City Business Church

This guy didn’t start a blog; he sued his pastor. And won

catalyst — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:06:24 +0000

I love this story. From the comments:

I found your website and well just say it’s a blessing for me, liberating to be exact that I’m not the only one. Not saying that ur pastor’s an ass, just the thought that it’s ok to questioning the church authority and getting them responsible of it. I did, my ex pastor stepped down a few months ago, now being investigated of fraud. Nice guy, just forgot that he’s serving God not the goods… well anyway what i did to my (ex) pastor was :

Step 1. Questioning him privately first, bluntly in his face (we had lunch, my mom’s one of the church’s biggest donor, he loved us.. a lot), he denied my accusation and play the angry card, accusing me i was a bitter young guy in need for a big-time repent. Then apparently he told everyone about the evil me, hence the asst. pastor calling me -not by name- (quote) “the thorn” in a Sunday service sermon in front of 5000 people, sent by the devil spreading rumors to shake and hurt the “God-Anointed man”.

Well something just ain’t right in the equation about the first class “mission” family trip to Maldives, Hawaii, Baha etc, new SLK & S-Series, ,”the Canaan” (20k sqf mansion, with a private bowling alley thank you) and of course the old time favorite & repeated tithing sermons…
I’m OK with people getting rich, but not with my money (well to be fair, my mom’s mostly) in it and there’re people in the church losing their job, fighting bankruptcy and with illness, yet being told to tithe tithe tithe!
And yet here’s another 45k$ Patek Philippe for the “god anointed man” doing nothing really with no real job but being fat and speaking about how everyone need to give him more $$$.

Step 2. Feed up. I had enough. So I talked with people, convince my mom to take action, looking for affirmation (one of the affirmation was form this lovely site.. again THANK YOU!), yes there’re a lot of people told me to mind my own business, that I’m just a young rascal (was 25 back then) and somehow kept hearing that it is a sin to question “god’s anointing”, well I know a tiger when i see one.

Step 3. I collected all my guts left in me (after been brutally eaten by the church pack) and we (me and some of the elders, my mom included) reported him to the financial committee. Filed a lawsuit (thanks to my mom’s company legal team) and there you go, now he’s spent $$$ paying for the legal fees, bye2 mansion, and sorry Mrs. pastor no more visit to the plastic surgeon…

Am I evil or what? Well tell that to the “man of god” who stop funding the elderly home, shutting it literally, denied financial assistance plea from a mother with breast cancer (told her to pray harder, tithe more and god will send miracle depending on how much she will put a seed of faith in here tithing, saying it’s by grace she’ll be healed, she died a few month after unhealed) and bought a new 150k church sound system instead (which cost only 100k, he tithed 50k for himself apparently), not that the one we had broken, it just the Hillsong singers coming and we need to bling up. And oh yes… he gave the infamously evil CA’s props8 tons of $$$ (move away mormons, he gave approx. 215k of the church money) denying people the rights to love and be equal… and we’re not even in USA! (the devil’s own friend, rev. jerry falwell & soon-to-go rev. pat robertson will love this guy company in hell surely).

After the legal huricane, new pastor got in, so this one better keep his hand off my money and use it for the right cause.
Yes you heard me “my money”, I don’t be believe in tithing as a return of God’s money thing, no way, in the The Parable of the Talents, it’s said that the master will taken us into account of the money (skill, etc) entrusted in us… so no way I’m gonna deposit mine in some crooks (who happened ran a money-hunger church) and do nothing about it. Never my intention to dictate pastor what to do, i just expect them to do the right thing as church supposed to do: To act love.

Money (or other things) is not the source of all evil, it’s the willingly evil human hearts, any human hearts are vulnerable including the so-called “anointed one”.

My point is maybe everyone should man up and talk to these pastors in the face, and enjoy the wild ride

I Challenge Frank Damazio to a Badminton Duel

catalyst — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:32:06 +0000

In the credit where credit is due file, I see that City Bible is starting an intramural program this April, which people can join for a very reasonable fee of $25.

