David Mackin kindly sent in a copy of the letter that Creflo A. Dollar sent to senator Grassley:
It's a little ridiculous.
Dear Senators:
As you know, our Church, World Changers Church International, has recently become the subject of an investigation by Senator Grassley. While our attorneys have provided you with a discussion of our legal arguments, I am writing to explain to you the theological concerns that the letters raise. Specifically, I would like to describe our religious beliefs regarding the structure and operation of our Church and how Senator Grassley’s inquires probe into our faith as surely as if he questioned which version of the Bible we use.
As a preliminary matter, I would like to assure you that we believe that, like every other citizen, each Christian has a religious duty to pay taxes and comply with the law. Three of the four gospels specifically emphasize Jesus’ teaching to his disciples: that we are to render unto Caesar what is due to Caesar, and to render unto God what is due to God. Matthew 22:21 – "They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." Mark 12:17 – "And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marveled at him." Luke 20:23-25 – "But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's." We at World Changers Church believe that all of God’s people are required to pay taxes and that our Church has a scriptural mandate to comply with the tax laws. We can assure you that our Church makes every effort to comply with the requirements of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. If the Committee on Finance has any information to the contrary, we would certainly request that you provide it to us, so that we may take appropriate action to resolve the problem immediately.
We also believe that the tithe, or 10% of our income, belongs to God, not to the government. Leviticus 27:30 – "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord." Because the tithe does not belong to the government, we have serious concerns when the Senate Finance Committee, or any agency of the government for that matter, evaluates whether the way we use or implement the tithe is valid. The tithe is a gift from each member of our Church to the Kingdom of God and should not be the subject of review and criticism by members of the Senate. Asking this of us is no different from asking any other church in America for an itemized list of who put what amount into the collection plate at last week’s regular Sunday service.
Furthermore, our faith teaches us that our giving should be in secret in order for God to reward us openly. Matthew 6:1-4 – "Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” The Bible is very clear on this—when we give in private, our Father rewards us openly, and His favor is evident to all of those around us. In conjunction with this, our Church has a duty in accordance with Jesus’ proclamation to protect the privacy rights of our friends and members and the confidences they have placed in us. Our ability to sustain this religious obligation is seriously jeopardized by an open-ended public governmental investigation like Senator Grassley’s. We believe that is no more appropriate than asking particular parishioners the substance of their prayers or confessions.
We also believe that we should give of our materials to our teacher because of his spiritual teaching. 1 Corinthians 9:11 – "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?” Galatians 6:6 – "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." The Bible teaches us that we should reward our spiritual leaders, and we have been blessed, both within our Church and in our partner churches, with truly gifted leaders. Like the members of many other religions, we feel as a congregation that we have a duty to honor our teachers.
Finally, we know that God wants us to be rich spiritually, physically and financially. 3 John 2 – “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." Psalms 112:3 – "Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever." Proverbs 10:22 – "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." Deuteronomy 8:18 – "But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day." Genesis 13:2 – "And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold." 1 Timothy 6:17 – "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." God wants us to succeed—not to want—after all, we are His children. Being spiritually, physically and financially healthy is an outward sign of God’s favor, and we celebrate that blessing.
Like any other church in America, World Changers has deeply held religious beliefs, and we must protest any kind of evaluation of those beliefs by a member of the United States Senate. As much as we would like to provide information to the Senator, we simply must do everything within our power to protect our Church and its members from public scrutiny and a Congressional evaluation of the validity of our beliefs. We have no choice, therefore, but to decline to provide Senator Grassley with a response to his inquiries. We are confident that you will agree that this inquiry speaks to the very heart of our First Amendment rights and will concur that compelling a response would certainly violate the Separation of Church and State.
May God bless you and keep you,
Faithfully,
Creflo A. Dollar
P.S. And if God chooses to share the tithe he receives with me, Creflo Dollar, I am under no obligation to share that information with the IRS or the Senate investigating committee. After all, its God’s money, not mine.
I don’t think this guy EVER had any bologna on his bread!
” Being spiritually, physically and financially healthy is an outward sign of God’s favor” Wow, there it is! If you get sick, or go broke, or get depressed, you will be written off! It is a sign from God! Ichabod!
Hey Cref, have you ever read Matthew 25?
I think I need some pepto bismal.
More like Cashflo Dollar, I’d say.
