By: Cynthia L. Butler
A Catholic lawyer based in Washington, DC, graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Cornell University with twenty years of litigation experience nationally. To contact her call (202) 466-0998, Email: Butlerlawfirm-at-aol.com, address: 1629 K St.NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006
The televangelists in America are under yet another assault. http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/01/29/primarysource/entry3767306.shtml
Apparently some of them are being investigated by a Senator regarding their tax free non profit status because they have what some consider extravagant lifestyles.
While I am deeply impressed with Billy Graham's practice of not earning more than about $70,000 his entire life (which I hope he adjusted for inflation) I write in Defense of them.
We have a culture that is very fractured. People lack basic communication and rapport connection ability. Half the country is divorced. Half the families in the country are broken. Men struggle to maintain friendships.
These Televangelists speak the Word of God to people in desperate need in a medium that is universally accessible. Anyone watching them is being fed. Fed with the living word of God. They do incredible work-life saving work. I know divorced women who claim tuning into Joyce Meyers in the morning kept them alive during their divorces. I know people who have tuned in for years to the ministry of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and claim healing miracles through the practices, similar to those Christian Scientists know taught by Gloria.
All of these ministers partner with millions of people around the world who are spiritually fed by them and deepening their relationship with the Lord through them. They are doing tangible Matthew 25 work -work I daresay that some Senators are not doing themselves.
This is the way that God is working in this electronic cyber-age. In biblical times, he sent people traveling on mission like Paul physically going to people-to the ends of the earth. Now, the way people communicate across the globe is through electronic and television media. It is an extremely effective communication tool. God is working in a mighty way. All over the World. The enormous costs of television broadcasts nationally and internationally are in part financed by the sales of inspirational books, Cd's, and videos. People eat them up like chocolate Easter eggs.
No one is forced or compelled by anything other than their free will to contribute to these ministries.
Some of these ministries run social service programs that are light years more effective than anything the government is doing in some areas/cases. They run prison ministries, support orphanages, shelters, food banks, refugee outreaches internationally and do God's work in a thousand ways every day. They have encouraged people, set them free from addictions, released them from fears and bondages, lifted them to new and joyful lives and are responsible for children being born. Joyce Meyers Ministries international refugee outreach literally saved children from the garbage dumps of Cambodia. She saves women in India from domestic violence. She heals minds and souls better than any hospital. Creflo and Taffy Dollar are doing work in racial reconciliation without trying better than Michele and Barach Obama ever can. These people are creators. They are saving lives. What corporation in America is selling that product? Because if you could package all that the sales would astound- and every CEO would be a billionaire.
Campaigns for the President of this country eat insane amounts of money-Totally obscene amounts of money are spent on Presidential campaigns. I just got another fundraising email indicating this candidate wanted to raise another 3 Million a week to send the campaign staff to the next Series of states. This is in part because of the heavy costs of televising commercials. They need to run TV ads. Why doesn't the Senator turn his attention to that issue. If he is looking for government revenue, perhaps the FCC should look at the overall costs of televising programs/commercials and approach the fee structure differently rather than attack the preachers.
These Preacher/Pastors are running international Campaigns for souls. They are not trying to get themselves elected to anything; they are trying to get the world into heaven and trying to bring heaven to earth. They are authentic prophetic voices.
These ministries are audited, run on relatively slim staffs, a wing and a prayer, and are sowing fields and countries into the kingdom. The blessings reaped by these preacher/pastors are turned to bless others multi -fold. They are not fleecing the sheep. They are feeding the sheep. They are clothing, housing and feeding the sheep. They are keeping the sheep alive. They fill in a huge gap that local churches are not meeting. They would not exist as powerfully as they do unless there was such an unbelievably huge need for them.
These ministers are targets for demonic assault and have had every hardship imaginable.
confront them to get where they are. They were fought tooth, nail, horns and tail by the devil who went against them to prevent God's word from spreading. Paula White had, she claims about 18 personal tragedies that would have landed a lesser person in a mental institution. They deserve every penny anyone ever gave them. They are singularly responsible due to their vision and anointing for the very lives of many many people. People who could not be merely helped by government programs. People who were border-line suicidal. People who could have ended up in jail were it not for them. Their social utility is incalculable.
In terms of them having not a Princetonian quality seminary degree, from which Seminary did Jesus graduate?
People coming against these Preachers may be coming against God himself. None of the people being investigated are Elmer Gantry styled con artists. The Senator's efforts here are grossly misplaced and a shameful waste of taxpayer resources to spend a minute attacking these people.
You will know them by their fruits- just look at their fruit not their cash flow.
I not only in the name of Jesus tell Senator Grassly to Back Off Them All, I urge that
people pray for and contribute to these ministries:
Kenneth and Gloria Copeland (and son John Copeland):
www.KCM.org
Joyce Meyers Ministries:
www.JoyceMeyer.org
Paula White Ministries:
www.PaulaWhite.org
Creflo and Taffy Dollar
www.WORLDCHANGERS.org
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