl Lentz, the Celebrity Pastor of Hillsong Church". The New York Times. December 5, 2020
[02] Rosie Clare Shorter. Who cares for men like Brian Houston?' The Hillsong leader's rise and fall is a gripping story, but how was it allowed to happen? February 27, 2024. https://tinyurl.com/wye4b3fw
[03] Anna Claire Vollers. Hillsong payment to Church of the Highlands pastor Chris Hodges ‘curious,' Australian lawmaker says. March 2023. https://speakinoutweeklynews.net/2023/03/29/hillsong-payment-to-church-of-the-highlands-pastor-chris-hodges-curious-australian-lawmaker-says/
[04] Julie Roys Analysis: ARC Pastors Enriched Through Hillsong 'Celebrity Preacher's Scam'. April 2023.
https://julieroys.com/arc-pastors-enriched-celebrity-preacher-scam/
[05] Reuters. Hillsong founder resigns after church finds evidence of misconduct. March 2022
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hillsong-church-brian-houston-resigns-rcna21133
John Gray
 John Gray was formerly associate pastor in Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston and, for a period of time, had a TV show on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
He is currently pastor at what used to be Redemption Church in Greenville S. Carolina that, not so long ago, was named Relentless Church but has again been renamed 'Love Story Church'.
Law Suits
Last November, the Carpenters, co-founders of Redemption World Outreach Center in Greenville, South Carolina, served Gray and his church with a lease termination notice. Gray was given until the end of last year to leave the property after being accused of being "shady" and "dishonest" in executing an agreement with the Carpenters after they passed the reins of their Redemption Church to him in 2018, which he then renamed Relentless Church. [01]
Regardless the Gray's seem to be doing very well for themselves. They live in a ...
1.8 Million Dollar Home
John Gray lives in a $1.8M house in Simpsonville apparently bought by the church. [02]
$200,000 Lamborghini
Former Lakewood Church pastor John Gray gifted his wife a $200,000 Lamborghini as an eight-year anniversary present. [03]
And there is more
Inappropriate relationships
He publicly apologized to his wife, Aventer, and thousands of followers for inappropriate relationships that almost ended his marriage and ministry, detailing his past sexual repression and childhood sexual abuse manipulated by demonic forces. [04]
End Notes - John Gray
[01] Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton. Oprah Winfrey Network Cancels Pastor John Gray’s TV Show. January 22, 2020 https://www.blackenterprise.com/oprah-winfrey-network-cancels-pastor-john-grays-tv-show/
[02] Daniel J. Gross. The Greenville News https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2019/01/19/john-gray-house-relentless-church-pastor/2360826002/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z115745u115245e008600v115745&gca-ft=250&gca-ds=sophi
[03] Marcy de Luna, Houston Chronicle, Updated Dec 13, 2018
https://www.chron.com/life/article/lakewood-church-joel-osteen-john-gray-lamborghini-13464093.php#photo-14649387
[04] Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Christianpost. Pastor John Gray apologizes for ‘failures,’ reveals healing in marriage with wife Aventer. May 2025
https://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-john-gray-apologizes-for-failures-in-marriage.html
 Jentezen Franklin
is senior pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Ga., and Free Chapel OC in Irvine, Calif. Estimates of his net worth range from 2 to $5 million.
Some years ago Charismamag.com reported that
"Every Sunday, Franklin arrives at Free Chapel in Gainesville by 5 a.m. for prayer, preaches two sermons and shakes hundreds of hands before boarding a private jet at 2 p.m. with his family and two staff members. They arrive at John Wayne Airport, located five minutes from Free Chapel Orange County (OC), and by 6 p.m. Franklin is in the pulpit.” [01]
Franklin was the second speaker at the 12-day Code Orange Revival at Furtick's Elevation church in Charlotte, NC.
End Notes - Jentezen Franklin
[01] https Brittany Smith, Christian Post Reporter Friday, January 13, 2012
https://www.christianpost.com/news/jentezen-franklin-talks-gods-faithfulness-at-code-orange-revival.html
Tim Timberlake (Senior Pastor of 12,000-member Celebration Church in Jacksonville Fla.) 
As of 2025, Pastor Tim Timberlake's net worth is estimated to be between $2 million and $5 million. His income comes from multiple sources, including:
Pastoral leadership at Celebration Church
Book sales and royalties
Speaking engagements worldwide
Leadership coaching and mentorship programs. [01]
Tim Timberlake End Notes
[01] Bakare Sherifdeen. Tim Timberlake Biography: Age, Net Worth, Family, Career and Achievements. September 5, 2025 https://pastorsbiography.org/tim-timberlake-biography-age-net-worth-family-career-and-achievements/
Johnny Hunt
 An article written by Sarah Einselen in 2023 describes the three homes owned by Former southern Baptist Convention (SBC) president Johnny Hunt.
