Creflo Dollar defies Senator

The Rev. Creflo Dollar of College Park’s World Changers Church International refused to cooperate in a U.S. senator’s probe into televangelists’ finances and uses of tax-exempt status.

Dollar’s attorney sent Grassley a letter telling him to get a subpoena or to refer his request for a review to the Internal Revenue Service.

The letter expresses concerns about giving documents to the government, explaining such action could trample on the constitutional rights of people to practice religious beliefs without government interference.

The letter says the six ministries targeted preach the “…’Prosperity Gospel,’ a deeply held religious belief that God’s devout followers and earthly leaders will prosper and be successful in all they do, including in financial matters, as the outward expression of his favor.”

It went on to say, “… we believe that the religious doctrine and practices of a church should not be held out for the world to evaluate as a result of responding to Congressional inquiries.”

Grassley said he is not interested in doctrine. He wants to make sure media ministries are not abusing their tax-exempt status.

He is the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee and has probed other nonprofit organizations, uncovering fraud and waste.

He believes he has a right to review records because when non-profits get tax breaks, the general public has to pick up the financial slack.

“I have an obligation to protect the integrity of U.S. tax laws,” Grassley said in a written statement. “If tax-exempt organizations, including media-based ministries, thumb their noses at the laws governing their preferential tax treatment, the American public, their contributors and the Internal Revenue Service have a right to know. Considering tax-exempt media-based ministries today are a billion-dollar industry with minimal transparency, it would be irresponsible not to examine this tax-exempt part of our economy.”

Joyce Meyer took an opposite stance from Dollar. She turned over records Tuesday.

In a written statement, Meyer said the ministry embraces “… this latest opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to transparency with our supporters and our dedication to the continual improvement of our own systems of accountability.”

Source 

Creflo Dollar speaks to Larry King about Senator’s probe…

Pastor Creflo Dollar spoke with Larry King about his finances and the controversy that seems to surround ministers who are able to afford a luxurious comfortable lifestyle. To see exactly what he said click here StyleRazzi 

Creflo Dollar responds to Senator’s Probe!!!

Pastor Creflo Dollar was on CBS News “The Early Show” and talked in-depth about the probing that was recently launched by Senator Charles Grassley, into the financial records of 6 Pastors of Mega-Churches.

Congress is looking into the collection boxes of some of the nation’s best-known televangelists.

Their tax-exempt ministries take in millions and now Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is asking whether these churches really are non-profits.

Georgia megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar is one of the televangelists who was asked to provide financial information.

“We don’t have any problems complying to a valid request,” Dollar told CBS News’ The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen.

But he questioned whether it was appropriate for the Senate Finance Committee “to become a tax examiner and to get involved in the information of private, nonprofit organizations when the IRS has already been assigned that responsibility.”

Asked about some specific assertions by Grassley, Dollar denied that two Rolls-Royces were purchased by the church for him and his wife.

“That’s not true. First of all, we don’t have two Rolls-Royces,” he said. “And secondly, the one Rolls-Royce that was purchased was purchased by the donors, or the members of the church, and it was a surprise to me. I had no idea they were doing it.”

Dollar also responded to claims that he tried to raise $1 million from other ministries to give to fellow evangelists Kenneth and Gloria Copeland to celebrate their anniversary, and that his ministry gave over half a million dollars.

“Also not true,” Dollar said. “We didn’t give Kenneth $500,000, and we didn’t take it from our church. We sent letters to different ministers around the country inviting them to share in honoring Kenneth Copeland’s 40th anniversary. It’s an opportunity for people to do what they believe, and unless we completely got rid of the First Amendment, that’s our opportunity to believe that we can sow into a man of God’s life, be a blessing to him and celebrate his 40 years of service in the ministry.”

Asked whether there are televangelists who abuse the faith of believers and misuse church funds, Dollar said, “There are some bad apples out there. But we’ve got to make sure that in our fear to try to locate those bad apples that we don’t put everybody in that same bucket and automatically assume because of that fear that everybody is the same.”

Others under scrutiny include Copeland, faith healer Benny Hinn and one of the nation’s best known female preachers, Joyce Meyer.

Grassley sent letters to a half-dozen Christian media ministries earlier this week requesting answers by Dec. 6 about their expenses, executive compensation and amenities, including use of fancy cars and private jets.

In a statement, Grassley said he was acting on complaints from the public and news coverage of the organizations.

“The allegations involve governing boards that aren’t independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls-Royces,” Grassley said.

“I don’t want to conclude that there’s a problem, but I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code.”

Those ministries that responded Tuesday either said they were cooperating or committed to financial transparency and following the law.

The investigation promises to shine new light on the kind of TV ministries that were crippled by sex and money scandals in the 1980s. Experts also say it stands out as an unusual case of the government probing the inner workings of religious organizations.

Most of those under investigation preach a variation of the “prosperity gospel,” the teaching that God will shower faithful followers with material riches.

This entire article was obtained from CBS News.

Bishop Eddie Long responds about Senator’s probe into mega-churches!!!

