IslandMix

The Senate Finance Committee is inquiring into the finances of the leaders of some mega churches. In response, Creflo Dollar ()said his salary (which I guess pays for his Rolls Royce(s) and G4) is not tied to the money his church takes in. Who pays the salary then? Am I missing something?

Excerpt:
Creflo Dollar, one of six TV preachers asked by the Senate Finance Committee last week to disclose how much money his church is raking in, released a financial report showing that his World Changers Church International took in a whopping $69 million in 2006. The Atlanta-area televangelist, who lives an extravagantly wealthy lifestyle, wants to make it clear, however, that his beautiful Rolls-Royce and other amenities did not come out of the church’s coffers. “Without a doubt, my life is not average,” he said. “But I’d like to say, just because it is excessive doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong. When I want a nice car, I use my own money to get the nice car and not the money of the church. My lifestyle does not come out of the church’s bank account.”

BET.com - News You Should Know » TV Preacher Creflo Dollar Says His Wealth Has Nothing To Do With Millions Church Takes In

Other Links:
Is prosperity a blessing from God, or a crime? - Los Angeles Times
FOXNews.com - Grassley Probes Televangelists' Finances - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum
http://www.11alive.com/news/article_...storyid=106016

If he's a full-time Minister, then the church pays his salary. So, it is kind of coming from the church. I'd love to know what exactly the church pays him.

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Live ah Little...

Paul, in the bible, made it clear that he knew his salary was a burden, so he took up basketweaving on the side to pay for himself when he preached. His salary at the time was room and board, but he knew some people didn't like it. If churches really wanna be based on the bible, how come no one follows this? at least none that i found?

Are you suggesting that the pastor ought to get a gig on the side in order to live? How would they then be available to serve their congregation?

the same way Paul was. The same way Jesus did. You don't gotta meet every day with everyone. You meet when needed. You deal w. the big problems and teach other people to deal w. issues amongst themselves. The pastor has to teach some men and women under him the ways of Christ, and they do the same to everyone else....let the church, well...discipline itself. And when they can't bring the issues to the pastor.

oh yeah, and I'm not the one suggesting it...it's been the way Jesus wanted it from the bible for about 2000 years now.

Do you belong to a church body? I'm genuinely asking...

'Cause I do...and my church has approximately 700-800 members (small compared to these mega churches) with one pastor! Yes there are elders...but there are some people in the church who will not leave the hospital till de pastor come tuh pray & visit, bury their dead, or get married, unless de pastor do it! Dey ent care one bit dat de pastor training oddas...as time goes on, and things get worst...it's not as easy to chalk it up to "discipline itself" There are people from all walks of life who need serious guidance...

A lot of pastors also aren't just available to those within their church walls...they also service the needs of the local community...

My pastor has an office at the church, and he reports daily the same way I go to work...'cause that's his job...

Also...both Paul and Christ were un-married...dey didn't have no wife, and children tuh support and put through college...

Now, I am not saying all of this to support the lavish lifestyle that some pastors live...but I don't think it's realistic to say in 2007 that a pastor should find some kind of gig to support himself and his family.

nah no church body for me, but i understand that paul was single and jesus probably was as well...I just think the bible makes it clear that the church has to help each other. Jesus dealt w. masses, but not be himself. He found twelve, taught them effectively, and then those twelve went out to make 72, etc, etc.

but this is all besides the point, I can see some full time staff, I just think they should make at most, like 80,000 a year. That's probaly way more than Jesus would make or Paul or Peter would make honestly. I think that most people in the church should hold a part time and be part of real life and the real world, just like in the biblical times.

I hear what you saying though...some things, may seem unrealistic in 2007..but i think some people put too much faith in the paster, as if the paster is anyone really more special than anyone else.

I honestly doh think my pastor making $80 grand ah year nah...but my church is not a "good" example in that the pay scale is very structured, and is dependent upon the pastor's years of experience and not the size of the church...

The pastor not more special per se, but he does have a specific calling and responsibility...that he ought to focus on.

What better way to minister to de poor but from de driver seat of yuh Rolls Royce...

That's what I'm studying. I know God wants us to live abundantly, but what the hell does Pastor Dollar need with a rolls royce??? What is that saying about materialism??? That car is a status symbol. Where is the humility?

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Live ah Little...

It sure won't be found in his mansion...you need taxi-fare just tuh go from de front gate tuh de front door.

I can imagine. There is something wrong with that.

__________________
Live ah Little...

It had one here who used tuh fly he private plane from one church service tuh de next because one church in Kissimmee, and de next one in Orlando...

Ah guess it never dawned on him tuh either start one service earlier or one later...

I hope they lock these dudes up and throw away the key!
Its a damn disgrace how they use the church as a means to get RIDICULOUSLY rich and people keep giving them more and more money...

Creflo facking Dollar my ass...that name ent no coincidence

but, it's better to be poor...too many sermons on BET I see are about 'God will want you to be rich financially'...that wasn't Jesus' message. 99% of the time you see sermons on TV or hear a sermon, it should be about LOVE or working on relational problem, that's it...that's what I think 99% of Jesus' sermons were about. I can't think about any sermons from Jesus about getting rich...but I could be wrong.