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.
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