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UPDATE: Of the six ministries being investigated by Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, only two fully complied with his request that they submit financial records by Dec. 6. Because the letters were sent from Grassley’s office and not from the Senate Finance Committee, the law does not require compliance. However, Joyce Meyer Ministries and Kenneth Copeland Ministries each mailed in their documents before the deadline, while Benny Hinn Ministries asked for an extension until Jan. 30. Grassley said representatives for Randy and Paula White spoke with his office, but there had been no further response. Eddie Long’s ministry did not release the requested information because Grassley’s letter was “not a subpoena or a formal inquiry by the Senate Finance Committee,” his attorneys said in a statement. Instead, the ministry sent Grassley a letter saying the church will fully comply with all laws applicable to churches but that Grassley’s request disregards the ministry’s privacy protections. Creflo Dollar, who has been vocal in the media in saying that the inquiry was an invasion of privacy, sent a letter stating that it would not voluntarily turn over any documents. "If he sticks to his guns," Grassley said of Dollar, "this will be the first nonprofit that I know of that hasn't cooperated with us over the last five or six years." Grassley has said issuing a subpeona is an option open to the committee, but that he would rather not have to pursue it. [cnn.com, 12/7/07; dallasnews.com, 12/7/07]
QUOTE: "If congregations are going to physically and fiscally stay in the city, they have to become as savvy as other property owners, or they'll be priced out like anyone else. To meet the array of financial challenges is a huge drain on resources." —
Terry Lynch, executive director of a Washington, D.C., consortium of churches and synagogues, on the problems currently facing many downtown churches across the nation [washingtonpost.com, 10/31/07]
When does a pastor know he’s arrived? Apparently when People magazine selects him as its cover boy over a “buzz-worthy” picture of a bikini-clad Hollywood actress. That’s the case with Lakewood Church’s Joel Osteen, who will pre-empt TV and movie star Jennifer Love Hewitt on all covers of the latest magazine sold in Texas. While Osteen, whom People dubs as “America’s biggest preacher,” will have a smaller spot on the national edition’s front, People managing editor Larry Hackett considers the move a “real change” for the magazine. “It is a way to see if we can find new subjects for the cover that are not part of this Hollywood celebrity group of people." [chron.com, 12/7/07]
QUOTE: “I never preach a message on money. I do believe that God wants us to be blessed, to have good marriages, to have peace in our minds, to have health, to have money to pay our bills. I think God wants us to excel. But everyone isn’t going to be rich—if we’re talking about money.” —
Joel Osteen [orlandosentinel.com, 11/29/07]
QUOTE: “The opulent lifestyles of televangelists make me sick. Success in any area often creates a spirit of entitlement—‘I deserve this’—that is the exact opposite of servant leadership. “ —Saddleback Church senior pastor
Rick Warren [orlandosentinel.com, 11/29/07]
QUOTE: “Our world is facing problems—poverty, HIV and AIDS—a devastating pandemic, and conflict. God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality.” —Anglican Archbishop
Desmond Tutu [AFP, 11/17/07]
Pastors are often known as peaceseekers. In Indianapolis, a growing group of them are being enlisted at homicide scenes for that very reason. Police from that city have
recruited more than a dozen ministers so far to help calm individuals involved in volatile crime scenes. According to Deputy Chief Patricia Holman, pastors will serve as liaisons between police and the community at
the scenes of homicides, police-action shootings or any other potential crisis situation. “They have a connection to the neighborhood," said Holman, who also serves as an assistant pastor at Mount Carmel
Baptist Church in Indianapolis. "They are the very people that people are looking to for answers." Police hope to eventually have a pastor on call in every district. [indystar.com, 12/2/07]
QUOTE: "This is a reminder to me about what did happen before [in the charismatic movement] and what could happen again. It is total reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit." —
Jim Lillis, an attendee of the El Camino charismatic conference in Kansas City that recently brought together more than 1,000 Spanish-speaking charismatics, most of whom are Catholic [catholickey.org,
11/2/07]
A new study from LifeWay Research reveals that almost 30 percent of recent Southern Baptist (SBC) seminary graduates who are now serving as pastors describe themselves as
Calvinists. That’s compared to less than 10 percent of SBC pastors at large who affirm the five points of Calvinism. [bpnews.net, 11/27/07]
QUOTE: “Campuses are almost a foreign country, in a way. As a pastor, I have to wear a badge and don't have as many rights as a student. Students are like full citizens; they can talk about anything and they are the ones that talk about Jesus on campus. They are the ones with all-access passports.” —
Jeff Moore, youth pastor at Turning Point Church in Marysville, Wash., on the changing dynamics of ministering at high schools [heraldnet.com, 11/17/07]
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