What The GFA Resignations Mean
Less than a month after accepting a position on the board of Gospel For Asia, Damian Kyle has resigned.
Gayle Erwin and Skip Heitzig have resigned as well.
Without statements from the men about why they resigned, this has all of the appearance of rats fleeing a sinking ship set on fire by bloggers.
Without statements from the men about why they resigned, the giving public that has placed their trust in these men and their affiliates is still left in the dark.
The one thing these moves accomplish is to send a clear message throughout the Calvary Chapel clergy that Gospel For Asia has lost it’s most favored charity status.
If that message isn’t relayed loudly and clearly to the congregants as well as the affiliates, then those giving will continue to be used.
This also rebukes those Calvary Chapel pastors who, (as late as last week) were denying any issues with the charity and were instead spreading lies to discredit the work of Warren Throckmorton.
One also has to wonder where His Most Holy Eminence Bishop Grand Poohbah, K.P. Yohannan is hiding.
His silence speaks volumes as well.
My sources have estimated that a third or more of GFA’s income is from Calvary Chapel churches in the U.S.
That generosity needs to be rewarded with truth and given the opportunity to place their hard earned money where it can be accounted for.
This story is far from over…
What is it with these guys like Skip, Gayle and the like, that they don’t have the cojones to stand up and speak out publicly?
It gives the appearance that they have something to hide.
It’s the legendary “no talk” rule…it’s a piece of their culture that is very hard to change.
what is it? i think it is twisted self righteousness – the kind of righteousness that declares, “my country right or wrong, but my country” – the kind that is prevalent in parenting today that declares publicly “my child didn’t do it” and then works out a cya with the child in private…
how often have you heard an old timer say, “if i got in trouble at school, i’d be punished when i got home?” … today that kind of parenting would be labeled disloyal and cruel
just sayin 🙂
Em,
There’s a lot of truth in what you said.
oh and Michael, and all who look like you – i suspect rich will be your reward on that Day
God keep
Em,
I hope so…because the rewards are pretty thin down here. 🙂
From where I sit it is a very weird and contradictory tactic. I guess they figure if they don’t talk about it the storm will blow over.
The fact the K.P. Yohannan has gone into hiding speaks volumes itself.
Scott,
It has driven me to the brink for over a decade.
Behind the scenes I knew for a fact that there were people involved who could tear the lid off this situation and could do so righteously.
They flat refused to speak.
They still refuse to speak.
Warren and I both heard the rumors of these resignations early yesterday morning…it took until this morning to get enough confirmation to print what we knew already.
Just a case of the blind leading the blind… So glad I got off that train long ago!
The lengendary “no talk” rule seems to also be a form of self-preservation. If I don’t talk about you today (and your sins) then you will owe me when I am caught doing X,Y, or Z. It’s really a very sick system perpetuated by men who exhibit spiritual weakness, whether they know it or not. Picture Jesus walking around the Pharisees and keeping his mouth shut about the stuff they were doing because, gosh, he wouldn’t want them talking about him! I think it’s a part of that “judge not” garbage that has been passed through the church for the past 30 years, and yet we are told to judge rightly. All the ways of the Lord are truth and mercy. Where is the truth in this?
This institutional Christianity has become a very sick system that produces spectators rather than disciples. Very sad.
I think the reason why men like this resign and then say nothing is simply their pride. Our pride hinders us from admitting our errors. The Scriptures say this:
1 John 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out as a liar and his word is not in us.
Also 8 If we say we have no sin, then we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
All of our leaders sin. The humble ones admit it and will publicly apologize for making big mistakes that hurt their own sheep. The proud ones either say nothing, or they attempt to spin things to minimize their own sin as much as possible. Or they hire a PR firm as most of the big charities in the US have.
This is great news Michael! What do you see happening next with GFA? Also, there will be collateral damage to GFA falling that will affect some of the children. I am not assuming that there were no funds going where they should go.
“The lengendary “no talk” rule seems to also be a form of self-preservation. If I don’t talk about you today (and your sins) then you will owe me when I am caught doing X,Y, or Z. ”
Judy nailed it.
This is part of CC DNA…but you’ll have to read my book when it’s finished to find out why. 🙂
Covered,
My gut instinct is that there had to be a triggering event that caused these guys to jump ship.
Until I know what that event was, I will withhold prognostication…
For what is it worth. Sometimes men keep silence for reasons other than pride and CYA.
I speak from experience….
I’m surprised this news is met so quickly with “it is not enough”…when the news is just breaking. Who knows what is being prepared…or not being prepared too. Maybe a condemnation will be warranted later.
