Joyce Meyer Agrees To Finance Investigation
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 Labels: government, Ministry, Pastor 4 commentsI made a post about this issue before. I am just glad that Joyce Meyer is making an effort and maybe it will clear her name from suspicion. I am still skeptical. Story below:
A US Senator says televangelist Joyce Meyer has shown a "good faith" effort to comply with a congressional review of nonprofit laws affecting churches and religious ministries.
Last week the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) announced it granted accreditation to Joyce Meyer Ministries and Oral Roberts University. Joyce Meyer is one of six televangelist ministries under investigation by the Senate Finance Committee for alleged violations of their tax-exempt status.
Meyer has been accused of lavishly spending ministry money on, among other things, a $23,000 marble-topped commode and an $11,000 French clock. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who initially launched the probe, says he is encouraged that Meyer has accepted ECFA oversight.
"She wants to reassert to her givers that she's using the money in the fashion of which they intended it when it was given to her," he explains. "And that's important to me because when an organization has nonprofit status, they are a trustee for that money, and then it also backs up another goal that I have [which] is maintaining the credibility of the tax-exemption that goes with charitable and church giving."
Grassley says four of the six ministries he has been scrutinizing have chosen to continue stonewalling his investigation -- Randy and Paula White of Without Walls International Church, Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, and Creflo and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Senator GrassleyChurch International.
Although he is still holding out hope the four ministries will voluntarily comply with his probe, Grassley admits he is "getting close" to asking Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus to issue subpoenas.
Can't say that I am surprised. There is something sick with the way that these pastors make so much money. Joel Osteen and TD Jakes are other good examples of pastors who are living way too high on the hog. God knows how many meals, clothes, medicines, etc. those wasted funds could have bought.
Hi Craig!
I work for Joyce Meyer Ministries, and appreciate your post about this. One thing I wanted to mention though, is that your title suggests there was resistance to complying with the senator's request. There was never any resistance to it. Grassley made his request in the forth quarter of 2007, and asked for compliance by December of that year. JMM did comply in a timely manner 15 months ago. Grassley has been complimentary of the ministry for it's compliance to his request (which included info on personal finances by the Meyers and their families).
We do truly focus on stewardship. It isn't uncommon for decisions to include a conscious reminder of the impact the decision will have on how many children can be fed. We take it quite seriously.
Best regards, and thank you for your time!
Government ought kep it's big nose out of the church.
Government, the pinnacle of good stewardship. They waste more money in a week than all the churches in this world collect in a year.
I'm no fan of the self-focused, Christian progressivism of Joyce Meyer's ministry, but I do not think the government needs to be in charge of who spends what on whatever in a church.
Mike,
I agree, these "pastors" seem consumed with money and fame. Most have a book published about monthly and they are nothing more than self-help books. How to live a better... or How to have a better...
Chad,
Thanks for your comments. I don't see how the title suggests resistance. It says she "agrees." Thanks again for the information you provided and I hope this clears up any misconception.
Steve,
You have a valid argument and I agree with what you are saying and think this is a slippery slope.