How do pastors get rich

This means they are not required to detail their top employees' earnings or list how much is spent on philanthropic projects. Their inner workings can be entirely unknown. But in the Senate committee appeared to think that some ministries were abusing this privilege and violating an IRS rule that church earnings may not "unreasonably benefit" an individual.

The Trinity Foundation shared all its research with the committee, and attended meetings with its officials. All six denied wrongdoing. Four failed to co-operate satisfactorily, according to the committee White, Copeland, Dollar and Long. Larry had donated to three of them. Yet by , the investigation had lost steam. Senator Grassley drew no specific conclusions. Instead he asked an evangelical group - the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability ECFA - to study ways to spur "self-reform" among ministries.

He believes the economic crash played a part; the financial world suddenly had much bigger issues to deal with.

After years of hanging on, it felt like they just punted the ball. In , it told Senator Grassley that filing full tax returns would be an "intrusion on the most intimate recesses of church administration". The Senate committee has shown no sign of taking up the subject again, and no government agency has taken a strong interest in it. Paid-for television channels also fall outside the remit of the national regulator, the Federal Communications Commission - unlike in the UK, where Ofcom might step in.

But, although it is rare, sometimes a pastor does come within the IRS's sights. In , one of Todd Coontz's neighbours called a local TV channel to complain that he was taking up too many spaces in the car park outside his luxury South Carolina apartment block. And that's when we got interested. The channel got in touch with the Trinity Foundation, which provided background on Coontz and the prosperity gospel.

The foundation also shared recordings of his TV appearances - it keeps an archive of televangelist broadcasts, taking notes on the programmes to monitor new techniques.

They might have medical condition or be unemployed. When WSOC-TV's report on Coontz aired, it went far beyond the parking dispute, detailing his personal wealth and casting doubt on the legitimacy of his fundraising tactics. Todd Coontz is not in the same league as some of the other prosperity preachers. He does not have a megachurch, a private airfield or even his own jet. He preaches at other people's live events, rather than holding them under his own name.

But his lifestyle is certainly opulent. He has posted photos on Facebook of his stays in hotel rooms overlooking Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. He has spent tens of thousands on jewellery and diamonds. He also has, or at least had, a fleet of luxury cars, including three BMWs, two Ferraris, a Maserati and a Land Rover, plus a speed boat. Meanwhile, he has continued to target his operations at those on the breadline.

In the same year as the TV report aired, a federal probe led by the IRS criminal investigation unit also began. We can't let this go. The IRS did not delve into his "seed" operations or his tax-exempt church, Rockwealth, but into his taxes for various personal side projects.

He was making large profits from freelancing as a speaker for other ministries and his two for-profit businesses, selling his books, CDs and DVDs. For these, he had needed to file accurate tax returns. During a four-year investigation, prosecutors dug up all sorts of irregularities, ruling that Coontz had been underreporting his income and exploiting expenses claims. He had developed various ploys, such as flying economy but sending fake first-class invoices to the ministries he was freelancing for, so he could pocket the difference.

He would also claim expenses twice, once from his own ministry and once from his client. He claimed for thousands of dollars spent on clothes suits are not a permitted business expense and for cinema tickets, which the IRS also considered unreasonable. On 26 January , Coontz was sentenced to five years in prison for failing to pay taxes and assisting in the filing of false tax returns.

He reported to jail in early April, but was freed by the judges, pending appeal. Coontz did not respond to the BBC's request for comment, but he has previously denied wrongdoing. His Twitter account is still posting daily with no reference to his jail sentence and he has taken to preaching - via the Periscope app - from the front seat of his Maserati.

The operator was not able to share the significance of that figure and would not answer questions about how many people had called to pledge. It is not clear whether the switchboard was serving only Rockwealth or other churches too. The Trinity Foundation has recently filed a long report to the IRS, calling for Rockwealth to lose its status as a tax-exempt church.

As always, it feels like a shot in the dark and it does not expect to hear back. Both Ole and Pete says the work they do often falls flat - and not through a lack of effort at their end.

She just got hooked back on to the TV and believing what they said. Ole remains disappointed that the authorities still allow the vulnerable to fall into these traps. I guess they didn't want change. As for Larry and Darcy, they are also still donating, despite their meagre income, but only to their local church. Their daughter is alive, but, after Larry was unable to pay for her medical treatment, a rift arose between them and they now rarely talk.

The couple say they want to share their story with others to make them think twice about where their money could be going. These are money-making industries," says Larry vehemently. Darcy, sitting on one of the dining room chairs in the middle of the empty room, nods in agreement. US preacher asks followers to help buy jet. Image source, Joseph De Sciose. Larry and Darcy Fardette donated to many televangelists.

And Larry needed some fast results. Maybe he should invest the sum as a "seed"? In , that moment came. US preacher asks followers to help buy jet Undertakers to sue over fake resurrection.

Understandably, it would be immoral to accuse or scorn these pastors for their lavish lifestyles within their churches but Scripture — and Christ Jesus — commands something different from Christians. People are questioning vaccine mandates after President Joe Biden mandated vaccinations to all government employees and businesses that employ over people.

Staff writer Joe Deitzer poses a relevant question: Are vaccine mandates good or bad? This debate is whether or not we should let our government into the last barrier of protection we have——our skin," he writes. We want to continue introducing you to the amazing team that makes The Threefold Advocate happen!

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Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter to receive our stories directly to your inbox! It is really easy to subscribe: Head over to advocate. Matthew teaches that money will never satisfy. But for pastors who would like to be able to take their families on a nice vacation, save for retirement, or build some financial margin so you could better respond to God when he calls, I humbly offer this list of suggestions.

How to generate extra income:. This is actually a marketable skill — one that most people in the country do not possess. There are a lot of schools, companies, and organizations that need speakers and you could use your speaking ability to earn extra money.

You could speak at other churches. You could speak at weddings or funerals. You could submit your session idea to conference organizers. You could speak at business events.

Create a speaking page on your website and promote it throughout your network. Take a look around and you will find that many products and services offer affiliate programs. That means you can earn extra money by recommending things you already use.

Your personal blog with posts promoted on Facebook and Twitter is a great place to talk about and recommend useful products. You could write a devotional book or a book based on some of your sermons. You could start a small business on the side. If you have an idea and a niche, you could devote a few hours a week to working on your idea.

I know a pastor who runs a social media company and another who specializes in advertising. If people are always coming to you for advice, you could consider formalizing a program and test the waters. If your church does something really well, you might be able to help other people.

One word of caution — the church world is flooded with people who lack real experience. If you want to coach or consult, make sure you've truly learned, executed and understand your field. Reading three books doesn't make you an expert. Should a pastor charge people for counseling? Is it okay to write a book and sell it to church members?