I know there are some (not Michael) who would love to see the congregations these men pastor, dragged into lawsuits and brought to financial ruin and extinction for trying to help the poor in India and putting their trust in the wrong guy (or possibly the right guy at one time who was changed by the love of money and power – God knows)…..but as a pastor myself, with no connection to GFA, I care first and foremost for the church I pastor. Their future, and their well being.
Thinking the same, Michael—-triggering event. Hmmm. My guess, it was getting too close to something they did not want others to know.
It reminds me of the adulterer, might admit it but then minimizes it by insisting that everyone just move forward—and get over it. When in fact, much more lies under the sheets than what yet has been discovered. Take the heat off just enough to avoid further discovery–maybe.
Wasn’t Gayle Erwin the guy that did the original investigation into the complaints of some and found absolutely no problems at all? If this is the case, seems to me he’s got some pretty big explaining to do.
Back in the day, K.P. Yohannan was one of the most convincing and convicting speakers on the circuit.
I don’t blame anyone for being taken in…I only blame them for staying in as the evidence mounted.
My sources have estimated that a third or more of GFA’s income is from Calvary Chapel churches in the U.S.
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I can believe that. I bet within USA donations it is even higher.
That generosity needs to be rewarded with truth and given the opportunity to place their hard earned money where it can be accounted for.
—————————————————————-
Agree 100%. We have been thinking what to say and how to say it for awhile. In other words – we too have been “silent” to date. Let the lashings begin.
We do not and have not funded GFA, we DO have a (arguably) competing ministry to India and thus did not want to come off unseemly in such an announcement…half or more of our congregation does not know Calvary Chapel beyond the name on our bulletin. And yet, there is the other half who does..and a couple of those in that group, MAY have donated to GFA or be tempted to donate in the future. And so they do need to know the latest, and I am challenged (not the blog commenters here) in finding the proper, Godly way of doing so.
Steve,
I’ve been asked repeatedly for info on the Indian mission you support.
Feel free to repost that info anywhere.
MIchael, is there any link, maybe to Warren, that mentions these announcements officially you could reference us to? Or is this found out through personal conversations?
Not that I don’t believe you…just wondering if there is such a source.
Thank you
These guys in the upper echelon knew something was off a long time ago.
They chose to remain onboard in spite of the evidence, why? I’m not sure, that’s the thing a lot of people are trying to figure out.
To me, anything they do or say now will be hollow. Sort of like Monday morning quarterbacking after the fact.
Steve,
The announcement was made during a staff meeting and not in an official release.
Michael, I saw KP in the past and was convinced of all he said. It wasn’t until you started reporting on this I realized things weren’t what they seemed.
It always seems people are exposed for their doctrine not meeting the criteria of all the different discernment groups out there.
Low hanging fruit like TBN, Benny Hinn, etc. have always been reported on and people liken themselves to the Apostle Paul when it comes to naming names.
It must be odd when some come to realize that as they have been exposing people all of the time that at the same time they were supporting something that needed to be exposed.
This is terribly sad.
So Michael, you know where I stand on this and all things I dislike CC, but for me, this speaks loudly. Stopping the flow of money and no longer being the face & voice of GFA is a huge step especially for people like Skip. What else should we expect from them? You know from experience that the battle is far from over with these guys and how they work “in the Name of Jesus…”
I was reasonably convinced that this had happened yesterday morning.
Multiple sources had contacted me before noon yesterday.
It was second hand info but it was really strong.
Warren hadn’t heard it yet, so I decided to wait until we had first hand confirmation, which Warren received.
What I would like to know is this:
Being that most CC’s have their own mission outreach and missionaries, how are the donation to GFA passed on to them by those giving units.
Does CC have a centralized mission ministry that works with distributing these funds to GFA.
covered,
You will have to buy me a lot of drinks and speak very softly to me before I will believe that this is anything but Skip covering his ass.
You and I both know that the dirt here is thick…and if these guys, especially Heitzig, cared about the donors they would have exposed it long ago.
You can’t tell me that a blogger in rural Oregon has better info on GFA than a guy sitting on it’s board.
Uriah,
The donors I know sent the money directly to GFA.
Erunner,
It is sad…but don’t miss the fact that it also shows the incredible generosity of the people of God.
Michael, I have been specifically asked by my friend not to put specifics online. India is very tech-savvy and literally has Hindu militants going online looking for people in India to persecute who are effectively raising support in the USA.