Creflo is just a guy that desires earthly rewards above eternal rewards. It’s a shame he passes up the opportunity he has in the eternal picture to gain temporary worth in this earthly one.
- jared
This is not a letter to the US Government…read between the lines…this is a letter to his congregation and those that give to his “ministry.†This is Dollar’s way to manipulate and guilt his followers into continuing to give to his church and his “ministry” even though the sheets are being lifted on what a fraud he is. He knows an educated US Senator would never by into this bs, but to some needy brainwashed Christian this is exactly what they need to hear in order calm their fears about this negative attention. That’s why he even released this to the public in the first place. In fact I bet he sent this to members of his congregation before he sent it to Congress. Shameful!
Yes, Reformer, my thoughts precisely.
-joe
I find the stark hubris of this man and the unblemished naiveté of his congregants equally striking. If God Himself were to body surf into this church’s sanctuary on a purple tempest, dismount with a triple gainer, and pimp-slap this preacher in view of the whole congregation, the only outcry would be for security to exercise His quick and speedy expulsion, so that the sermon might continue undisturbed.
That aside, I see nothing wrong here.
Interesting post. I don’t know much about Creflo Dollar except that the very good things and the very bad things I have heard second-hand. Aside from the reputation that goes before him, the actual content of his letter is basically true. I obviously cannot speak to his motivation, but who really can?
A comment on Justin’s comment above:
Your observation allows that “the actual content of his letter is basically true”. Sadly, that is the very nexus of the problem. Mr. Dollar is among a truly gifted gang of silver-tongued word smiths who take a “basic” truth from the Bible and tease them out to illogical, inappropriate and often heretical application. They employ a purposely misguided hermeneutic to Biblical teaching in an effort to prop up theological constructs that support their lavish lifestyles.
If you were to gather a compendium of these men’s sermons, you would find that the inordinate proportion are aimed at finances. Money. And with the passion of David and the oratory of Paul, they shake the heavens with thundering sermons that call down wealth upon the people.
It isn’t a wonder that some of these men are among the most popular preachers in the world. It also lacks wonder that many of these same men are under the constant scrutiny of not only the US government, but by the true orthodoxy of Biblical testimony.
They have sadly and dangerously reduced the gospel to a guidebook for gaining wealth, declaring falsehoods so fantastical, the head spins. Equally as sad and dangerous, their church gatherings have become health and wealth seminars that would make Tony Robbins jealous.
Lastly, the yardstick they apply to measure one’s faith in God is not the conduct and content of that faith, but rather the property and possessions that faith amasses.
I’ve used strong language here to describe my disdain for the false doctrines these men peddle. I do so with a clear-eyed recognition of my own miserable failings. My heart is tender for their souls. I do, however, fear that my candid, if scathing, appraisal will appear paled and blanched, when compared with the words they will hear one day before a far superior Judge than I.
I pray that never happens.
I appreciate your candor and eloquent writing. I agree with most everything you said, and agree completely that when we have a gospel whose primary focus is the accumulation of wealth as opposed to the Kingdom of God, then we have missed the main thing. That being said, I thing many swing far the opposite direction and presume that wealth is inherently evil, “church” is generally judgmental, and tithing is a mere religious exercise. I believe that you kind find peace and balance in all things. Some of the godliest people I have met have been some of the wealthiest, but it surely wasn’t because of their wealth.
Agreed, Justin. I haven’t met a reasonable person yet, who thinks that wealth is evil. In fact, Jesus never chastises the rich, merely those who worship riches.
However, you’ve hinted at the false choice that Mr. Dollar and so many of his ilk present when criticized for their teaching. They volley shallow shots across the bow like, “Do you think God wants His children to be poor?”, or, “How could a God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills be bothered by my four cadillacs”.
Well, God certainly doesn’t advocate for poverty. The rube that believes that should be directly escorted to the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; not to mention the lavish chronicles of David, Solomon and the rest of the Israelite kings.
On the other hand, the Bible is replete with stories of men with equal or greater stature who’d have a lot of trouble buying a fruit smoothy; among these are Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptizer, nearly all the New Testament Apostles, and the whole of the Old Testament prophets.
So, my firm belief is that God providentially bequeaths riches upon some, while mercifully granting struggles upon others. And His sovereign choice in doing so can be equally considered a product of His divine favor; for only He knows what we can bear on either end of the economic scale.
And brother, like you, some of the humblest and holiest people I’ve ever encountered are faithful tithers. None of whom, ever expected a cadillac.
