Has anyone investigated possibility some mega-churches might be money-laundering?

[bobbieinok]

IIRC, Steven Furtick's church in NC takes in million plus $$ a week

Consider K Copeland ministries income. And Osteen. Some yrs ago Sen Grassley tried to get 6 ministries to tell fed govt about their finances. IIRC only 3 did. Joyce Meyer did; Copeland adamently refused

Very few have outside auditors. In fact many leaders refuse to disclose their finances, even to the members of the congregation. I have read that some churches 'discipline' any member who asks how much $ the church has taken in or how it has spent the money. In fact, some churches do not let members know what the head pastor and his assistants make.

Phrase often heard in Evangelical circles--'Touch not God's Annointed'

Note well-- many Evangelicals believe and proclaim that Trump is 'God's Annointed!!'

[superpatriotman]

1. Seems like a layup for a good investigator

What better washing machine for dirty cash than religion?

[blm]

2. I have assumed the money laundering aspect since the late 80s

Rev Moon and the monies showed em how it’s done.

[Lochloosa]

3. Why would they? They steal it legally.

[erronis]

19. They've tithed to the congress-critters who direct the IRS. Yes - legal. And totally wrong.

Even all of their gods would have a problem - except the ones who also worship money.

[bobbieinok]

21. Do churches pay taxes? IIRC preachers don't pay taxes on value of house church supplies

[dlk]

4. Good Point--It Seems Like Anything is Possible These Days

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Hell, yes.

I thought of that one a long time ago.

[SharonClark]

6. They don't need to launder money.

It comes in through donations and the pastors build mansions and buy planes with it.

[Cracklin Charlie]

7. This is why I think they're goin' whole hog on Kavanaugh.

There are many groups of criminals that may need some help on the court real soon.

Just my opinion

[ancianita]

29. +1 You nailed it.

[Sancho]

8. There's this...as bad as you can get...

I was working in Rock Hill, SC in the early 80s, and most locals supported PTL and Jim Bakker...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_PTL_Club#Scandal_and_subsequent_demise

Scandal and subsequent demise[edit]
Due to his involvement in highly publicized financial and sexual scandals, Bakker resigned on March 19, 1987. He turned the cable network, the Heritage USA complex and all ministry assets over to fellow televangelist Jerry Falwell. Falwell became CEO of parent company, Heritage Village Church & Missionary Fellowship, Inc. and assumed control of the network and of its flagship program. Falwell's involvement was deemed newsworthy,[by whom?] as the PTL ministries were a part of the Assemblies of God denomination and Falwell was a Baptist. Ministry supporters questioned Falwell's intentions and attributed his interest solely to maintaining control of the lucrative cable-television empire owned by PTL to broadcast his own ministry programming.

One commentator noted that "Bakker arranged for Falwell to take over PTL in March in an effort to avoid what he called a 'hostile takeover' of the television ministry by people threatening to expose a sexual encounter he admitted to having had seven years earlier with church secretary Jessica Hahn."[2] According to Hahn, on the afternoon of December 6, 1980, when she was a 21-year-old church secretary, Bakker and another preacher, John Wesley Fletcher drugged her and raped her for "about 15 minutes". Hahn stated she overheard Bakker say afterward to another PTL staffer, "Did you get her too?"[3]

A federal grand jury indicted Bakker for directing millions of dollars of church funds to personal use. Much of the nation[citation needed] watched the court case to see the outcome of the $165 million in donations.[4][5]

On August 23, 1991, after the second and final day of his re-sentencing hearing, the court reduced Bakker's original 45-year sentence to 18 years, five of which he actually served before being released.

[catbyte]

23. And now that rat bastard is hawking survivalist crapola from a "Christian bunker" in the Ozarks..

From the Charlotte Observer article:

“Jim lost everything, and then he came back,” said Graham, Bakker’s brother-in-law and executive vice president for retreat services at Morningside Church, Bakker’s ministry and where he tapes his show. “All he wants to do is get the message of salvation out there. And keep people alive.”

That’s why “The Jim Bakker Show” sells “practical things,” Graham said. Like generators and food for a future in which the power grid collapses and grocery shelves go empty.

John Wigger, author of a new book called “PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire,” argues that the savvy Bakker is changing with the times to tap into new opportunities.

“The Prosperity Gospel, with all its glitz and money, fit the culture of the 1980s and Jim found that was a very successful component of his message,” said Wigger, a professor of history at the University of Missouri. “In this post-9/11 era, he’s found that the Apocalypse and survivalism make for a very compelling message that will also gain him an audience.”

