NEWARK, Texas (AP) - Here in the gentle hills of north Texas, televangelist Kenneth Copeland has built a religious empire teaching that God wants his followers to prosper.
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(Photo: AP Images /Tulsa World, Kelly Kerr)Televangelists lay hands on Oral Roberts, 85, during the International Charismatic Bible Ministries conference in the Mabee Center at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., Wednesday, June 18, 2003. From left are, Billy Joe Daugherty; Gloria Copeland; Kenneth Copeland; Charles Green; Richard Roberts; and Lindsay Roberts. Roberts spoke in his first public appearance in seven months.
Over the years, a circle of Copeland's relatives and friends have done just that, The Associated Press has found. They include the brother-in-law with a lucrative deal to broker Copeland's television time, the son who acquired church-owned land for his ranching business and saw it more than quadruple in value, and board members who together have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking at church events.
Church officials say no one improperly benefits through ties to Copeland's vast evangelical ministry, which claims more than 600,000 subscribers in 134 countries to its flagship "Believer's Voice of Victory" magazine. The board of directors signs off on important matters, they say. Yet church bylaws give Copeland veto power over board decisions.
While Copeland insists that his ministry complies with the law, independent tax experts who reviewed information obtained by the AP through interviews, church documents and public records have their doubts. The web of companies and non-profits tied to the televangelist calls the ministry's integrity into question, they say.
"There are far too many relatives here," said Frances Hill, a University of Miami law professor who specializes in nonprofit tax law. "There's too much money sloshing around and too much of it sloshing around with people with overlapping affiliations and allegiances by either blood or friendship or just ties over the years. There are red flags all over these relationships."
Copeland, 71, is a pioneer of the prosperity gospel, which holds that believers are destined to flourish spiritually, physically and financially — and share the wealth with others.
His ministry's 1,500-acre campus, behind an iron gate a half-hour drive from Fort Worth, is testament to his success. It includes a church, a private airstrip, a hangar for the ministry's $17.5 million jet and other aircraft, and a $6 million church-owned lakefront mansion.
Already a well-known figure, Copeland has come under greater scrutiny in recent months. He is one target of a Senate Finance Committee investigation into allegations of questionable spending and lax financial accountability at six large televangelist organizations that preach health-and-wealth theology.
All have denied wrongdoing. But Copeland has fought back the hardest, refusing to answer most questions from the inquiry's architect, Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa.
Copeland's church also has invited an Internal Revenue Service audit, which would keep information private, and has launched a sophisticated Web site, Believers Stand United, to "help set the record straight."
The Senate committee didn't set out to determine whether Copeland or the others broke the law, although it could provide information to the Internal Revenue Service if something seems flagrantly wrong, a committee aide said. The main goal, Grassley has said, is to figure out whether existing tax laws governing churches are adequate, which could carry sweeping implications for all religious organizations.
The committee could subpoena Copeland if he remains uncooperative. Neither he nor John Copeland, his son and the ministry's chief executive officer, responded to interview requests. Continue >>
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jhs, how do you know how many people Robert Schuller has led to Christ, plus he preaches what amounts to a touchy feely gospel which may lead to supposed emotional decisions but not necessarily true conversion experiences. Plus since you know me that well can you tell me what my score is in the soul winning competition?
One can always pick out a few obscure passages to promote that becoming opulently wealthy from selling the gospel is God's will. However, throughout the whole teaching of Christ, he time after time exhorted his disciples to "do as I do", "follow my example" etc. He did not have a home or even a "pillow to lay his head". A child can see that these preachers have gone the opposite way of Christ.
This is why I am continually impressed with Christian leaders who sought to follow Christ in this way. Rick Warren gave back all the money Saddleback Church ever paid him in salary & has given away the vast majority of his wealth received from his books sales.
Bill Bright, the late founder & president of Campus Crusade for Christ, never once received a 6 figure income throughout his life. When at the end of his life, he received the Templeton Award along with the $1 million prize, he donated the entire amount away to world evangelism.
These men aren't perfect but they at least were doing as Christ did. These evangelists will have to give an account to the Lord someday for their greed and for leading so many astray to also pursue a life a greed.
I agree. Prosperity is not wrong, if God so chooses to bless you with that, and if you know what to do with it. But being poor is not wrong either, if God so chooses to bless you with that.
Let's see what Paul (who was a very successful and prosperous man at one time, then forsook it all for the Gospel) says about the subject.
"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:11-13
So, if God so chooses you to be blessed financially, then give Him glory and use His blessings correctly. Some are called to financially support those who are called to be poor and work in a ministry of some sort. God has a plan that is beyond us. Learn to trust Him.
JHS, your remark about Robert Schuller is probably correct. As you know, we hold our greatest contempt for people who are "almost like us, but not quite." Therefore, believer takes offence when you place Kennedy and Schuller in the same category. Schuller may not be "my cup of tea," but I can certainly appreciate the thousands and thousands of people he has reached. His ministry is "not good enough" for many though. So, Shi'ites hate Sunnis, Theravada Buddhists hate Mahayana Buddhists, and fundamentalist Christians hate broadminded Christians. Ever will it be thus...
prosperity is not wrong. PROVERBS shows the advantages of being prosperous & poor. even in genesis, the garden of eden was not a barren desert, deprived of food & water. these televangelists/pastors always focus on malachi when there are plenty of other verse that point not to malachi but to hard work, planning, understanding & knowledge.
what is wrong is these televangelist/pastors use the bible or god to get rich. they manipulate people using guilt, shame & fear to force people to give. they use the sufferings of others so people will be forced to give.
canoefish ,
The anti christian media is not creating these problems for these "wonderful" ministries, the greed and power hungry tele evangelist are doing it themselves. As far as Graham most of these other tele evangelist could not hold a candle to Graham.
believer,
Schuller had led more people to Christ on accident than you have ever led on purpose!!!!!!!
