It's funny how these three are all connected.

I did not know this, but guess who serves on the Board of Regents at Oral Roberts University:

Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn and Creflo Dollar. Three of the regents under investigation by the U.S. Senate. They were among six televangelists who received letters from Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.

And guess who attended Oral Roberts University:

Pastor Frank Damazio is a graduate of Portland Bible College and holds a Bachelor of Theology degree and a Master of Divinity from Oral Roberts University.

And what do ORU, the Regents and D-Maz all have in common? They all believe in the "Prosperity Doctrine".

Sadly, if recent events are any guide, I don't think the "Prosperity Doctrine" believes in them.

I would like to take a moment to update everyone on Faith Harvest. I, naturally, have been listening very closely to all of Frank Damazio's Faith Harvest sermons (this year he started prepping his congregation early with the "Surplus" series which he has carried right into "Faith Harvest" which he titled something like Supernatural Supply…). I've heard them all.

Pasted below is a letter that I believe should be sent to NW Senator's Gordon Smith, Ron Wyden and Maria Cantwell. 

Dear Senator:

I recently noticed in the news that the Senate Finance Committee, of which you are a member, is holding an investigation into the financial practices of mega-churches throughout the country. As an Evangelical Christian and former member of a mega-church, I applaud this investigation and commend the committee for taking this initiative.

As a concerned citizen, I would also like to call attention to a mega-church in Portland, Oregon that I believe may also be violating non-profit tax codes. The church is City Bible Church (9200 NE Fremont Portland, OR 97220) and is pastored by Frank Damazio. This church preaches the Prosperity Doctrine and promises their members great wealth if they only continue to give the church money. In addition, there is a significant lack of transparency with the finances of this church, as it is very difficult to determine how the pastoral staff spends their "tax exempt" income.

I strongly encourage the Finance Committee to include City Bible Church in any future investigations.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Instructions on sending this letter:

Click on the Senate links below and fill out the Email Form. 

Choose the subject "Taxes" and then cut and paste the letter into the message field.

Washington residents can substitute "The City Church" in place of "City Bible Church" in the letter.

Here are the links:

Oregon Senator Gordon Smith:

http://gsmith.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden

http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/

Washington Senator Maria Cantwell:

http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/

This is some of the best news I have heard in years. Senator Charles Grassley (R) of Iowa has requested detailed information on how certain mega churches are spending their money. Because, as the article notes:

The federal tax code prohibits using income and assets from tax-exempt organizations for personal gain. Unlike many other nonprofits, churches and ministries are not required to file Internal Revenue Service forms outlining their spending.

So Grassley is asking certain churches to share how exactly they spend all their "tax-exempt" money.

Here's the list of churches being investigated:

Grassley has asked for information from ministries led by the Rev. Kenneth Copeland of Newark, Texas; the Rev. Creflo Dollar, pastor of World Changers Ministry in College Park, Ga., and New York City; Benny Hinn, a televangelist based in Irving, Texas; Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga.; and Joyce Meyer, a popular evangelist and author based in Fenton, Mo.

And why did they investigate these churches:

Finance Committee investigators chose them because of news reports and tips about alleged financial shenanigans. The committee received complaints about Without Walls from "interested third parties, you might call them whistle-blowers, people who had inside information, and they brought us information over a period of several months," Grassley said.

I can pretty much gaurantee that Senator Grassley's office will be receiving a tip on a certain large breasted church in Portland, Oregon.  His staff will probably also receive information on a Seattle/DC "City" Church, as well.

Three months ago, I got burnt out on this blog. But Praise the Lord Hallelujah, I have been revived. Nothing this political hack loves more than a Senate investigation.

UPDATE!:

Senator Gordon Smith (R-Oregon), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) all serve on the Senate Finance Comittee. We'll begin a letter writing campaign this weekend.

Here is an illustration from one of our readers:

Pre Frank:

Post Frank:

Thanks, Dick Iverson, Thanks.

Way to really "hear from God" on that one.

No surpise here:

A short time after [Frank Damazio] took the reins of [City Bible Church], it became evident, at least within the CBSchool staff, that the school was not of any priority to him. It was more like a thorn in the side of his goals and ambitions.

Well, that has progressed to its actual culmination. It was recently announced to the school staff, that as the end of next year the church will withdraw any further financial support to it. The CBSchool will either sink or swim on its own. Look out Ed M!, your job may well be on the line. It seems like a “chlidren’s and young people’s ministry be damned” attitude is prevelant here.

To many of the oldtimers of days gone bye, that school was a very important part of their children’s lives and the Church. Its priority was very high on the list of the old Church”s mission. It’s incomprehensible that this is happening. How can it be?

Well! Missions and goals change as leadership changes. Where once was a Godly and humble leadership that cared for the people under its leadership, there is more of a “I don’t care what the people think.I will do as I damn well please,” attitude.

Should self-centered, egotistical kingdom building take precedence over nurturing of families and children within the church membership.??? Is it okay to take from the kid’s school funding in order to purchase outside expensive realestate ??? —– ——– ——-.(fill’em in)

Recent discussion with some of the old diehard members of CBC paints a picture of restlessness and dissapointment in the way that pf is spending the Church’ money. Some are now starting to vote with thier wallets and debit cards. It was reported to that tihting there is down 50% of what it was before. Maybe they can blame it on the economy, huh!

