Believer Bitter Over Prosperity Preachers
December 28, 2007 by admin
Filed under Stories Of Interest
And so the 53-year-old accountant from the Tampa, Florida, area pledged $500 a year to Joyce Meyer, the evangelist whose frank talk about recovering from childhood sexual abuse was so inspirational. She wrote checks to flamboyant faith healer Benny Hinn and a local preacher-made-good, Paula White.
Only the blessings didnt come. Fleenor ended up borrowing money from friends and payday loan companies just to buy groceries. At first she believed the explanation given on television: Her faith wasnt strong enough.
“I wanted to believe God wanted to do something great with me like he was doing with them,” she said. “Im angry and bitter about it. Right now, I dont watch anyone on TV hardly.”
All three of the groups Fleenor supported are among six major Christian television ministries under scrutiny by a senator who is asking questions about the evangelists lavish spending and possible abuses of their tax-exempt status.
The probe by Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, has brought new scrutiny to the underlying belief that brings in millions of dollars and fills churches from Atlanta to Los Angeles — the “Gospel of Prosperity,” or the notion that God wants to bless the faithful with earthly riches.
All six ministries under investigation preach the prosperity gospel to varying degrees.
Proponents call it a biblically sound message of hope. Others say it is a distortion that makes evangelists rich and preys on the vulnerable. They say it has evolved from “its all right to make money” to its all right for the pastor to drive a Bentley, live in an oceanside home and travel by private jet.
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“More and more people are desperate and grasping at straws and want something that will alleviate their pain or financial crisis,” said Michael Palmer, dean of the divinity school at Regent University, founded by Pat Robertson. “Its a growing problem.”
The modern-day prosperity movement can largely be traced back to evangelist Oral Roberts teachings. Roberts disciples have spread his theology and vocabulary Roberts and other evangelists, such as Meyer, call their donors “partners.” And several popular prosperity preachers, including some now under investigation, have served on the Oral Roberts University board.
Grassley is asking the ministries for financial records on salaries, spending practices, private jets and other perks. The investigation, coupled with a financial scandal at ORU that forced out Roberts son and heir, Richard, has some wondering whether the prosperity gospel is facing a day of reckoning.
While few expect the movement to disappear, the scrutiny could force greater financial transparency and oversight in a movement known for secrecy.
Most scholars trace the origins of prosperity theology to E.W. Kenyon, an evangelical pastor from the first half of the 20th century.
But it wasnt until the postwar era — and a pair of evangelists from Tulsa, Oklahoma — that “health and wealth” theology became a fixture in Pentecostal and charismatic churches.
Oral Roberts and Kenneth Hagin — and later, Kenneth Copeland — trained tens of thousands of evangelists with a message that resonated with an emerging middle class, said David Edwin Harrell Jr., a Roberts biographer. Copeland is among those now being investigated.
“What Oral did was develop a theology that made it OK to prosper,” Harrell said. “He let Pentecostals be faithful to the old-time truths their grandparents embraced and be part of the modern world, where they could have good jobs and make money.”
The teachings took on various names — “Name It and Claim It,” “Word of Faith,” the prosperity gospel.
The meke shall inherit the earth. It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven. Turn of the tv. and read your Bible that is where the truth is not in any man only in the Bible. GOD takes care of his childrens needs if you have money to send to these devils in disguise then GOD has done his part unfortunately your greed overpowers your faith.
Having watched all of the televangelists mentioned in the article often enough, I would say the one show that tops them all in “prosperity preaching” is The 700 Club. The show itself is actually quite informative, entertaining and usually Biblically sound in content but every episode has a LONG segment of a “real-life” testimonial of someone who was flat broke but starting writing checks to The 700 Club and now they are “in the money” not to mention a LONG segment showing folks the poor people in far away lands that they have helped with food or clothing, etc. For someone not bright enough to manage their own finances to the point of distress, turning on The 700 Club could be a dangerous mix.
Of course, there are others whose main message is giving to their show’s ministry, but I wouldn’t include Joyce Meyer in that for sure. Her message asking for donations to her ministry is ever-present but it does not focus on the “magic prosperity messages” and basically relates what they are doing to help folks in other countries. She also always has books, tapes and CDs for sale, but that’s not prosperity preaching either, it’s basic money for product. The majority of her show is usually her preaching to large crowds or discussing a particular book or CD with a guest. Her main message rarely has much, if anything, about “magic prosperity giving.