But, it sounds like we have no quarrel here. And yet, I do reserve a special loathing for the gospel-robbing cottage industry of the wealth and health movement.
Wealth alone is not evil, but the love of money is evil. Your use of “worship” triggered some interesting thoughts about the object(s) of our worship. It seems as if we worship the one in whom we place our confidence. For the man whose confidence is in his wealth, he worships (as affection / adoration) for his money and the power it has to effect his provision. For the man who is confident in God, he worships the Father.
I can see that wealth could be a road block to developing trust (confidence) in the provision of God, where a man with means can effectively buy his way out of every problem, purchase everything he needs and never rely on God for provision of any kind. The only exception seems to be life threatening illness whether to the man or his family and friends. As in the story of the man who built the barn, wealth is shown to be powerless against death.
I’ve heard tell of mission workers that the reason America has not known the types of miracles as seen in poor 3rd world countries is America’s financial prosperity. These times, I imagine, are likely responsible for re-kindling faith for many faced with job loss, foreclosure, etc., though it is sad to me that the thrust of their prayers would be for God to restore the money / house / car / high-roller lifestyle they’re on the verge of losing. Which causes me to wonder whether God really answers our prayers to “give me money” where it is clear to God that the prayer is born out of the love for mammon.
In my experience, God hears such prayers, but responds “You have asked for what you think you need (money), but as your Father, I know what you really need, so I am going to give you trials to develop your faith in Me.”
Mr. Dollar teaches men to seek God for what He can give them, rather than to know God for who He is. The former are introduced to God “the ATM”, the latter come to know their Father.
It’s going to be heart-rending for many men, to face the Lord in judgment, where they will be shown how they have misrepresented the NAME OF THE LORD before men, so much so, that they have effectively taught men to worship idols. By that I mean, they have effectively preached a God and Savior who do not exist at all. Isn’t that the essence of an idol? To objectify something that doesn’t exist or has no power in and of itself?
Such men are idolators who teach idolatry. Are they the ones who stand before Him claiming to have done many things IN HIS NAME, to whom Jesus responds “depart from me, I never knew you?”
Well said, Unscrupulous Man. Killer screen name, by the way. You get to the heart of the matter when you reveal that it is essentially a trust struggle. And…quite frankly, we could all insert our pet idol where we’ve talked about wealth or riches.
For some, it’s a relationship, others a career. And still others trust in their beauty or youth as a means of strength and provision. All of these are sinking sand and will fade or fail over time. But Christ our Rock can and will never fail those who place their trust in Him.
Wow Kintu…excellent points and great writing. You knew around here? Good job.
Thank you, Reformer.
I guess I am sort of new, in a round about way. I happen to be good friends with one of the blog hosts and on an idle afternoon recently, I decided to pay a visit to the vaunted City Business Church blog. And, like a hollywood actress on Rodeo Drive, I just had to buy a few things before leaving the boutique.
And Creflo crimps my craw.
By the way, one of the best passages in all of scripture concerning the place and position of wealth in our lives is seldom read or preached. It is hidden in the fervent prayer of a man named Agur and recorded in Proverbs 30.
With sadness, it must be reported that among the top 10 televised preachers in this nation, I can’t think of one who agrees with Agur. But also, in full disclosure, I am still praying this prayer in the hopes that God will one day, finally infuse it into my heart.
A ruse is a ruse is a ruse.
Bro Creflo is abusing his First Amendment rights by basically blowing off Senator Grassley’s investigation. If the man was legit, he’d welcome the Senator’s investigation. A letter like the one you posted shows me that ol’ Creflo’s hiding something…
In today’s volatile economy, it’s easy for this prosperity gospel to take root. People are looking for a quick fix to their problem they hope is “sanctioned” by the Bible. As lay-offs, foreclosures, etc continue these “peddlers” as Paul calls them have a ready audience for their words. Please don’t get me wrong: as a family man who’s been hit by this economy, I want to see my family being able to thrive (not just survive) this current crisis. However, I’m concerned that many will follow these people like Creflo out of desperaton, expecting God to miraculously put them on Easy Street.
The tragedy of all this is what happens when things don’t go through as hoped for while folk like Creflo still live large? What will that do for the Gospel message and the hope that God offers? It will kill that message in many a believer (and prospective believer), and cause a falling away of many that may take a long time (if possible) to heal.
Thanks for such an eye-opening post! God bless.