Here is a link to Joyce Meyer's 2006 Annual Report.

It is listed under the Financial Accountability section of her website.

If you read the report though, you will notice it is really just a press release. There is no financial accountability.

However, Joyce is banking on the fact that most Christians are too enamored with people in power to bother questioning her.  They won't ask why she fails to list any real financial information.  

And guess what, she's right. Most Christians don't demand real accountability from their leaders.  Because demanding accountability is hard. Questioning leadership will get you ousted from church. It will cause people to question your faith.  It will get you labeled a troublemaker.

(Sigh) And yet, I'm supposed to be ashamed for starting this blog. Please!

Update:

Well, I guess I jumped the gun, and I missed the actual financial statements.

So, there is some financial accountability. But I'm still not that impressed. The statements aren't exactly easy to find, as they're hidden behind a wall of PR. And it's still not clear who is getting paid what.   

So City Bible Church is holding their annual conference in April, which they cleverly titled "City Bible Conference".

And the City Church is holding their spring conference called, the "Global Strategy Conference".

And what do these two conferences have in common, but guest-speaker Joyce Meyer. Yes, the same Joyce Meyer who is being investigated by Senator Grassley for possible misuse of funds.

It really is just one big "Prosperity Club" scam. All the leaders travel to each other' church, convincing the congregation to give money in return for Blessings from the Lord.  

And the Circle of Greed continues.

It's all so ridiculously transparent and stupid, that I am amazed anyone continues to fall for it.

But they do…

FICM sends in another article about the perils of the prosperity doctrine.

Fun quotes:

Many outside the evangelical movement are puzzled by the apparent lack of outrage following reports of high-living, tax-exempt religious broadcasters.

I know one blog that is a little outraged. But I didn't realize it was called the "prosperity doctrine". I just thought Frank wouldn't shut up about tithing. I didn't realize he was actually preaching a Doctrine.  

The article concludes:

There is a clear difference between praying for health and financial self-sufficiency, which is reasonable and understandable, and the expectation of divinely mandated wealth and the right to profligacy. American evangelicals have enough enemies. Why hand such adversaries another stick — especially a gilded one — to beat them with?

If the whole goal of being a Christian is to gain wealth, then it doesn't make Christians any different than the rest of the world.

(and they love alliteration)

I've been thinking about Former's comments and I wanted to share a couple of thoughts. People that attend these "prosperity churches" have a few things beat into their head over and over and over again until they take it in as gospel. There is no balance of teaching.  While I was at CBC I had all the same lines down:

"Some people have a Poverty Mentality that keeps them from receiving the blessings of God. If you don't want to be blessed that's your decision, but I am believing in the promises of God."

"Jesus spent more time talking about money than any other subject…even more than Heaven and Hell."

I feel bad for people who are stuck in this mindset, people that trust their pastors so much that they believe all the junk comes from the pulpit…without bothering to research things for themselves. Fortunately, the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is obvious for anyone willing to study the Bible for themselves (and by study, I don't mean look up the word ‘blessing' in a concordance and read all the relating scriptures). But "Prosperity Artists" don't seem to care what the Bible says; they only want to focus on the "positive sides". Week after week they drill you with the same garbage. City Bible Church spends an average of 1 in every 4 sermons teaching on giving the church money. Most of the rest of the messages are about other ways to "get God to bless or honor you". Can anyone deny how self-centered this doctrine is?  I listen to sermons by these guys and I want to scream out "being a Christian ISN'T about what God can do for you! It should be about what you can do for God" But No, week after week, the same focus on self.

Should this be the main focus of a Christian's life? Should this be what we spend Sunday after Sunday learning? Is there a precedent set in the Bible that tells us to live our life looking for Personal Prosperity…even if our end goal is to use it to bless others?

Jesus may have spent more time teaching about money than any other subject, but the majority of His teachings were warnings of the danger of money. And when I hear people say "I want to be blessed so I can be a blessing" or "You can't give what you don't have" I cringe because it's obvious that they have it backward. Money isn't bad, it's the LOVE of money that gets people in trouble…and yet Prosperity Teachers say that you NEED money to help others. Why? If the end goal really is to help others (which I believe is Biblical) then just do it.

I like all the formula talk lately, so here's another. Prosperity Teacher's have this equation:

Christian + God's Blessing = Financial Prosperity = Helping others.

