Why are evangelical / pentecostal 'pastors' so wealthy?

Question

Why do they ask their church goers to give money to the church, in those envelopes, then drive around in Bentleys etc? Does anyone else smell a rat?

Answer 1

I've heard many television evangelists quote Malachi 3:9,10 to persuade their flocks to send them money. They tell their congregations, if they do not send them money to help them continue their work for God, they will be "robbing" God. They further tell them, if they do send them money, then God will open to them the windows of heaven and send them such a blessing there will not be room enough to receive it! They will often give them an example and tell them of someone who had sent them a small amount of money, and shortly afterward, a rich uncle died and left him a fortune or that he had won the Irish Sweepstakes or some other similar incident.

Many are then led to believe, if they give money to God, God will give them much more money in return. So they give a contribution to "God" in the hope they'll receive much more money or wealth than they gave. They hope to receive from God wealth with which to buy the many things of this world that they love. It's greed for the possessions of this world that causes them to give to "God.” The evangelist uses the greed of his flock to feed his greed.

Not one of them ever stops to think it just might not be money or riches of this world that the passage in the Bible refers to. It's not money they're robbing God of, but they're robbing Him by their desire not to know Him. They're robbing Him by preferring the riches of the world rather than the riches He would willingly give them if they would turn their desire from the things of the world and desire to know Him instead. Everyone who loves the riches of the world will interpret everything he reads in the Bible in a way that will feed his own greed.

Answer 2

They're not all wealthy. My pastor has a decent salary from our small church, but works a job outside of the church. He has a couple of different businesses one being real estate. He puts MORE THAN 10% of his income into the church (what the bible says we should give), and gives A LOT to the church and the charities it supports. He grew up POOR, and he remembers being left out of activities. He says that wont happen in our church. If our church has an activity that a family cant afford then he'll pay their way. He often has get together in his home where he provides EVERYTHING. Last year our family evacuated with his family for a hurricane. He wouldn't let us pay for anything. He lives in a nice house and he drives a nice vehicle. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I say he is a hard worker and is very blessed.

Answer 3

The more prominant 'pastors' are like that because they're ripping off both their congregation and God from important funds that could be better used in the mission fields and in the Church. They don't view being a pastor as being a service to the Body, instead they view it as a career where they can take as much money as they want from the congregation while using "service" to God as an excuse. They are wrong in that respect, and sooo many others. They keep spending all the Church's "tithes" and "offerings" on materialistic things that they'd probably be bankrupt from if they weren't 'pastors'. I wonder how they'd feel if their congregations stopped "tithing"? True pastors shouldn't be like that, anyway.

Answer 4

for much the same reason that those who scream the loudest that we should give more to the poor, elderly, and infirm, are also among the wealthiest of all the senate and congress.
I'm willing to bet that the person who asked this question considers themselves to be smarter than everyone else and asked this question as a way to be condescending to others. Much the same as the aforementioned politicians.

Why do you think that you need to be poor to be a pastor?
There is no vow of poverty for this job. Many times the pastors have a career outside the church. Is it OK if they have some success in their lives? Or is it only ok with you if all believers are asking for help.

Who do you think GIVES much of the help in this country?
At every disaster, who is the FIRST in line with food, clothing, comfort and aid?
The U.N.?
Congress?
The ACLU?
MoveOn.org?
Let a little sunshine into that cavity between your ears and be a little more "open minded" for a change.

Answer 5

When will people understand that it is not about denominations? Wherever there is truth the devil will sow tares to corrupt the field. Even in the early church and end times of Jerusalem, there were the tares: 1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 1Jn 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. You will not find the full truth in any single denomination they all have their bad seeds which have infiltrated and corrupted them. None have the fullness of truth not JW's, not Mormons, not Evagelicals, not Pentecostals, not Catholics or any other denomination. There is so much bickering amongst ourselves, when we should be uniting into the perfect Body of Christ and in One Spirit. It seems inevitable that in the end, only the persecution and tribulation of the harvest (for it is at the time of the harvest that the tares will be separated and burned ) will cause us to come together in oneness and herald the second coming of Christ. The fullness of truth is found in Jesus Christ alone. If you have faith in Jesus Christ, you have the truth within you.

Answer 6

Exactly. They make people feel good with their promises of God's blessings, so people give $$$. They scam the public, telling that God will cure their illnesses and give them material blessings if your faith is as small as a grain of mustard.

Check out Joyce Meyer's estate, attached, plus other preachers assets on that same site.

Remember Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker and their air conditioned doghouse? Or Jan Crouch and her pink hair, begging for money while mascara pours down her face?

It's all an elaborate scam. Plain and simple. They make you feel good. You pay them lots of $$$. They get richer and richer. End of story.

Answer 7

I don't know about other churches and pastors, but my pastor and his wife both have jobs outside of the church. They live very simply and don't drive incredibly fancy/spendy cars. We are pentecostal, and yes, we pay tithes. 10% of our income. The money goes to pay the church mortgage, utilities, church vans, etc. We are not 'forced' to give money to the church, we do it because we want to. :) I know there are some people out there who scam others out of their money...and that's not right. But it's not for us to worry about...they will have to face God in the end. Lord Bless...

Answer 8

Pentecostals believe in seperation of worldly things. Because when you seperate yourself from the sin of this world you will draw closer to God. Alot of preachers have an outside job other than the ministry so as not to be a financial burden upon the church. Even the apostles practiced this when the Gospel was first being spread. Just thought you would like to know that not every preacher that ask for a tithe offering is filling his pockets with it no matter where he lives or what he drives. Some are actually doing what God has called them to do.

Answer 9

It is biblical for us to tithe and give an offering. the bible says that if you are receiving spiritual things from your man of God then you are to give of your material things. I'd rather see my pastor in a Bentley than a bucket.

Now there are those that misuse the money that the church gives, and for them they will reap what they sow.

Answer 10

This is what I know: The word of God says for a person to pay 10% of whatever they make. We have to understand that church bills need to be paid as well. Now as far as the pastors riding around in Bentleys; some members of different churches love their pastors so much that they bless them with different things (money, cars, etc,.). This is to show their appreciation. And for myself, I love my pastor very much and there is nothing that I would not do for her. It is because she has been a geat mother to me despite the fact of my mother not raising or having a relationship with me.