How Many Souls Can $65m buy? Just One: Prosperity Preacher Creflo Dollar's

Maybe it's not such a great deal!
(image by Rev. Dan Vojir)

On second thought, we'll just take the jet.

Remember Pastor Creflo Dollar of daughter-choking Mommie Dearest fame? Back in June of 2012, the prosperity gospel preacher made headlines by being arrested for child abuse (he denied it). This was after he publicly preached that he would willingly shoot non-tithers (June 15, 2011).

Well, the violent preacher of bling is in the news again, but this time, for his unabashed righteous arrogance: asking $65 million for a new jet.

You read that right. And so did a lot of other people.

Creflo Dollar Getting More Into Satan (gawker.com):

Though Jesus is, as always, the most likely culprit, it is possible that the good reverend himself took down the funding page today after reports of its existence in the secular media prompted many of ye with little faith to insinuate that this Man of God had done something wrong by appealing for $300 donations from 200,000 of his humble followers so that he could replace the old private jet he was using with a new private jet--a Gulfstream G650, billed as"the best private jet money can buy."

Money beg removed

(image by Rev. Dan Vojir)

But He NEEDS This Toy, ahem, Jet!

In flight movie: 'Jesus Christ Super Star!'
(image by Rev. Dan Vojir)

Tour the Gulfstream 650 here.

Juda Engelmayer of World Changers Church International: "The work they do is important," Engelmayer said Friday. "It's feeding, clothing, educating people, as well as passing on the word of God." Engelmayer also stated that the jet would be carrying 100,000 pounds of food on some trips.

In a statement posted by the Christian Post, David Graham, a Global Express aircraft captain said:

"The G650 MAX RAMP WEIGHT is 99,600# then add 4,000# for the G650ER. IT CANNOT CARRY 12 PEOPLE AND 1000,000 # OF FOOD AND SUPPLIES LIKE THE COMMENTER SAYS!!!! CREFLO IS A CROOK AND SCAMMIN (sic) HIS CHURCH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!!!" wrote an incensed Graham.

But Pastor Dollar really, really NEEDS it!

To say you NEED a jet like that is the height of righteous arrogance. GOD doesn't NEED it. Nor does he WANT you to have one because you so richly deserve it, Creflo. He WANTS you to help people and spread the gospel efficiently NOT luxuriously. NEEDing an jet sets you above the poor - and above GOD.

Creflo, here is what $65 million can get you:

13 million articles of clothing for the poor with Pope Francis thrown in for free to hand them out.

500,000 paperback bibles.

50 million bible tracts.

65+ liver/kidney transplants

Shelter for 8 million homeless for one night

20 million Happy Meals

... or 10 million of these:

Yes, Francis would hand them out!
(image by Rev. Dan Vojir)

Dollar, Thy Name Is NOT Transparency

In the world of prosperity preachers no transparency means no good. Creflo Dollar Ministries is placed on Donor Alert by Ministrywatch.com because of its lack of transparency and unwillingness to give Ministrywatch.com sufficient information about the ministries. That means that the "millions of miles" flown and the thousands of people helped through "food, clothing and education" are unverifiable (see the actual website-deleted money beg below). Yes, the satellite churches are plenty, but they have to foot part of the bill of Dollar's appearances (usually half of the jet's gas and maintenance - up to $8000 per flight).

So without transparency and without reasonable cause to beg for such an extravagance, the reaction against Creflo Dollar has been scathing, even from the black community (see below).

So, Creflo Dollar, be careful flying that jet in a geed-free zone while you're thumbing your nose at poor people from 10,000 feet.

And here is what DJ Akademics says about it all (NSFW)

Creflo said that he would shoot non-thithers:

Preachers of Bling and Their Ensuing War With Francis: "Sacrifice? You've Got To Be Kidding!"

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:10

“The church doesn’t need apologists for their own agendas or crusaders for their own battles, but humble and faithful sowers of the truth.”

There is no doubt that Pope Francis I is shaking things up in today's world of religion - and not without plenty of hostility from some of America's most visible Christian preachers. Above, Francis called upon his clergy to be humble and not seek to climb any hierarchical ladder. But in perhaps his most provocative statement, he also called on clerics to live simply and humbly:  his address to the cardinals and staff who make up the Congregation for Bishops, Francis said that "self-denial and sacrifice are written into the bishop’s DNA."