When I quoted "you will know by their fruits", I was not talking about the fruits of the spirit. That verse comes from Matthew 7:15-20. From the NKJV:
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
It is saying that you will know if someone is a false profit by examining the fruits (a better word may be "results") of their life. My point in all of this is that we need to measure any minister of the gospel (Copeland's, Dobson, Billy Graham, local pastor of a church, etc) by the results of their ministry. Are people accepting Jesus Christ in their heart? Are people turning away from sin? Are people growing in their knowledge of the Bible? Are they having a deeper walk and relationship with God? Are lives being changed? I would say that for the majority of the long standing, large ministries that the answer is a resounding yes. Frankly, I dont care what the minister makes, how much the house they live in is worth, or what they drive as long as they are producing RESULTS. For the people bearing good fruit, their rewards here on earth are tiny (even the Copeland's) compared to their reward in heaven. For those who are fleecing the gullible masses for ill gotten gain and squandering it without results, they better enjoy it while they can before their tree is cut down and thrown into the fire. On top of that, if someone gives away so much that they can not take care of their own needs, they are in dangerous territory according to 1Timothy 5:8:
8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
FYI, Billy Graham's total compensation last year was around $350k (salary + fringe benefits) . Some news media made a squabble about it since he didnt work full time. I couldnt find the exact article but Google for "Billy Graham Salary" for some results.
Get ready for the upcoming months. This year is an election year and there are plenty of anti Christian organizations working overtime to dig up dirt on any preacher or ministry they can. Their goal is to stir up controversy in order to discredit the influence that Christian voters have and try to cause confusion. They know EXACTLY what they are doing when an article like this gets written. How come something like this doesnt come up in non election years?
jhs, how can you put Kennedy and Schuller in the same camp, Kennedy preached sound biblical truth and Schuller preaches a wishy washy warm fuzzies gospel at best, there is absolutely no comparison between these two men when it comes to their preaching and teaching.
Like 20:47 "Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation."
Hmm. What kind of fruits are borne?
It is sad when we mistake health and prosperity for blessing. That was a major issue with the Jews in the first century. The disciples asked about who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born with a disability. Jesus answer was, to paraphrase, you just don't get it. It is to show the glory of God. The church still follows in the footsteps of the pharisees and we see things through the world's eyes. Billy Graham declares that his salary is a normal big city church senior pastor's salary (at the time 75,000 dollars). Does he need 75,000 dollars? Why do Senior pastors make a larger salary (when their kids are usually grown up, married and out of the house and his house is paid for) than the newly hired youth pastor (with a wife and two little kids). Who needs the larger salary? The church needs to wake up and start living the economy that Jesus brought instead of the U.S.capitalist economy.
to canoefish
what you do not understand is how can copeland, hagee, joyce meyer, benny hinn be able to buy multi million dollar homes, luxury cars, stay in expensive hotels abroad (lay aways) that cost $10,000/night and fly in lear jets but they do not have job? if you say that 'you will know the fruits of the spirit' then does their joy or peace comes from the millions of $$ they have? do they practice what the bible say about contentment or self-denial? it seems to me that they are using & exploiting christianity to get rich. if people are dying bec. of hunger, thirst, sickness or homelessness while copeland, hinn, meyer, & company are living in multimillion $$ homes, driving luxury cars & flying in private jets, then something is wrong. to them christianity is another business & they proclaim themSELVES as self-appointed CEOs so they can receive the same salary a secular CEO receives.
finally, did christ practice blind obedience? did he agree with pharisees & ALL their teaching in the name of obedience or preaching the gospel? they are not stupid when they know that there is tax exemption in christianity.
jirehdesign, I don't think anyone here will object. Most will agree, since I think you are correct. Jehovah Jireh!
And, JHS, these endless political campaigns are, as an old black woman told me once, "a vexation to the spirit." But I guess we have to keep squabbling.... trying to do the right thing.
All joking aside, Copeland, Hagee, Dobson, Stanley et al have become very wealthy people on the backs of their ministires regardless of whether they are word of faith, evangelicals, southern baptist etc, it's made every thing that should not be important, important. It takes our eye off the ball, in a country facing an economic downturn, a endless war in Iraq, and growing "christian" divide between all americans of both parties. The fact "christian" ministires have taken the republican side in the political debate has more to do with their personal financial wealth they have gained over the years off their ministries than the gospel. Because when they had the control of the agenda, they did not outlaw abortion or could they stop other froms of behavior they don't like. It probably does not help that both Bush first ladies are openly pro choice.
I more than most vent my frustation about the Republicans, I even was on til 06, and the Democrats have their faults, however I look at country around me , I don't see a bunch of whiners, I see people trying to find their way past the economy, and the general moral climate that has turned downwards in tha last 7 years and wondering what kind of country their kids are growing up in. We are all trying to find our way. And we will, but if we are not talking to each other, and only talking past each other, we will never get there.
If someone can tell me why they disagree with my quoting 1 Timothy 6:3-10, please explain yourself. I'd like to know how someone could argue that the prosperity gospel is anything but extra-biblical and unhealthy.