The woman could have quite easily made nonmonetary donations to local charities and thrift stores, etc. and that way she would have been giving to God but not going broke. God does give folks the power of common sense.
I say you get to know that you did something to help someone else…that’s enough for me.
If you believe in the separation of church & state, then how can the state have the authority to tax churches? Also, if we’re going to go after televangelists who ask for $$$ on t.v. and radio, are we also going to go after all the other organizations (including the “take my pill and get young” schemes) that target the elderly and vulnerable? Where does it stop?
Oh yeah, one more thing — churches have to perform an audit each year to retain their tax-exempt status. If we want to stop unethical practices, let’s enforce audit review and put out of business any shady organizations that don’t perform such an audit.
When are Christians going to wake and have common sense…..now we are listening to the news media (and Sen.Grassley who on a $165,000 annual salary lives the life of a millionaire?). Do Christians actual read the bible…sure there are ministers who may abuse a truth, but does that make the word of God untrue ? You cannot “spiritualize” the wealth of Abraham, David, Solomon……that was real money they had, don’t you know that the body of Christ needs wealth? May God have mercy on stupid Christians……poverty, sickness, sin……things the bible, God calls curses…we have made pious and religious…..Lord have mercy…..most Christians are poor, broke and about as spiritual as a bumble bee…..God trys to give us a little light and wow…we goe nuts……while the world sucks up all the bounty of the earth……….wow, wow, wow……….
Excellent post.Follow up the smashing work,You should definitely have to keep updating your site
Our Lord Jesus has already set us an example that if you want to lead you must serve by washing one another’s feet!! God also wants us to have the best but we need the Spirit of God to guide us or we will succumb to the temptations of this world. Money is good but when we worship it, then that is when its bad. Those blessed to have money in abundance is given to them by God to share with those unfortunate not to have sufficient to meet their daily needs. To me, this is God’s test if those with money will help the real needy or would they hoard it??? We are known by the fruits of our actions if we are Christ like or make believers wearing sheep skin but within prowls wolves!!!.
The Lord said “give and it shall be given onto you”….he did not mean we should always give to a ministry but to THOSE IN NEED ALSO…
The 1st christians sold their houses and gave the money to the church…but it was the TRUE CHURCH..the Bride
These tele-evangelists have unfortunately twisted that scripture to their own advantage ..they are now buying Rolls Royces with poor peoples’ money ( Creflo Dollar )
They are also making folks give in order to receive….which is the exact opposite of Christian giving ….we should expect nothing in return…..poor Laodicea…expecting prosperity and knowing nothing about standing for the WORD and being persecuted for his name !!!!!
Shame on you: Creflo Dollar, TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Ed Joel Osteen, Money Money Money Money changers of the Temple !!!!!!
You should be really ashamed of your comment David Lee
and watch over your language!!!!…this is a Christian site
Regarding your comment:
“that was real money they had, don’t you know that the body of Christ needs wealth?”
The body of Christ has need of wealth only for the furtherance of the gospel and not to buy Leer jets for Copeland, Dollar and Hinn
Paul was a tent maker, Peter a fisherman…none of the christians
in the New Testament brag about their riches and material blessings
It is definitely ok to prosper…but it is even more right to fight abuses made on the supposed behalf of the Gospel…….our present day church is teaching people to attach
themselves to material blessings …this is where it’s wrong…
The 1st christians were better givers than receivers…they suffered
persecution, hunger, tribulation….Blessings can come in multiple ways…..The fatness of our bank account does not make us a more blessed Christian….
Shame Shame Shame on you …I kindly suggest you revisit your Christian life and seek the baptism of the Holy Ghost !!!!Shame!!!!
P.S….Our kingdom is not of this World….We have no need to
“suck the bounty of the earth” as unbelievers do
he asked us to seek the riches that don’t perish…..
Teach and urge these things. 3If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7for we brought nothing into the world, and[c] we cannot take anything out of the world. 8But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 11But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
1 Timothy Chapter 6
These comments in this forum do not surprise me at all.
We as humans often pick vengeance over grace,love, and prayer.
We should be so focused on our personal relationship with our Lord that we have no time or thoughts of
judgement towards others that we do not have a personal relationship with at all.
Everybody wants to change the world, yet nobody wants to change themselves.