Read more here: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article200297074.html#storylink=cpy
-------------------

Once a cheap hustler, always a cheap hustler.

[Wellstone ruled]

9. The Story has been around for decades.

Asked a County Attorney client of our Company that question in the Mid nineties,answer was,it would be political suicide.

[Windy City Charlie]

10. Needs to be, but won't

One of those things that definitely needs investigated, but won't, because in a sense it's a conflict of interest to do so. You'd essentially be investigating something their base supports. Never have once trusted any of those people. Supposed to be people of God, but they essentially scam people out of donating to them on a weekly basis.

[KWR65]

11. No. They are to greedy to launder money. They want 100% of the money.

After all it takes a lot of money to take care of a Rolls Royce.

[Lars39]

12. fwiw, I know of a little country SBC church,

that was a “build it and they will come”.
Membership has never been enough to keep the utilities on let alone sustain programs. Cost was about 65K about 12-15 years ago. I questioned why the building was being built before the need and was told that SBC had started doing it that way. Could I see the SBC laundering money this way? Oh, yes.

[bobbieinok]

13. In some churches, pastor's pay set by 'peer pastors'

This means that pastors of approximately the same size congregation with approximately the same income determine the pastor's salary. Although the congragation pays it, in some churches members are not permitted to know what it is.

IIRC, Furtick's pay is set by 'peer pastors,'

Furtick seems to be something else. IIRC, he recently bought a house said to be the most expensive in NC. There are some informative videos about him on Youtube

[MineralMan]

14. Some probably are, but it's hands-off for churches by

law enforcement. They don't even try to investigate them unless absolutely forced to.

That's why the religion business is so attractive to con-men, scammers, and grifters. They know they're protected by the 1st Amendment and the reluctance of the law to look closely at their activities.

Watch Elmer Gantry.

[SWBTATTReg]

16. Thanks ... will watch. Seems interesting. I've, fyi to others, info. on movie/story...

Elmer Gantry is a satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of America in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. The novel's protagonist, the Reverend Dr. Elmer Gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money (though he eventually renounces tobacco and alcohol) and chasing women.

Above is from wikipedia

[mountain grammy]

15. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

[elmac]

17. Many religious cults

believe wealth brings one closer to God, this is why most greedy, selfish basturds belong to these churches. Yes, I believe they not only launder money but also work for the Government Of Putin, GOP.

[miss-nasty]

18. Louisville's Southeast Christian mega church

Just suddenly announced their pastor was stepping down and the asst pastor is taking over. When I heard it I suspected something newsworthy ahead for yhay organization. They are as cultish as they come.

[bobbieinok]

22. If like recent Evangelical pastors leaving, it's prob a sex or abuse scandal

[gibraltar72]

20. As a recovering Evangelical

I only remember one of the commandments was God wants pastor to have a new Cadillac every two years. Now they want private jets.

[spike jones]

24. As I understand it,

Jesus ran the money-changers out of the temple because the church was not getting its share of the profits.

[yellowdogintexas]

31. Actually it was because the money changers had turned the temple into a den of theives

In this account, Jesus and his disciples travel to Jerusalem for Passover, where Jesus expels the merchants and money changers from the Temple, accusing them of turning the Temple into "a den of thieves" through their commercial activities.[1][2] In the Gospel of John Jesus refers to the Temple as "my Father's house", thus, making a claim to being the Son of God.[3]

[spike jones]

32. Thanks for that I should have used the sarcasm symbol.

I am a life long atheist and think the entire Bible is a lie.

[StarryNite]

25. The eye of the needle

Preachers love this one because they think it will motivate their followers into giving them all their money. I think it's working for them too!

"The eye of a needle" is scripture quoting Jesus recorded in the synoptic gospels: I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

[bobbieinok]

26. Have heard preacher say 'eye of needle' was a town gate

[bobbieinok]

28. Stories here that preacher has to dress well if wants to 'minister' at Rotary, golf course, etc

[keithbvadu2]

27. Judas was an early modern day conservative disciple. Judas got 30 pieces of silver, but just once,

Judas was an early modern day conservative disciple.

Judas got 30 pieces of silver, but just once, for selling Christ.

Pat Robertson, Jim Bakker and their ilk get millions of dollars repeatedly for selling Christ.

Judas was a fool for doing a one-time sale.