Yeah, I have a thought. Randy and Paula’s home doesn’t look that impressive. Don’t get me wrong, it is a nice home. Plus I can’t tell how large it is. But I pastor a small church in Florida and I too have a waterfront home. That is because we took advantage of the steady real estate appreciation that happened in Florida in the first 5 years of this decade and were able to “trade up” and invest in property to where we were able to buy our first waterfront home. But it didn’t come from the salary from the church. But people assume that if you are in ministry, that you must be bilking the people. I have even heard comments like that from my neighbors.
Even before we bought the house, we asked ourselves “what will this look like?” It is unfortunate but that is the way it is in our society. We do drive modest cars though. My wife drives a ‘06 Nissan Sentra and I drive a ‘79 Jeep.
But we have nothing to hide and our financials show it. And all those minsters like the Whites and Benny should have no worries if they have nothing to hide. 
I’m not saying that I agree with these ministries or their messages but sometimes pictures don’t tell the whole story.
BTW - That is not the ocean to the right of the White’s house but rather Tampa Bay which makes it a 1/4 of the price of beachfront; and that is a highway between the house and the water which makes the house a little less expensive than direct waterfront.

I don’t know if this is such a black eye for the evangelical community. I think that most people (Christian and non) distinguish between those “guys on TV” and the local church.

It is a shame however. The shame is that many of them will not make their financial records public or abide by ECFA guidelines. I don’t care if these guys want to live in a large, ocean front home. Before their own master they stand or fall. Just be honest to your donors about it.

BTW, Jim Bakker was convicted of fraud not embezzlement. His original conviction was for “selling” lifetime partnership, which would give Partners free access to Heritage USA—their amusement park/retreat center.

The original ruling was that PTL was guilty of fraud because their was not enough room at Heritage for all of the partners. However in July 1996, a federal jury overturned the original ruling. They determined that PTL was not selling securities at all. Bakker had always maintained his innocence in the matter of fraud. 

Derek

All I want is for Benny to change that ridiculous hairstyle…

Maybe he is trying to be like Donald Trump, in more ways than one.

Well, I grew up in Tampa, and I’ve driven by that house recently while visiting my mom. It’s a heck of a lot more impressive from the front than from a satellite.
And a few years ago, we were in California and walked on the beach in front of Hinn’s crib. THAT was stinking huge.
Bottom line, IMHO...it’s too much house for a pastor. Period. WAY more questions than answers.

A nice thought, but government is not going to solve the probem of unethical, greedy preachers any more than the ECFA has been able to. I often wonder if the whole tax exempt thing is a luxury that American Christians have started looking at as an entitlement. Godly organizations will find a way to thrive without government privileges and godly givers will give regardless of whether the IRS gives them a pat on the back.

Karl,

Why do you assume these people are Christians?  You tell a tree by its fruit and the fruit on display by Hinn, Meyers, White, Dollar, Long and Copeland are far from good. Be honest with yourself and search the scriptures to see if what they teach and do are scriptural. I hope God uses the government to take a whip to these money changers.

a lot of people has big houses,and they do sell a lot of books, i guess they make money selling their books.

When I read about this subject I think of a neurosurgeon friend of the family who decided to live on a middle class income and give most of the rest away.

Their kids didn’t even know that their dad made big bucks.  They were just normal kids in an average family.

I would think someone who is going to be highly visible, by putting themselves in a position to be watched by the world, and supposedly in ministry, would seek to be above circumspect.  They are at a higher level of responsibility in my opinion, because they are constantly be watched and viewed as representative of the Christian community.

Benny Hinn for example has chosen a beach front lifestyle in Dana Point.  There isn’t a medium income house anywhere around there.  He’s chosen the upper income affluent lifestyle (the rich and famous) of Orange County.

I think he’s asking to be questioned.

Hey maybe they are making money off books.  But I like how RW has handled that and made it a part of the ministry and its funding rather than taking the money and buying a big place.

Yeah the money’s theirs if they want it. 
But by their very calling as a minister of the gospel, I would think how that appears, would be more important to them, so that they can deliver their message without any question of their integrity, than having the money and living well.

Jan is right to say that Hinn is asking to be questioned. I mean c’mon, if you are receiving donations to your “church” and you receive a salary that affords you an OC home...Hinn should be questioned and should be honestly report his financial condition.

I believe Hinn’s org. is considered a “church” although it does not function as a church in the traditional sense. According to the IRS, churches don’t have to file a 990 form; other religious non-profits do. The 990 includes salaries of exec. officers. It would be good if the IRS would reclassify orgainizations like Hinn’s as a religious non-profit and not a church.

For what it is worth, I am not so much interested in how much Hinn is paid as long as he is upfront with his donors. He can earn whatever kind of salary he wants too...that is between him, his board and God.

When I travel to India and spend time with village pastors that pray for years for a bicycle so they don’t have to walk from village to village preaching the gospel...I feel like I am living an extravagant lifestyle because my family owns two vehicles. I guess the amount of money a person earns in the ministry is a bit relative.

When Jim Bakker was building his PTL empire, he was earning a 2 million dollar salary. Sounds extravagant by anyone’s standards. However he was giving away the 8 million dollars a year that he was earning through media sales. So he was giving away 80% of his income.

Do you know anyone earning a $100,000 a year who lives on $20k and gives away $80k?

Derek

Derek said:
Do you know anyone earning a $100,000 a year who lives on $20k and gives away $80k?

No, but I would bet that living on 20% of 10 Million is easier than 20% of 100,000.

A few errant “pastors” do catch the attention of the media with their visible lifestyles.  There are laws that deal with how nonprofit organizations are to manage their funds.  The accountability must come from within those organizations.  The charismatic leadership style does tend to blind their followers ... which is no excuse.  As Christians we are not above the law.

The real “crime” is not the excessive lifestyles of a few ... what about all the pastors who serve bivocationally in communities and among Christians who can afford to support the church but don’t.  What about the many pastors who go year after year without a cost of living increase and driving ten year old cars?  Or why so many pastors, in order to get a livable wage have to either change churches or leave the ministry?  If the new media wanted to give Christians a “black eye” - this is the story they should go after.

Do you really think that most pastors and their families are greedy with their $20,000?

Not the ones I know. Most are giving that away too. 

This last month we had to turn a report in on how much we actually made, and I was shocked on how little that was.  And blessed too, that God carried us through and we truly felt no pain!  I think these guys who bring in millions and live high, miss out on a lot of blessings.

And they really are the few and far between.
Most of our pastor friends live on very little, share their homes and tables continually and give above and beyond their means… probably more than 20%.