That formula just doesn't work…there is an extra = sign that shouldn't be there. Go ahead and take one out and you either end up with a LOVE of money:

Christian + God's Blessing = Financial Prosperity

 or you get the formula the way God set it up:

Christian + God's Blessing = Helping Others

God's "Blessing" can be many things (which may include money, btw), but the only guaranteed blessing is Eternal Life. And quite frankly, that should be all you need to help others. Those of you who say "I can't give what I don't have" let me ask you this:

What one thing are you missing from your life that keeps you from giving to others? What is it that God is withholding from you that prevents you from being a blessing to others? Honestly, say your answer out loud…write it down on this blog…what is it? What do you need?

We live in a very "blessed" nation, what are you lacking? What is keeping you from spending 1 night a week in a soup kitchen? What keeps you from going to the Children's hospital to read books to the sick? Why can't you go mow your old neighbor's lawn?

Any doctrine that says "you can't help others until you help yourself is clearly selfish…and I just don't see Jesus Christ as setting a self serving example. Instead He gave up everything.

There is always someone who has a bigger need than you do…quit waiting for a magical blessing from God and go out and help them…then you will see the true "blessings" God has in store for your life. One thing we all can give is time…I don't care who you are, if you prioritize your life according to God's Word, then you would have time to "bless others"…and that is the best thing you can give.

Giving money is easy…and not all that effective…try giving your time to someone in need and see what God does.

I stole this headline from CNN, because I love that they use "bitter" and "prosperity" in the title. I guess it IS okay to be bitter, you know, if your pastor is ripping you off.

Excerpts from this fantastic article:

And so the 53-year-old accountant from the Tampa, Florida, area pledged $500 a year to Joyce Meyer, the evangelist whose frank talk about recovering from childhood sexual abuse was so inspirational. She wrote checks to flamboyant faith healer Benny Hinn and a local preacher-made-good, Paula White.

Only the blessings didn't come. Fleenor ended up borrowing money from friends and payday loan companies just to buy groceries. At first she believed the explanation given on television: Her faith wasn't strong enough.

"I wanted to believe God wanted to do something great with me like he was doing with them," she said. "I'm angry and bitter about it. Right now, I don't watch anyone on TV hardly."

The silver lining to the upcoming US recession is that more people are going to realize that God doesn't necessarily want them to be rich.

The article continues:

The modern-day prosperity movement can largely be traced back to evangelist Oral Roberts' teachings.

That explains Frank's obsession with wealth.

Critics acknowledge the idea that God wants to bless his followers has a Biblical basis, but say prosperity preachers take verses out of context. The prosperity crowd also fails to acknowledge Biblical accounts that show God doesn't always reward faithful believers, Palmer said.

The Book of Job is a case study in piety unrewarded, and a chapter in the Book of Hebrews includes a litany of believers who were tortured and martyred, Palmer said.

One of my first posts on this blog was a study in the life of Job. 

If you want to believe in the Prosperity Doctrine, fine, go for it. But you're going to be a very disappointed person. A much better "Doctrine" to follow is the "Job Doctrine".

"Naked I have come from my mothers womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." - Job 1:21

(H/T to Locutus)

I finally got around to watching the movie Jesus Camp, and yes, it stirred up a lot of emotions for me considering the fact that I lived that movie (as did many of you all I'm sure…it really shows what life is like growing as a "Charismatic Christian"). I don't really want to take the time to dig into it too much, but I did want to share two quick thoughts that I had:

1. Levi (from Jesus Camp) is Judah Smith (from The City Church). If anyone should be able to relate to that movie it should be Judah Smith. He and Levi are one and the same person. Raised from a very young age to be a preacher…with the heavy emphasis being put on passion and emotion rather than sound Biblical teaching.

2. How did anyone NOT know that Ted Haggard was gay? He only was in the movie for a short time, but it was a short gay time.

If you haven't seen the movie, go rent it and enjoy the trip down memory lane.

…and hilarity ensues.

Once a week, The Washington Post Date Lab sets up singles in the DC area. And this week they picked conservative Christians, Megan and Timothy, delighting me to no end. These two managed to fulfill every possible cliche.  Her favorite book, The Case for Christ. His: The Bible.

Here is a wonderful sample of their date.

Megan: I was glad that he was Christian. But he does things that I don't do, like dancing and drinking and going to movies.

Timothy: It had come up that she graduated from Bob Jones University. People who graduate from Bob Jones are definitely more strict. If she's absolutely against dating someone who likes to go to the movies and have a beer every once in a while, I have to respect her views on that. [But] Jesus never hid from the secular world, and I don't think I'm going to Hell for watching "The Office."

