Local Media Continue to Take On Ed Young, Jr.

Posted on April 28, 2010
Viewed 3338 times
(21) comments

Another very negative media piece has hit the Dallas/Fort Worth airwaves. The subject: Pastor Ed Young, Jr. and Fellowship Church. The issue: private planes, lavish lifestyle...

It's round two in Ed Young vs. WFAA-TV.

This time the issue is continued reporting on a private plane, when it's traveled, how much it costs, and Ed's Florida condo.

Below is the report from WFAA, followed by a video post on Ed Young's blog responding to the charges:

My initial thoughts:

1. If you're a pastor/church and you lease a private plane, it's better to be up front about it before having it broadcast on the local media outlet.

2. The plane is paid for by 'other resource streams' not by church offerings. Not sure what that means. I thought it could be book/conference/resource sales, but Ed says he gives the 'majority' of that back to the church.

3. I'm not sure how much of this Ed should respond to and how much he shouldn't. Should he respond about the days the plane was at resort cities? Should he respond to the million dollar condo overlooking the marina in Miami? I don't know.

4. Once these things are out there (especially via TV reports), about the only way to come clean is to come clean. Financial records, flight records, deeds, reimbursement records, etc. That's, unfortunately, about the only thing that will clear this up after the accusations have been made public. Also unfortunately, it doesn't appear that FC or EY want to release those type of records. That only makes things worse.

5. Ed complains that no one has a problem when an entertainer or professional athlete or CEO uses private aircraft, but they do when a pastor uses one. Yes, that's true. For good or for bad. But this really shouldn't surprise anyone... The American public a stereotype of megachurch pastors and tv evangelists: they take in a lot of money from people; and they keep a lot of money for themselves and live an extravegant lifestyle. That's what this is all about. It's not about private planes. It's about extravegance. It's about living large. And it's all about living large and not telling people how large you're living. That's where Ed's being attacked.

6. That said, I'm not sure that most people (including fellow pastors) will buy the 'we would have not been able to do all that we have done over the past years without utilizing private aircraft' line. He's been able to speak to 200,000 church leaders because of private aircraft. Wow. How many could he have reached if he had flown commercially?

Bottom line: I really don't care whether Ed has a condo or what transportation mode he uses to get there. But I do think there is a lesson here for all churches... even (especially) smaller ones. Financial accountability is crucial to being able to minister effectively in any community. And the ability to legitimately explain the use of financial resources is imperative. Fellowship and Ed may truly have financial accountability. But the recent TV campaign against them is causing them a problem in having to legitimately explain the use of financial resources after the fact. That... is not good.

What lessons can your church learn from this? What can you personally learn from this?

Is this kind of thing even worth talking about?

Todd

Comments

if you want a Globally Recognized Avatar (the images next to your profile) get them here. Once you sign up, your picture will displayed on any website that supports gravitars.

Dr. Charles Baker on Mon, May 03, 2010

Just some comparisons.

1. We put our trust in the doctors that we pay very well. When we receive their gifts by fixing our minds or bodies, we don’t check into what they drive or what house they live in.

You can say all you want, but you put your trust in your pastor. He/she is under God’s direction as an under-shepherd. So a pastor who takes their calling serious would not be using God’s funds as a poor steward. We call the pastor and trust them with our spiritual selves but question when they do something that is really none of the churches business.

If you call your pastor to minister, then let them minister. Stop the criticism and the bad mouthing. I can see why this pastor bucked when the board pressured him for actions outside of their (the church’s) financial responsibilities.

********The plane is paid for by ‘other resource streams’ not by church offerings. **********

If the two men said, “This is not under the church’s budget”, that should be it.

If the men used the church financials, then there would be an investigation to account for every penny that was spent the whole year. If you are accusing them, then do it. Go ahead and waste your church monies on an accountant that is paid to look into these accusations. When you find out that what they have done is fine, make sure you ‘accusers’ make a public apology to the pastors. Also, buy some time from the local news network. Buy some of the newspaper to put in an apology from the ‘accusers’, and make sure that the news network retracts their report.