This year we will be offering a wide variety of sports, including Men's and Women's Basketball, Co-ed Volleyball, Co-ed Badminton and Co-ed Ultimate Frisbee.

It seems like this is a positive outreach to the community and congregation, and it's more than just prayer meetings, bake sales and bible studies. (not that there's anything wrong with that).

My senior year in college, my roomates and I took an early morning badminton class to fulfill our PE requirement. One of us even bought a special badminton racket specifically for the class. In truth, we took it a little too seriously. And after some sessions, we would be so angry with eachother that we wouldn't speak for days.

The other students in the class hated us. It's 8 am on a Tuesday morning, the jocks are hung-over, the hippies sleepy, and everyone else totally apathetic. But not us, we're doing calisthenics and some light jogging to prepare for the upcoming match. We would also spend a significant portion of the class arguing over archane Badminton rules or whether the shuttlecock (why is that word not used more often) landed in-bounds.

This is all to say, I loved it, and if I lived in Portland and everyone up there didn't despise me, I would totally join their little club.

Couple Sent to Jail for 16 Months for Believing in Prayer

catalyst — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:55:15 +0000

That headline may be a little incindiary, but it's essentially correct. A judge sent an Oregon couple to jail for failing to provide medical help for their sixteen year old son.

The Beagleys knew Neil was ill two weeks before he died in June 2008 from complications of a urinary tract blockage, they testified. Despite the boy's failing health, the Beagleys didn't take Neil to a doctor. Instead, they decided to honor the boy's wish to put his fate in God's hands.

The judge got this one right. If you as an adult want to put your medical help in God's hands, then fine. But when you have children, you're not afforded that liberty anymore. Parents need to do everything reasonable to help their child live a healthy life. And frankly, your Faith in God just doesn't cut it.

Or I guess another way to look at it, God decided not to save the boys life. And God also decided to send these parents to jail to teach the rest of the congregation a lesson: GO TO THE HOSPITAL!

Some Of The Good Ones

The Reformer — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:51:40 +0000

Since a lot of this blog highlights the dangerous pastors, preachers, and authors of today, I thought I would point out a few of the good ones I have learned from over the years. These guys teach a message that does not involve money, celebrity, or false doctrine.

John Piper: Most people know of him. Really powerful speaker and teacher with a lot of Gospel centered teachings. Website: http://www.desiringgod.org/
Francis Chan: A guy who preaches really strong about serving and sacrifice for the greater good. It's reported that he gives away about 90 percent of his income and no longer takes a salary form the church he pastors. Website: http://francischansblog.blogspot.com/
Jared Wilson: Guy on the east coast with a heart to preach the Gospel and reach people. Website: http://gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/
Eric Knox: A former City Bible youth pastor who had a massive life change in the course of his ministry and founded two Gospel-centered churches (one in Portland and one in Los Angeles). One of the best preachers/teachers you will ever hear. Website: http://www.sojournvillage.com/
Donald Miller: Great author and speaker with an approach to religion and faith that speaks to everyone. I highly recommend reading his books. Website: http://donmilleris.com/
Brennan Manning: Another great author who wrote one of my favorite books of all time "The Ragamuffin Gospel." Website: http://www.brennanmanning.com/

I know there are plenty more out there, but these are the few that I have come across who seem to have a really great message on Gospel-centered living. If anyone knows of any other solid pastors, teachers, authors or leaders or thinks one of the people I mentioned are not so great, please do share.

Is Judah Smith The New Messiah?

The Reformer — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:27:52 +0000

I was recently introduced to the Judah Smith fan page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/judahsmith). All I have to say is WOW, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Check out these recent posts (note that I did not change anything, so the spelling and gramical errors are their mistakes):

Kevin Salinas: "I listen to your sermon from G.U. 2010 at least twice a day. you are awesome."

Lynn Marie Kraus: "Pastor Judah, what an amazing message you gave yesterday…Your are really an inspiration to all the members, old and new. I love you."