Needless to say, it didn't work out.

This should be a case study on why some Christians can't get married.

According to one lawyer, yes:

A judge agreed in a decision published this week to hear arguments on the claim, and he ordered a financial appraisal of the church. Lawyers involved in the case said it could represent the first time anyone in New York state has tried to treat a religious institution as a marital asset.

The wife argues that her husband of 31 years used his Brooklyn church as a “personal piggy bank,” setting his own income, spending the congregation’s tithes as he pleased and running a catering business from the building, according to an account of the claims in state Supreme Court Judge Arthur M. Diamond’s decision….

The wife said $50,000 of the couple’s money went into starting the church, and she should share in value.

“That church is no different than any other business he might have opened,” said the wife’s lawyer, Robert Pollack.

But as you know, God wants everyone to be rich. So move along people, nothing to see here.

(H/T - Chris)

From the Facebook group, I Appreciate Christian Pick Up Lines.

Here are some of the best:

1) "nice bible."

2) "is this pew taken?"

3)  "im a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal and brawn. That's what kind of man I am."

4)  ''you put the 'cute' back in persecution…''

5)  "so, my parents are home, you wanna come over?"

6)  "welcome to the christian family… the only family where brothers and sisters can marry each other"

7)  "i'm a proverbs 32 kind of guy and you're a proverbs 31 kinda woman…"

8)  "im interested in full time ministry, and not only that… i also play the guitar."

9)  "i'm pretty much considered an elder in the congregation these days"

and my absolute favorite… 

10)  "look, you're nearly 22. most christians are 3 years into marriage by now… just settle for me."

Here is an article from Colorado Springs gazette.com discussing the return of Ted Haggard. It would appear that his previous email discussing his need for financial support and his plans to return to "the Ministry" was not approved by his…well…I don't know what they are…the article calls them the pastors overseeing his restoration…which of course is just the Christian way of saying "sponsor"…anyway Ted's sponsors did not approve of this email being sent out.  Here are some quotes from the article

Disgraced minister Ted Haggard’s e-mailed plea for money and his announced intention to return to religious work was “unacceptable” and “inappropriate,” according to a statement Wednesday by pastors overseeing his restoration.

The four pastor team of overseers said in the statement that Haggard must seek secular employment to support himself and his family.

Sounds like Ted might be a bit of a loose cannon…even with a four sponsor team he still is out running wild

Last week, Haggard, who moved to Phoenix after he was fired by the Colorado Springs megachurch, sent an e-mail to ABC affiliate KRDO about his plans to work in a faith-based halfway house known as the Dream Center. The Dream Center is run by Tommy Barnett, one of Haggard’s spiritual mentors and head of the 15,000-member Phoenix First Assembly of God, which Haggard now attends.

Haggard asked for two years of monthly support while he worked and lived in the Dream Center and he and his wife finished earning degrees at the University of Phoenix.

This is just my opinion, but I don't think anyone should let Ted near a halfway house…let alone let him work there. When you also have addictions it's not called "counseling" it's called "networking". Can you imagine how a counseling session with Ted would go?

Ted: So…you've got a drug addiction…and you've gotten so desperate that you started selling your self out as a male prostitute?

Patient: Uh…no…I'm not a male prostitute…and I’m not here for…

Ted: But you would consider selling yourself…if the price were right…wouldn't you?

Patient: No…That’s ridiculous…I would never…

Ted: Suppose I was to put $1000 dollars in your pocket right now…are you saying that you wouldn't let me…

Patient: What the hell is wrong with you, are you even a real doctor?

Ted: I need to see how strong you are, so this is just a test, but look…here are ten $100 dollar bills…now…very slowly, I'm going to need you to…

Patient: (Runs out of the room)

The good news is that Tommy and his Dream Center are a bit smarter than old Ted gave them credit for

The announcement came as a surprise to the overseers and the Dream Center.

According to the overseers’ statement:

“After their fact-finding was complete, they (overseers) informed Mr. Haggard that his plan and his communications about it were unacceptable. Mr. Haggard’s solicitation for personal support was inappropriate. It was never the intention of the Dream Center that Mr. Haggard would provide any counsel or other ministry. Mr. Haggard will not be moving in or working with the Dream Center. He will not be doing any ministry. He will be seeking secular employment to support himself and his family.”

Edge: Dream Center