In yesterday morning’s service Bishop Eddie Long spoke about Senator Charles Grassley’s request for financial details from 6 mega churches.

Long called the request by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) “unjust,” “intrusive,” and “an attack on our religious freedom and privacy rights,” during a brief address to the congregation during a morning service.

Other than releasing a statement last week, saying he would cooperate with the request, Long had been quiet.

“[Grassley] wants to impose the will of government on our religious rights,” he said.

Many in the emotional and supportive crowd stood and cheered Long several times during his brief statement.

Whitney B. Williams of Marietta, a New Birth member said after the service, “That senator is a clown.”

He resents the financial aspersions the letters could cast on Long.

“Bishop is a good man,” Williams said. “What they are saying is wrong.”

Source

Senator explains why he is probing into mega-churches!!!

Who is this Senator that dares to probe into the financial records of America’s biggest mega churches???

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) is a no-nonsense Midwesterner who has used frank questions and his position as top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee to embarrass and reform some of the nation’s best-known nonprofits and charities.

Now, TV preachers have drawn his interest.

Two of the ministers are in metro Atlanta: Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia and the Rev. Creflo Dollar of World Changers Church International in College Park. The others are the Rev. Benny Hinn, and Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Texas, David and Joyce Meyer of Missouri and Randy and Paula White of Florida.

Tales of $23,000 commodes, Rolls-Royce cars, private jets, foreign bank accounts and gifts of jewelry to organizations that get millions of dollars in tax breaks got the senator’s attention.

“Jesus came into [Jerusalem] on a simple donkey. What are his disciples doing, flying around in jets?” he quipped to reporters last week.

Among agencies who found themselves in his cross hairs are the American Red Cross, the United Way, The Nature Conservancy and the Smithsonian Institution. Grassley and the committee combed through records documenting excessive salaries and perks, uncovered dysfunctional boards and business practices, exposed sweetheart deals and demanded more transparency.

This week, he sent letters asking for detailed financial records from the TV ministers by Dec. 6.

Grassley does not have power to subpoena the documents, but the finance committee does.

The committee hasn’t taken that step, but Grassley said he has a close working relationship with the chairman, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.).

“When the secretary of [Health and Human Services] was in front of us and I complained that I wasn’t getting answers to my letters, Baucus said, ‘If you get a letter from Grassley, you can figure it’s a letter from me,‘ ” he said.

Grassley said his interest is not in interfering in religion. He wants to ensure that the tax breaks are not being taken advantage of to enrich TV ministers.

Broadcast religion is a billion-dollar industry that receives little or no oversight by the Internal Revenue Service, he said in a written statement.

“In addition, some ministries refuse to provide donors and other interested parties a detailed accounting of how they spend donations, thereby making it nearly impossible to determine if they are adhering to the tax laws,” Grassley said.

Many nonprofits have to file IRS 990 forms, which are open to the public and give donors a peek into how much money a charity brings in and spends, including top salaries.

Churches do not have to make public reports about finances.

Now Senator your statement about Jesus coming on a simple donkey is ridiculous that was 2000 some years ago. So riding a donkey or a horse back then would be the equivalent of driving a car man…come on lol that’s not even a good example. They didn’t have computers back then either…so are you going to lay that at their charge also? Because most Ministers and people period have websites!!! Like Prophetess JuanitaBynum. Keep doing your thing.

Source AJC 

Creflo Dollar releases his churches financial records!!!

The AtlantaJournalConstitution is reporting that Pastor Creflo Dollar’s World Changer’s Church International in College Park alone took in $69 million in 2006, according to a brief report his church showed the AJC.

Dollar said he is releasing some information about his and his church’s finances in light of the probe of a powerful senator into Dollar’s and other ministries’ finances.

“I generally don’t make this public,” Dollar said.

His income is separate from the church’s, provided by businesses he owns and from investments and real estate, he said.

A church staff member said Dollar no longer gets a salary.

“I have signed million-dollar deals for books,” Dollar said.

Senator seeks financial records of Mega Churches.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters requesting detailed financial documents to two metro Atlanta preachers and four other ministries nationwide whose leaders are known for opulent, or as the ministers would say, blessed, lifestyles.

Grassley is the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee and has developed a reputation for demanding financial transparency from non-profits.

He wants to know how much Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia and the Rev. Creflo and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Church International in College Park make, how their church-issued credit cards are managed and how many cars, planes and foreign bank accounts they own. He has asked for information on the ministries’ boards, business relationships and associated organizations.

“I’m following up on complaints from the public and news coverage regarding certain practices at six ministries,” Grassley said in a press release.

The other ministers are the Rev. Benny Hinn, based in Grapevine, Texas; David and Joyce Meyer, Fenton, Mo.; Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Newark, Texas, and Randy and Paula White, Tampa, Fla. All are well known in the evangelical religious broadcasting world. They are also known for preaching that financial blessings are part of Christian life.

“The allegations involve governing boards that aren’t independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowance and amenities such as private jets and Rolls Royces,” Grassley said.

“I don’t want to conclude that there’s a problem, but I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code.”

A spokesman for Long said that he intends to comply fully with Grassley’s request.