Diana Forte Kenton: "Judah you are sooo annoited by God. in about from about 1999 to 2005 I was in a bad place, God used you to bring me back to Him And with your new messages i am inspired daily…I should be dead but JESUS has saved me, you have been a HUGE part of this!"

Nate Riley: “You are my hero…”

Brooke Papier: “The way God speaks through you Judah never ceases to amaze me…. Thank you for being a wonderful example of an obedient disciple!”

Laura Sinclair: “Thank you for laying your hand on me after the Encounter Retreat tonight. =) I felt the Holy Spirit through you.”

Ron Debbie Stoner: “GREATEST PASTOR IN THE WORLD.”

Nikolay Bertash: “I love you Judah Smith.”

Tony Solis: “pastor judah is one of those guys that you can't help liking. the good-natured messing around with his wife before he actually gets to preaching makes me laugh quite a bit…the fire this man has for God is second to none, and that's a real inspiration to me.”

And they go on and on like this. In fact he has over 16,000 fans, all spouting the same kind of praise and worship. I have to admit, if it were me all these crazies were claiming adoration for, it would be hard not to think I was God's next chosen son. So it really does make me wonder…is Judah Smith the new Messiah??

I Can’t Quit You City Business Church

catalyst — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:29:12 +0000

I had no intention of renewing my ownership of citbusinesschurch.org. I was going to let this website go gently into that good night. But they sent me one last reminder; I had a week to renew. A calm came over me, I blacked out, and when I came too, citybusinesschurch.org was back in my hands for another year.

Meh.

The problem is I have really lost all motivation to blog about City Bible Church. Mostly, because I feel like we won. A quick perusal of their website confirms things are not going well financially. The website looks like it was a high-school sophomore computer project. And they're not holding a lot of their usual conferences. That church is definitely in trouble. And I don't want to kick them when they're down.

I've thought about focusing more on the Anti-Christ of the Northwest, Judah Smith. But his most recent twitter account said, and I quote, "Shopping with @frankdamazio…I luv outfitting a man of God!" I can't compete with that. How can you make fun of someone, who with no shame, admits he loves dressing up other pastors like dolls. You can't.

Then there's always the fun little issue with MFI. Dick Iverson decided to marry his long-time ~~mistress~~ secretary. And the pastors in MFI were none too pleased. They asked him to step down. He declined. And now it appears that City Bible Church and the City Church are both starting their own separate "networks". I suspect they're making a move to disafilliate with MFI. I wish I cared.

This is all to say, I renewed the domain. The eight people that still read this blog have another exciting year of no blog posts. At least from me.

Part of the problem is that the Wordpress we're using is old. And the site doesn't really work all that well. Henri has been an amazing help. But I don't really want him to have to invest a lot of time and money into a blog that I only mildly care about. I am tempted to try to move the blog to another website. But we'll see. If any of you have any suggestions for what to do in the future. Let me know.

Igniting A Generation For God…

The Reformer — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:11:24 +0000

That's what I keep hearing from certain charismatic evangelical circles with the word "city" incorporated somewhere in the name of their church that host an annual generation conference. In fact a quick search of "generation conference promo” on YouTube will bring up dozens of videos showing clips of youth pastors and teachers affiliated with these churches preaching all sorts of hype about how their conference will "change young people for God," or "ignite the hearts of people to see Jesus invade our culture," or "bring a radical impact to society." These are the claims year after year after year, yet I don't see any of it. In fact I don't see this generation of young people, say 13 to 23, acting any different today then any generation did 10, 15, or even 20 years ago. Many people would even say kids have gotten worse over the generations, not better. So why do these people continually tout their church/conference/gathering/message/etc. as the one that will "win this generation for God?" I wish I had the answer; maybe then there would be no need for a blog like this.

Deep down I really am concerned about the perils of society, and I wish these gatherings would do more. But right now, I just don’t think they are. I mean these churches have so much money, with so many resources and so many volunteers, why in the hell can't they actually make a difference? Now inevitably someone will say "Generation (fill in the blank) Conference" changed my life. And as someone who participated in a few of these things I totally get it. In fact I'm not even saying they are all bad. What I am saying is that they could be so much better! I mean if you really look at it, a majority of these conferences recycle the same 20 speakers, with the same 20 messages and the same 20 worship songs, reaching the same 20 types of people. Can't you see what's wrong with that?