3. You can’t trust your pastor with the financials of the church and yet you depend upon them to lead your church? There is something wrong here. Do you value money as more important than the spirituality of your church leaders and the congregation? There is some serious inequality.

4. Since when did the congregation start taking the local news as the gospel? Once again, they are “choking on a gnat, and swallowing a camel.” Obviously they need to fire both of these men if they can’t trust them.

I am very serious. If they can’t trust them over something like this, then why would the pastors even want to stay with that church? For me it is obvious that there are a greater number of under currents pulling them (the congregation) to and fro.

In this case, one might say, “A double minded church laity or powers and those of influence, are unstable in all their ways.”

Finally, if the Deceiver can get you, the congregation off the real mission of that church, then the devil has accomplished his task. Bring back the love, cherish the brother and sister in Christ, and let that same media know that there is a solid front backing your pastors.

I have said way too much I am sure. Kudos for you who have managed to read this whole thing. For the most part I am simmering because of the congregation’s lack of trust as reported by a “NEWS” outlet. Since when did a News media have precedent over reporting ‘facts’ to the church leadership?

Trust that God has called your pastors and let them minister. From what I read it seems that the pastors are guilty and have to prove them innocent.

Keep the Gospel always at the forefront of the church’s mission.

‘nuf said
John (The Over Indulging Private Plane Riding Big on Tue, May 04, 2010

This is ridiculous…I think Ed is a good guy, I think he wants people to come to Jesus, I think he wants The Church to be healthy, I think he wants to please Jesus, I just think he has gotten caught up in all the stuff just like all of us would. The fact is no one is offering a plane for you to speak, so he sucks for it. You couldn’t buy a big condo in Miami so he sucks for it. You can’t even have thousands of people watch your defense of your cool toys on youtube, so he sucks for it! Is he biblically off base to have the stuff, yea. Is he getting his reward now, probably. Is he going to be first in the world and last in heaven, probably. The biggest problem I saw with all this is the fact that they make snide remarks to the media and call the people who are against what they do, mind you is a lot of lost people, “haters”. This is pretty sick I think! You have an opportunity to win people to Christ through this but it seems that they are only concerned with defending them, not glorifying Christ. Which in my humble thought is it is probably true, people are emailing and leaving the churches, and he feels guilty. If not why defend yourself, why not look for ways to reach out to this reporter or the thousands of people in these cities that you have McChurch and win them to Christ. I don’t care if you have this stuff, just be honest about it and then look for ways to reach the lost! If people leave because of your so called “mishandling” of money then you took the risk and now you have to pay the piper. That is no one’s fault but yours eddy!
Gary H on Wed, May 05, 2010

I don’t have a problem with Christian leaders having wealth. Many live off royalties and not salaries. He’s gotten himself in a mess with this one though. Maybe he should publically repent of being too lavish and thank the media for pointing it out for him. Then make changes and get back to preaching the gospel. This would demonstrate the transparency that’s lacking in this world.
John on Mon, May 17, 2010

First of all, NOWHERE IN THE BIBLE does any person tithe MONEY. If you can find it please let me know. The widow did not title. She gave a gift. There is a difference. Tithing is legalism, pure and simple. Second, A simple solution to what went on is for EY to make his finances transparent. People ask, Why should have to? Because, as a pastor, he should strive to live above reproach.
alarm company">alarm company on Mon, August 09, 2010

I am looking for that new town around fort worth that has just started popping up with the cheap housing. Is there one around fort worth right now?alarm company
rev.bill on Tue, November 23, 2010

Unlike people in the world, pastors(AND THE FLOCK) are to use any surplus to feed the poor,take care of widows , orphans ,and preach the gospel.
Jesus was plain you cant take it with you.he also pointed to the man who filled his barns and then died,he called him a fool.