The 4,400-square-foot home the Hunts have declared their homestead sits on about three acres in the woods outside Woodstock. It last sold in 2018 for $950,000,
A modest single-family home in Woodstock, according to county property records estimated to be worth around $350,000.
A beach house in the Florida panhandle for $925,000, according to Walton County property records. A market listing at the time called the 2,288-square-foot beach house one of the area’s most popular rental properties, with a gourmet kitchen and room to sleep up to 13 people.
"He was removed as pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church Woodstock, near Atlanta, after allegations came out last May that he had sexually assaulted a woman."[01]
End Notes - Johnny Hunt
[01] Sarah Einselen. Former SBC President Johnny Hunt Goes From Rags to Riches, Owns 3 Homes. The Roys Report. https://julieroys.com/former-sbc-president-johnny-hunt-rags-riches-owns-three-homes/
James MacDonald
was senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. He however was fired in 2019 for engaging in conduct that the Elders believe is contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church.” [01]
During his tenure as pastor he bought a house in Inverness from former U.S. senator Peter Fitzgerald for a cool $1.9 million. According to a February 2006 article in chicagomag.com, MacDonald called it a very exciting house". And no wonder, it had
a designer kitchen commissioned by the Fitzgeralds, a two-story family room, and five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The backyard has a pool and a multilevel series of decks overlooking a private lake... [02]
However, MacDonald sold the house for one that he apparently found more 'exciting'. Records indicate that he bought a 4.87 acre property, the total square footage of the "custom home" on it being 8,540 sq. feet. There was also
"a finished basement exceeding 2000 sq. feet, a crawl space exceeding 1500 sq. feet and a garage that is almost 2400 sq. feet. Whether these figures are a part of the 8,540 square footage total or whether they are in addition to the 8,540 sq footage total is unclear based upon the records. [03]
Macdonald and his wife were also guests at the "Triumphant Journey" event - a black-tie gala featuring a "star-studded" guest list celebrating the 35th anniversary of T.D. Jakes' ministry. [04]
End Notes - James MacDonald
[01] Religion News Service. James MacDonald fired as pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel by church elders. February 2019. https://pres-outlook.org/2019/02/james-macdonald-fired-as-pastor-of-harvest-bible-chapel-by-church-elders/
[02] www.chicagomag.com February 2006. Link is no longer valid
[03] Headed to the Big House "For the Sake of Jesus". The Elephant's Debt. Posted on June 19, 2017. https://theelephantsdebt.com/2017/06/19/headed-to-the-big-house-for-the-sake-of-jesus/
[04] James MacDonald Celebrates 35 Years of T.D. Jakes.
http://www.donotbesurprised.com/2012/07/james-macdonald-celebrates-35-years-of.html.
Mark Driscoll
The former Seattle Mars Hill Church pastor, resigned in 2014 ago amid allegations of plagiarism, misogyny and emotional abusiveness.
In 2013, "his last year as pastor at Seattle's Mars Hill Church, Mark Driscoll was drawing a $607,000 package, with a $150,000 raise promised [01]
His exit led to the collapse of a megachurch that once counted 13,000 members in five states. However, he has been making a series of public appearances around the country sparking a protest by "a dozen former Mars Hill members, who voiced concern that Driscoll has neither acknowledged wrongdoing nor sought reconciliation with those they believe he has harmed". [02]
However, less than two years after the implosion of the Seattle church, Driscoll launched The Trinity Church in the 50-year-old, 1,400-seat former Glass & Garden Drive-in Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. [03]
Driscoll is also an example of how book sales can be manipulated to get on the New York Times bestseller list. See Steve Furtick.
Mars Hill was bled, made to purchase 11,000 copies of a Driscoll book on marriage, valued at around $210,000, as part of a consultant's effort to put it on the New York Times bestseller list. The consultant was paid $25,000. Driscoll was also accused of lifting passages from other people's books. [04]
End Notes - Mark Driscoll
[01] Christine Wicker. How Much Is Too Much To Pay A Pastor? Religion News Service. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-much-is-too-much-to-pay-a-pastor_us_55d4be53e4b0ab468d9f583d
[02] Evangelical leaders give fallen Mars Hill pastor Mark Driscoll a new forum. The Seattle Times. May 30, 2015. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/evangelical-leaders-give-fallen-mars-hill-pastor-mark-driscoll-a-new-forum/
[03] Joel Connelly, The return of Mark Driscoll: A new church in Arizona and gigs on the road. SeattlePI Published May 31, 2016. https://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/The-return-of-Mark-Driscoll-A-new-church-and-7955134.php
[04] ibid.
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