Televangelists: 4 out of 6 miss Senator Grassley’s Investigation Deadline for Their Records In Depth
December 6th, 2007 by DR. CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTÉS, TMV Columnist
About a month ago, I wrote on “the Grassley Six,” who hold the interest of Senator Grassley’s investigation into several high profile televangelists’ finances and spending patterns with church members’ money.
The Senator ordered all televangelists to comply with the Dec 6th deadline, today, to produce all financial records, tax returns, receipts, accounting in writing about why and where they had stopovers, including explanations where applicable for cosmetic surgery, multi-million dollar airplanes, and gifts of Bentleys to other ministers.
Since Grassley’s investigation opened a few weeks ago, one of the female televangelists under scrutiny, televangelist Paula White, who is in the midst of a divorce from televangelist Randy White ….appeared on Larry King, it seemed, to answer the very pointed Grassley inquiries, but not to Grassley, rather to a star chamber composed of ‘television viewers…’
But the long antennae of the law continues to reach and search.
Of the six televangelists being investigated, only two complied with today’s deadline to submit the required documents:
–Senator Grassley’s office said it received a package of material Thursday from representatives of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, who head a ministry in Texas.
--Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo., run by the speaker, audio tape maker, and author, provided documents earlier this week.
Two other ministers from the Georgia megachurch, pastors Creflo Dollar and Bishop Eddie Long, have issued statements balking at Senator Grassley’s ultimatum, raising questions about this being a violation of the constitutional protections given to churches… that this investigation is unwarranted.
Texas-based faith healer Benny Hinn asked for more time to respond, and Grassley’s office said a meeting with Hinn’s attorneys is set for Friday.
Grassley’s office said lawyers for preachers Paula and Randy White of Tampa made initial contact with the senator’s office Thursday and gave no indication of a further response.
Attorneys for some of the ministries have said that probing the groups’ inner workings amounts to ‘unconstitutional governmental meddling in religion.’
Grassley has emphasized that he is not investigating doctrine but making sure organizations enjoying the benefits of tax-exempt status are playing by the rules.
A spokesman for Long, of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., said in a statement Thursday that the senator’s request “clearly disregards the privacy protections of the Church under law and appears to cross the line of Constitutional guarantees for churches.”
“The Church will fully comply with all laws applicable to churches but will insist upon the preservation of its Constitutional freedoms of religion and Equal Protection under law,” the statement said. Grassley’s office said it had not received a formal response or material from Long’s lawyers before the deadline.
The televangelist Benny Hinn has recently posted general financial statements for his work on his website, along with letters from auditors confirming his data.
But Hinn said his ministry does not make public “itemized annual financials” because “both corporate and ministry financial reports can be manipulated by unscrupulous people with unsavory agendas.”
read more at Why Black Women are Angry blog “TELEVANGELIST INVESTIGATION UPDATE: BENNY HINN BECOMES 2ND MINISTER TO GIVE SENATE ‘THE FINGER’ here
Christian Integrity blog has an interesting take on constitutionality and ‘reasons’ for Grassley’s review.
at Rant and Reason, there are some interesting comments from a former member of a religious cult, and also some links to books on what I’d call matters of faith and works, vs faith and exploitation.
h/t helaine
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2007 at 10:52 pm and is filed under Moral Values, Christians, Evangelicals, Christianity, Religion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
December 7th, 2007 at 2:46 am
Greed goes wherever man goes, and the church is no exception. For the sake of the congregants, even more than the sake of tax exemptions, honest bookkeeping is a must.
Another area for scrutiny should be the field of non-profit, fundraising, orgaizations. Under the level of the big and well known organizations, there is a whole vast netwerk of samller outfits,staying under the radar while many use atrocious practices. Nepotisma nd personal privilege are rampant. I make this claim as per my daughter, who has worked in the field for 15 years. I’ve seen many tears of rage and frustration when the honest work of many for worthy causes is undercut by the few, but not insignificant in mumber, who have no conscience.
December 7th, 2007 at 6:47 am
May Oral Roberts son pray for these people and give them guidance. He can also use the universities plane to fly them out of the country whem indictments are issued.
December 7th, 2007 at 6:59 am
From a Christian who Looks to GOD and not man for his comfort.
I hope that somehow we can hold these people accountable because many of them in the end are not Christians, do not have any religious convictions and are just your average swindling thief out to steal peoples, hearts, souls and more importantly their money.
Some are not. However.
If they are guilty then I would hope they are treated with the same respect that we give all Thiefs, embezzlers and con artists.
Throw them in jail. Clean up the airwaves because honestly I understand when people rail against Christianity I know it is these and their type they are pointing too and not the hard working man and woman raising a family in anywhere USA.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:21 am
Grassley’s staffers must be idiots. The first round of televangalist should only have included whites. To include two black ministers ensures that the race card will eventaully be played and ensures that Democrats will have to avoid this issue.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Who is that?
Oh, it’s SuperDestroyer!
Heck, I almost didn’t recognize you without your sheets on.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:59 am
davebo,
In case you have not noticed, white liberal Democrats love to attack non-mainstream protestant demoninations (those demoninations that are not shrinking). However, the comtempt that many on the left have for religions only seems to apply to whites. The left is quiet willing to ignore the very religious nature of many blacks and Hispanics.
While Grassley is going after less than honest mass market religion, it should have left Creflo Dollar and Bishop Eddie Long out of it. By including them, Senator Grassley automatically puts the CBC on the opposite side of the issue. Senator Grassley can also count of the race card being played.
In the end, the senator would have been better off attacking only white ministries until he establishes the need for new regulations. The inclusion of black ministeries almost ensures that nothing will come of his efforts.
December 7th, 2007 at 10:37 am
LOL SD gives his canned response and somebody gives a comment that no one can criticize. These con men and women preach - prosperity theology - for themselves.
December 7th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
The federal government has no right whatsoever to pry into what are correctly state or local affairs, but that’s not true when the issues are:
* Mail fraud
* Tax fraud. Don’t mess with the IRS!