I have one friend there who has been beaten multiple times at the leper colony. I have another friend whose virgin daughter was gang raped a month before her wedding because her father would not stop sharing the gospel from village to village. Both of these men were instrumental in the Lord’s using in giving my wife and I our son. I can’t express in words what their sufferings mean to my wife and I.
Our dear friend through whom the ministry runs has had multiple death threats and one “Paul” scenario where he was warned of an ambush the day it was to take place if he had gone on his scheduled appointment. I have to take these things seriously and thus my mixture of disgust at GFA using the “persecution” excuse for their immorality while at the same time leading the cynics to mock the idea of persecution and saying it really isn’t happening.
This is what we have on our website: “Due to increased persecution of our ministry partner and his team in India, it is necessary to limit the details of the work and those involved! Pastor Steve has had a relationship with those there since his first trip to India in 1998. In addition to sharing the Gospel and planting churches, the work includes meeting the physical needs of the outcasts in India, such as orphans, lepers, and the blind, all in Jesus name.” (Here is the link that shows the contrast to our other missionaries)
http://www.calvaryle.org/missions.html
If someone comes to a service they can see the picture and name of our friend, who also spoke there last summer on a visit to America. We could not put that message online either.
I have spoken to Kevin H. only out of the PhxP community and am more than willing to speak to anyone else interested. Unfortunately, when you put the email up last time all it resulted in was hate mail and a couple friendly requests for helping other ministries – the latter I appreciate but have no time or resources for, the former is par for the course.
However, if anyone does want more information. The address is pastorsteve (at) calvaryle (dot) org I can give you my cell number (if you aren’t a troll) and answer anything you want to know. I will again say that 100% of donations marked to India go to this ministry – whether given online or by check (or in person at a service). We have a percentage of each month’s offering that goes as well.
Thank you for the interest and the promotion. Blessings.
Your #28 cracked me up! As appealing as your offer is, I don’t spoon with bloggers and I can’t hold my liquor 🙂
I want to find a safe, accountable resource to fill the gap for the kids in India. Steve W, can you give us more info on what you are doing over there and who you work with? Thanks.
Got it Steve, thanks
Michael, it’s the leaders who the people take their cues from. Until they hear it from them it seems they will continue to misplace their trust. It’s easier to believe you are a man to be avoided. I imagine the same is true for Mr. Throckmorton. How you do it I don’t know. All of the information you have would probably crush me.
“All of the information you have would probably crush me.’
Some days it does… especially now when the culture is looking for any reason to despise the church and we keep giving them reasons to do so.
Michael, I have to think there is a lot of disillusionment in the church with some even leaving. Looking around the world it’s clear we need each other now more than ever. Instead it seems we are a fractured pot. I’m happy that you have those who come alongside you to make it bearable. Thanks for your work.
This institutional Christianity has become a very sick system that produces spectators rather than disciples. Very sad.
Yes Judy, a very sad…AMEN!
good comment thread here today – IMHO
i had an “interesting” childhood (not a miserable one) and it created a person whose instinct was and still is to trust no one… the good thing is that when i really saw the love of God hanging on that cross, it birthed in me a love that just wasn’t “natural” and a commitment to a reality (spiritual) that has lasted all these many decades…
my point is? we’ve got to focus on Christ, the reason for all this…
i’ve never been in a group of Christians-so-called that i haven’t discovered some souls who love honestly out of a pure heart and i think we need to pray daily for all like-minded lovers of God…
my point is? we’ve got to focus on Christ, the reason for all this…
Yes Em, A very HAPPY… AMEN!!! 🙂
Regarding #17, yes, Gayle Erwin performed a one man investigation that consisted of three in person interviews of top level GFA leaders and certain documentation from both the GFA Diaspora and GFA leaders. No former staff or current staff were interviewed other than top leaders, despite KP announcing to the staff that Gayle “would be on campus for a few days interviewing people”. Everyone thought more was being done than actually was being done.
It is a mystery why it took him five months to write the ridiculous final report. It was mainly a work of fiction. Many current staff at the time were quite upset by both the overall tone of the letter and certain untrue statements it contained. He certainly owes many people an explanation. In his defense, I have reason to believe that he was manipulated by KP throughout the process. However, this illustrates the need for a truly independent board. Stacking the deck with friends and relatives gives KP lots of emotional leverage that serves only his purposes. Many people within the organization had great hopes for the investigation. Once people realized that it was a sham and an illusion, the great exodus of 2015 started and continues to this day.