Catholics across the country are responding accordingly:

ATLANTA — The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Atlanta apologized Monday for building a $2.2 million mansion for himself, a decision criticized by local Catholics who cited the example of austerity set by the new pope.

Archbishop Wilton Gregory recently moved into a nearly 6,400-square-foot residence. Its construction was made possible by a large donation from the estate of Joseph Mitchell, nephew of Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone With The Wind,” a Civil War epic that made his family wealthy. When Mitchell died in 2011, he left an estate worth more than $15 million to the archdiocese on the condition it be used for “general religious and charitable purposes.”

In New Jersey, Newark Archbishop John Myers hasn’t opted for penitence, and instead isdefending the expenditure of some $500,000 to add a three-story, 3,000-square-foot addition to his already spacious retirement home. The new wing will include an indoor exercise pool, a hot tub, three fireplaces, a library and an elevator.

The Diocese of Camden, N.J., includes one of the poorest cities in the country, which is partly why Bishop Dennis Sullivan made headlines in January for spending $500,000 to buy an historic 7,000-square-foot mansion with eight bedrooms, six bathrooms, three fireplaces, a library, a five-car garage and an in-ground pool. The diocese said Sullivan needs the space to entertain dignitaries and donors. Not everyone’s buying that. “This is a joke,” parishioner John Miller told the local paper. “Jesus was born in a stable.”

In one his latest articles on Pope Francis, OpEdNews' Rob Kall called Francis' call for serving and sacrifice, The Pope's Bottom Up Revolution. To be sure, Kall's article focuses on church hierarchy and not "bling", but bishops in the past (as in present day prosperity "bishops" and preachers) have always associated hierarchy with lavish lifestyles - certainly better than any in their congregations. Certain "Bishops" like T.D. Jakes and Eddie Long created their own hierarchy in order to give their gospel the cache that goes with the cash.*

The Tangled Web of Capitalist Churches

Perhaps the most common defense today's "prosperity gospel" preachers will have against Francis's message will be the same as Rep. Paul Ryan's: this new pope just doesn't understand the workings of America's wonderful capitalism. Its churches create a stronger belief and bring in lost souls!

They don't add "through greed". They don't have to. Kate Blowler's article Believers in Bling highlights the Prosperity "Preachers of L.A."

Many believers in the prosperity gospel will despise the “The Preachers of L.A.” for advertising the humanity of the man behind the message. Still others will tune in because of their deep belief that the high life might actually be divine.

 Or the preacher himself might be divine: Pastor Steven Furtick's  Elevation Church hands out coloring books to young worshippers stating "Elevation Church is based upon the vision given by God to Pastor Steven. We will protect our unity in supporting his vision." Furtick's new $3.3 million mansion certainly demonstrates the amount of support his "vision" has engendered besides all that adoration. 

The key to all of capitalist churches today may be transparency - or lack of it: few churches subscribe to the Evangelical Council For Financial Accountability. Lack of transparency puts them on Ministry Watch's "Donor Alert". Among those on the alert are:

Creflo Dollar Ministries
Benny Hinn
Rod Parsley (Breakthrough Ministries)
Trinity Broadcasting Network
Ken Copeland Ministries

Other churches equally culpable in shifting "bling" to their pastors and "bishops", however, may seem transparent, but have low "efficiency ratings', churches like:

John Hagee Ministries
TD Jakes Ministries
Mars Hill (Pastor Mark Driscoll**)

An Ensuing War

Whether on not capitalist churches like Ken Copeland's will address the "Francis Dilemma" head on has yet to be seen. So far, only ultra-conservatives like Paul Ryan (himself as Catholic) have made noises against Francis (ditto Rush Limbaugh, of course). But if Francis' theology of servitude and sacrifice truly takes flight, stronger names than "Marxist" will flow out of some of America's pulpits. 

Never come between a "bishop of bling" and his dreams. 



The below video is years old, but the preachers featured still thrive along with many more. 

*The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship that "consecrated" Long as Bishop is less than twenty years old and the original membership included Long himself. 
** Driscoll's latest scandal involves using church funds to pay for a "consulting" firm to place his latest book on bestseller lists. Up to $220,000. What Driscoll got from this fraud has still been undisclosed.