A short time ago someone on this blog asked, “When is enough, enough? Where will it all end ???”
Stick around. If the status quo is maintained there, it will be interesting, to say the least.

Here's a fun little recap of a recent City Bible service in the Portland Mercury:

CITY BIBLE CHURCH

NE Portland

Reaching City Bible Church off I-205 via public transit and foot is hard. I end up climbing a vertiginous, slippery, and condom-strewn trail up the side of 612-foot-high Rocky Butte, clambering through blackberry vines in my black Donna Karan suit and shiny high-steppin' cowboy boots. I am the best dressed of 400 or so worshipers—healthy, happy-looking families, all—under the stucco dome at the center of the CBC's bluff-top campus, where greeters (but no signature gatherers) welcome guests, blasted by live synth-combo extended mixes of sheeny, contemporary hymns.

Pastor Frank Damazio pits this congregation against remote-linked Tigard and Vancouver congregations in a fundraising contest for CBC's summer camp, before delivering a sermon on divisiveness and a ritual overcoming of past wounds.

Afterward, I wander the huge lobby, snooping for campaign lit. I say I am up from LA and heard good things about CBC. "We try to go for the right mixture of the spirit and the word," a young woman tells me. My subterfuge mistaken for flirtation, she introduces me to an intense young pastor who I can tell knows immediately I am lying. Another awkward silence ensues, in which I sense that if I ask about gay marriage I will be shown the door.

By 1:30 pm, the last parishioners are leaving, and still no sign of a referendum campaign. But I leave impressed by CBC's good fellowship—the warmest welcomes are given to the sketchiest-looking—but wondering about what went unsaid in this church that lobbies against gay rights. GRANT COGSWELL

According to this Time article, ATM's are expected to become even more prevalent in churches. The IRS is requiring greater documentation on charitable contributions, and since ATM's leave an electronic record that fulfill this new requirement, more churches are expected to install them in their buildings.

Beginning with gifts given in 2007, the IRS will demand documentation for charitable contributions under $250. Once, all one needed was a diary entry to vouch for such donations. Specially designed ATMs at church will help document such spur-of-the-moment cash gifts, as well as planned giving. Also as a result of the new IRS rule, credit card donations and tithing are likely to increase too because such electronic fund transfers leave a paper trail.

How long before they end up in City Bible? A year. 6 months?

According to the local media, our dear little City Bible is holding a conference next month dedicated to helping homosexuals. The conference, called Love Won Out, shows gays how not to be gay.

This is the natural follow up to City Bible's legislative efforts to keep gays single. Once you ensure homosexuals can't get married, the next logical step is provide them with an avenue toward matrimony, namely, heterosexuality. 

That said, I tend to cut City Bible some slack here. They clearly believe homosexuality is a sin, and so this conference isn't really anything new.

I have a good friend who is gay and grew up in a conservative evangelical environment in Southern Oregon.  She is constantly defending Evanglicals to her gay friends.  She is comfortable being gay, but also doesn't harbor any bitterness or anger.  She grew up in the church, so she understands why some Christians believe homosexuality is a sin. She disagrees with them, but she's cool with it.

(Fun side note: I met this lovely young lady when we both worked for the same firm in Washington DC. And when I found out she grew up in the church, I started singing Oh Ancient of Days to see if she would recognize it. She did, and promptly joined in for the seond verse of "Every tongue in Heavan and Earth shall declare your glory." We've been great friends ever since.)

So, if City Bible wants to hold a "Don't be gay" conference on their property. Whatever. I don't really care. No gay people are going to attend anyway. It's just going to be a bunch of Conservative Christians re-affirming what they already believe. No different than any other event up there. 

Of course, I wonder if City Bible is going to charge attendees of the conference to park. I mean if you're going take advantage of Believers, I see know reason that gays shouldn't get the same treatment. Charge those homos the same price to park as you do the Holy Rollers. Let's be honest, City Bible sees all people the same, as dollar signs.

(Also, I recongize that I'm in the minority on this one. Most of our readers still think homosexuality is a sin, including my brother and co-blogger Johnpaul.

 Whatever.)

I stumbled across this article in yesterday's Washington Post about a fortune teller (Uwanawich) who was convicted of theft for promising to stamp out curses for her clients.  The facts of the case reminded me of certain a Malachi 3 obsessed pastor.

Here are the facts:

Authorities say Uwanawich, 63, defrauded vulnerable middle-aged women by persuading them to hand over tens of thousands of dollars to crush devastating curses.

The relationship began in December 2004 at Lakeforest Mall, when Uwanawich approached the woman, who was depressed, and handed her a flier promoting her psychic powers.

During meetings at Uwanawich's apartment, the woman, who is of Chinese descent, was told she and her family had a curse that dated to the building of the Great Wall of China. Evidence of the curse came in the form of an egg Uwanawich cracked in front of the woman that had blood and hair and smelled horrid.

I'm not saying the similarities are exact. But I know pastors who speak of curses, promising great wealth if you tithe and calamity if you don't.  So what's the difference?

Of course, you could never convice a prosecutor to go after a pastor for promising great wealth. But I wonder if a CBC member who tithed and didn't receive financial blessings, if they could sue for fraud?

Anyone want to try?