Michael, I noticed that you mentioned a board tenure of less than a month for Damian. I think he was actually on the board for some period of time before anyone managed to pry the information out of any of the chosen few who knew. For example, Francis Chan was spotted at GFA during the period of the July board meeting, but it took until September to wrangle a reliable confirmation regarding his board membership. It would not be a stretch to think that Damian may have been on the secret board back in July, also.
The cookie is crumbling.
I wonder how long the CC Radio Network will continue to play GFA on there stations.
GFA will do just fine. They will hunker down like other “ministries” and churches which hide from transparency under the “church” banner. As such, they are not required to file a form 990 with the IRS so they can and will do whatever they want in secret. Finally free from ECFA scrutiny, GFA can forego undergoing an independent audit and maintain a tightly knit board. There will be no way to examine extravagant claims and zero accountability.
I spoke with a CC pastor last week who knew nothing about all these recent issues. He had stopped supporting GFA long ago after a visit to India including spending time in KP’s home. Even then, the extravagance he saw was shocking. Not everyone has time for blogs. If there was a way to fix this, those board members who left would not have left.
ECFA and CC were good ole horses, but they done broke down. There are lots of horses out there.
” If there was a way to fix this, those board members who left would not have left.”
And there is the truth of the matter.
@43 and Michael.
RTR has been pulled from the programming line up. It did not air Sat. pm PST. The time slot is blank.
If what you say is true, and CCs are responsible for 1/3 of GFA’s income, then the ones who established this connection have the responsibility to man up and apologize to their congregations for misleading them into a sham of an organization.
I still say CC provided the blueprint for GFA’s style of leadership. The unaccountable kind.
I can’t tell you how upsetting this is to me and my spouse. We love Jesus, the church and India. The impact of all this in both countries will be felt for a long time. Please pray for the truth to come out but pray that God will protect his saints.
On persecution in India. There are pockets of persecution in India. There is no denying it. Frankly, there are many religious groups that suffer persecution in India. I really think that the story you all hear in the West is lopsided though. Millions of Christians go to church without a problem. You don’t hear that. Many famous Hindus have come out and said Indians have a right to be whatever religion they choose. You don’t hear that either.
I think the anger the Hindus have is from everyone outside of India hearing a lopsided story and thus there is a backlash from this. Can you really blame them? They feel they are unfairly being compared to Pakistan or China when in reality India is not as bad for the most part. I have followed many persecution stories from India. Some are horrible, however there are some stories coming out that have never been fact check, never been corrected after being found out they were in error in details or never been followed up on to see what the Indian government has done to correct the problem, yet Hindus and the Indian government are regularly bashed by Christians. No one bothers to report the times they do stand in the gap. If we don’t hear those times of standing for the rights of Christians don’t you think those events will become less and less?
I also think that some American websites are actually rubbing Indians the wrong way. You can not block information from Indians because they live around the world and share info. I also believe there is a lot of corruption in the church in India and when the government has tried to stop it, like they have tried to stop KP Yohannon in Kerala, that person screams persecution in the West. We Americans are wonderful people and generous but we also are naive and gullible I am afraid.
All this starts a cycle of distrust and abuse. Then Americans run to put out newsletters about persecution and to be honest, you aren’t going to like this, the money rolls in. I have seen large ministries from the West take uneducated, poor villagers and put them in situations that the head man would never walk into. I think every American should ask the head person, would you personally go out and minister in that area or in that way? If he bulks then I would not trust that person with the safety of believers in India. This is why Hindus believe Christians are using the poor. They also believe we are enticing them with money to convert. When you look at some of the pastors that get money from foreigners and the posh lifestyle they have, they could no way get that in a regular job, what do you expect them to think? Start googling corruption and Indian church. You might be surprised. I can only think of a handful of men like Gnana Robinson, Moses P. Manohar, ICSA executive director and co-ordinator of the anti-corruption campaign in India, and K. Rajaratnam, a prominent Lutheran leader and former president of the National Council of Churches in India that are speaking up about all this.
I am in no way saying persecution doesn’t happen in India and that it isn’t horrible. I do think there is more to story that many in the West don’t know. There is much more to the picture that really should be told but I am afraid it won’t bring resources in. Will we keep getting more of the same unless both countries change some things.
The National Council of Churches in India appreciates the timely appeal made by the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum to the Chhattisgarh High Court in restoring their Right to Religion. The NCCI also hails the removal of the ban on Bastar Panchyat by the Chhattisgarh High Court. In times of anti-Christian sentiments, we value this decision made by the High Court in restoring peace and oneness of humankind.
http://nccinet.blogspot.in/2015/10/ncci-appreciates-ban-removal-on-bastar.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nccinet+%28National+Council+of+Churches+in+India%29
I don’t know what purpose open eyes is trying to make here…..believe him/her or believe me.