So for those who absolutely swear by these events, there's nothing anyone of us can really say or do that will cause you to think outside the box. But for the rest of you out there, ask yourself WHERE IS THE CHANGE? Not that I think the entire city of Portland, or Seattle, or San Diego, or Atlanta (or anywhere else these conferences are spreading) should become Christian Capital USA, but it should be safe to say that if these conferences really were "igniting a generation for God" or causing a "global movement" (as one promo claimed), there would be SOME sign of spiritual uprising, correct? Am I wrong for thinking this? I just want these churches and the people who run them to WAKE UP! Stop positioning yourselves for fame and fortune. Stop trying to be the most sought after conference speaker. Stop using impressionable youth as a way to create name recognition. And please for the love of God, stop trying to be so cool and hip and loved. DO start representing Jesus the way He called you to, with truth, grace and most of all, humility.

So this is a call to anyone and everyone who participates in these giant gatherings to be more then just sheep lapping up everything put before you and following the ways of every other church that holds these things. Ask questions, explore truths, seek answers and do not let your mind be lost in the “oo and ah” of the moment. Because if you do, 10, 20, maybe even 30 years later, you will find yourself lost in a world of spiritual confusion that will take a long time to recover from.

God will make you rich, your ex-wife gets half

Belteshazzar — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:47:10 +0000

Our long time nemesis Benny Hinn had his wife just file for divorce.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100219/ap_on_en_tv/us_televangelist_divorce

"ORANGE, Calif. – The wife of televangelist Benny Hinn has filed for divorce from the high-profile pastor, whose reputation as an advocate of prosperity gospel has attracted millions of followers and criticism from lawmakers and watchdog groups over his lavish lifestyle.

Suzanne Hinn filed the papers in Orange County Superior Court on Feb. 1, citing irreconcilable differences, after more than 30 years of marriage. The papers note the two separated on Jan. 26 and that Hinn has been living in Dana Point, a wealthy coastal community in southern Orange County."

Of special interest is that his wife filed for divorce in California, a no-fault divorce state, so she is likely to get half of everything. I wonder how he is going to fit that into his health & wealth theology? As much as I'd like to point and say "Ha Ha" with my finest Nelson Muntz impression, half of a huge pile of ill-gotten money is still a lot of ill-gotten money. But if I know conservative Evangelicals, his followers will suddenly start closing their wallets over this. We can only hope.

On a side note: This blog has been languishing for awhile. At first it was a technical glitch, and then we just ran out of ways to mock tithing churches. Self-parody eventually takes the fun out of parody, and after awhile you just stop caring. But I couldn't pass on a story that smacked of poetic justice. With that said, I go back into the void…

City Church Sells Rowhouse in DC

catalyst — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:44:57 +0000

Last September, the City Church sold their DC rowhouse, for 1.6 million dollars. They bought the home in 2006 for 1.4 million and sold it three years later for 1.6. If there was nothing funny about the mortgages (big if), and depending on how much money they invested in the property (they definitely invested a little), then they may have made a nice little profit. Which, you know, good for them. I was clearly projecting a loss on that investment.

I'm not sure why they purchased the home in the first place. I suspect it's because it was during the peak of the Christian Right's influence in Washington, and Wendell wanted to get in on the action. But those days are over, at least for awhile.

They still have a church in DC, but they are meeting in the auditorium of the American University Campus. Which is probably, what they should have started out doing in the first place.

Generation Unleashed 2010

The Reformer — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:56:09 +0000

I have no idea what's going on at the bubbles these days, nor do I care. However, as I see that some people have found some pretty "funny" youtube videos and websites relating to this years GU conference, I figured I would provide a proper forum to discuss.

This one is pretty ridiculous, but at least they are being creative. Points for effort guys: Pastor Frank Music Video