Steve, I have lived here for almost 20 plus years. I have been all around India and the surrounding countries. I am no way negating your statement but am adding to the whole picture. I think I might know a thing, or two, about India after all these years. Believe me there is more to the picture than you know. You can take it or leave it but please don’t take it personally like I aimed it at you. That wasn’t my intent at all and sorry you felt that way. India is a constant learning experience. Don’t ever think you have it all figured out. Be open to learn please.
Steve,
That was just wrong.
We have had extensive correspondence with open eyes and have absolutely no reason to doubt this persons heart, integrity, or information.
I’m shocked and angry that you would decide to make this some sort of contest between believing you and this person.
That was just wrong…
I would like nothing better than to post the names, details, wonderful pictures and stories of the ministry there through my friends. It would seem if that is the way the money rolls in (to quote above) then let’s do it. I had an offer from Michael himself for a feature story.
My own friend is the one who has said not to. My personal friends, as I posted above, have suffered. I wrote a letter to a young man (also my friend from my time there) at my friend’s request, who was severely beaten for Christ, asking me to encourage him in the Lord. How does one begin to do such a thing from the safety and freedom of America. I remember preaching there about persecution and at the lunch break two of the young men, maybe 18 or so, said matter of factly, yeah that happened to us – and told me about the time they tried to give Bibles out in one of the local villages and were beaten and their transportation scooters destroyed. I’m preaching what these young men are already living.
I do not believe I have stated anything about all Hindus wanting to kill Christians or made any misrepresentations in any way except to tell MY story. which is firsthand. My wife lived there in hiding for many months when we were adopting our son, as the “western friend of the preacher and wife of the American who was here”. I have not exaggerated a thing from my own experience either – and my love for India and its people is 17 years, so yeah, not quite 20. .
I questioned a post that has no mention to GFA, the second post if I recall correctly, that was made very shortly after one of mine speaking of persecution. Both posts in effect seeming to say “Yeah it exists but it is not that bad and a lot of Hindus are actually in support of Christians” – Well, I do not think I said anything about total Hindu hatred nor have I spoken in blanket statements.
My friend by the way is one of those who is bridging the gap. He met last week with one of the highest ranking political leaders in the nation about the issue of persecution. A tremendous door of opportunity opened by the Lord. He has another incredible story which I simply can’t share because it involves murdererous terrorists and how God is working on one of those men (you can even find his wikipedia page) and my friend is the instrument being used. Again, those in our congregation saw the pictures, heard the story but I simply can’t put it on the internet – at my friend’s request for the safety of all. Some people Do care about the work above the publicity and the money..
Now, I apologize for framing my comment as an either/or. I agree that was inappropriate I do not apologize for asking what was the purpose in following up two posts about persecution with the stated comment that “some of these stories aren’t being fact-checked”
What stories? On this website? I doubt anyone here is making the claim that we all should believe everything we read on the internet.
I do appreciate open eyes’ service, love and ministry to the India people. Very much. And I thank him/her for it. I think I have said all I have to say on this now. You all have my email.
I guess my one final clarification is I do not know any missionaries in India.
Everyone I know, consider a friend, or even partially worked with, is an Indian citizen. A national. Everyone beaten, persecuted. Indian citizens all.
That is why KP’s first book resonated so loudly with me as a Westerner. I had already experienced this and worked there before I read the book and so I said to myself a loud Amen at the basic message of Westerners trusting and working through the faithful servants of the Lord in India – the “barefoot gospel workers”
And why I am so furious at what GFA became. And anyone in CC circles who might have enabled that
Steve Wright
Senior Pastor Calvary Chapel of Lake Elsinore
Open eyes has been an incredibly valuable source of information and inspiration in this battle with GFA.
The whole damn thread is about GFA.
Here we have somebody who can speak to both the specifics of the case and give a general overview of how some American missions are doing things in India.
There are people doing heroic work…and there are people who are corrupt and cashing in.
We need to know about both.
That’s valuable for my readers.
Nobody has disputed anything you said…and it blows me away that you feel the need to take this valuable information and turn it into some sort of personal attack.
Sometimes I just want to give up…
“believe him/her or believe me.”
This would be far more helpful.
“Perhaps I don’t have all the information, please tell us what you know.”
Michael,
Don’t give up, just refocus on who you give importance to when it comes to allowing your heart to be broken.
I am not negating your experiences. I believe you. I also know many Indians all around this country. I am sharing my experiences. In this way we get a total picture of India. You have no idea what my job is to be honest. Believe me, I have much more to lose by posting than anyone else on here or Pathos. There are a whole lot of Indians that would not be happy with what I say..even in the church.
I am sorry, Steve. I re-read my comments and no where does it say that persecution doesn’t happen nor that it isn’t horrible. I can’t see where I ever doubted your experiences or those of your friends. I merely stated much of stories going to the Western world are not balanced with the positive realities going on in India.This could be why people like KPY get away with what they get away with. There is nothing in my post that I directed to you personally and I truly am sorry you took it that way. I do think that I might have a different view since I have been all over this country and talked to a wide circle of nationals from all religious backgrounds. I also have been in Islamic countries and have that comparison to India.
I do know for a fact that many stories printed in various Christian publications have not been fact checked many times since I followed up on them to find out the truth, or corrected when wrong, or when the Hindus or Hindu government does the right thing for believers not one Christian anywhere thanks them for taking a hard stand. No one ever prints that story in any Christian publication. Please, let us be fair in this. I have never seen one Christian publication take one paragraph quoting all the Hindus, and even some Muslims, that agree that an Indian has the right to convert. Doesn’t anyone in the West consider that it might get someone mad always being shown in a negative, lopsided way?
India is a hotbed of religious tempers. Right now we had a Muslim man killed because someone merely “suspected” he had cow meat in his home. That also is religious persecution and many Hindus have, once again, stood up against this publicly. Where is the vocal Christian voice on this incident? These are not easy things but maybe we should start looking at some of them.
Probably I have said too much. I can understand that everyone has different experiences in India. We really should pool our resources to get a bigger picture so we can be more effective I think. There are many angles to this and if we listen hard enough we can learn much from each other. This sometimes is messy and uncomfortable.
open eyes and Pastor Steve both have something to say that should be heard here (from experience and heart)…
how does information get supplemented, corrected and/or clarified without being disrespectful ? all my life my achilles heel (one of them) has been to assume and – in attempt to not belabor or get word – to not clarify or document – comes from not being an academic 🙂
pray for grace, pray for clarity
When I was working with a well known mission organization associated with CC, we would use every single heart-tugging story to our advantage. One of my main jobs between disasters was to speak at other CC’s to raise money. When the big tsunami hit Sri Lanka, Indonesia and surrounding areas, we made sure that all of the CC’s knew we were responding through the radio, newspapers and all other media outlets. When Katrina hit, we made sure that everyone knew that we were the first on the scene. I understand that it’s important to make people aware of the situation and it takes money to operate disaster relief. What bothers me the most is that I was told to focus on the things that stirred emotions as emotions equates to dollars. I don’t know where this fits in all that is happening with KP & GFA other than to say that there are big dollars available when you have a great story. We would even invite a journalist from the OC Register to join us as well as CC magazine. Yes, there’s big money in helping others for Jesus.
covered, you just made a very clear case for how corporate machinery has polluted the churches… and yet, if you don’t ask… our faith is so bound in human reasoning – how do we discern?
EM, great question. I know that there are legitimate para church organizations who do what Steve does in that all the money goes to the intended purpose. If pastor’s and other’s with a burden on their hearts to give do a little leg work, then they can identify these organizations. The question is this; how much of your gift are you comfortable going to what we called “administrative costs”? Many organizations charge a flat rate and usually it’s around 10% of each gift. That’s fine until you consider the widow’s might. If a small church can only give around $1,000 per month, is $100 of that going for admin costs ok? The problem is when a large church gives a one time gift or is in a position to give a large gift (over 100k), and that 10% becomes a number that can pay a lot of people at the top. I remember the organization I was with would handle the funds that came in for some different missionaries around the world. While they would receive, deposit and distribute the checks, these missionaries could receive a gift in excess of 50k from a generous donor and our organization just pocketed 5k from one gift. In 2008, the organization I worked for had to tighten their belt and asked if I could become a “self supported” missionary. I agreed and when my donors gave in excess of what my salary was, they wanted to put a limit on what I received as a gift! Yes, all this was done in the name of Jesus of course.
Speaking of the Dove Logos brand and corporate stuff:
https://thestack.com/iot/2015/10/09/what-brand-logo-recognition-will-mean-in-the-age-of-social-data-analytics/
http://www.ministrywatch.com/