You're view on evangelists?

Question

I see them as greedy, power hungry entertainers. If they were so spiritual why don't they give 90% of there money to the poor and needy? Only keep what they need to continue traveling and preaching. It's just a career move for them and a way to get famous rich and powerful.

Answer 1

Jesus Christ would regard today's highly visible crop of evangelists as nothing better than the money changers he kicked out of the temple. He'd be furious at their exploiting of Christianity for their personal gain.

Answer 2

First I must say that your view on some of the more famous TV Evangelists is correct. Some like Benny Hinn live in a way that I believe Jesus would puke on. However, there are many traveling evangelists who do not make much money at all. They go from place to place staying in the homes of church members who will put them up for a night or two and survive off of love offerings. They will never be famous, most struggle to make ends meet, and they still continue to do what they believe God has lead them to do. I have come to learn that there are all kinds of people in this world and some do take advantage of others no matter what profession they are in. Others do there best to live good decent lives and try to help others out. You can't judge them all by the actions of the most dishonorable.

Answer 3

Tim Lahay diod syudies on peo;le with the gifts. It seems that with each gift there are specific weaknesses. For the charismatic evangelists it is pretty much as you say. If we practiced accountabilty as the Bible prescribes then these would have people holding their hand all the time and telling them what to do Like the acting community has managers but we let those scriptures slide because they are unpopular. No one desires correction, which is a severe lack of humbleness.

Accountabilty goes hand in hand with a healthy church and until we find a way to incorporate it we are gonna watch this kind of poor witness continue.

One blocking point to putting accountabilty into place is we use a popularity system to pick preachers. There are Biblical guidlines for this which are not follwed also. Instead we find our churches run by a board of merchants (remember Jesus kicked this same group out of the house of God), and preachers who tickle our ears and the result is big buildings and small works. This same thing enables evangelists to do what they do because there are merchants in there sucking up the money as fast as people give it.

IS IT ANY WONDER CHRISTIANITY HAS A LESS THAN DESIRABLE REPUTATION. Look at what God did with the Jews and shake in your boots.

Answer 4

I assume you mean "evangelists" precisely--the missionaries you see on the street or television or radio or whatever--differing them from the more broadly defined evangelicals who comprise about a quarter of Americans.

Have you heard of Rick Warren? He's the pastor as the double-mega-church Saddleback in Orange County. His church makes enough money to allow you, me, and my kids to all retire starting tomorrow. But Warren, to avoid the appearance of impropriety, rejects every dime from the church. He lives a very modest lifestyle.

Some "evangelists" probably are cheeseballs out to hose people. But most are morally serious and are out to make an honest living. They tithe like the rest of us and work to take care of their families just like us. I think 90% is a little excessive, too, by the way.

And let's just say it is a power-move to get rich quick. In America's free market that's how you survive. You have to actually try. What's wrong with that. If you can spread the Good News all the while I say go for it.

Answer 5

What would that do.

Bill Gates is the richest man in the world, far richer than ALL the evangalists put together. If you gave 100% of his wealth away to all those who make under $20K a year it would amount to about $1,000 in a one-time payment.

Hardly what I would call Earth shattering. It isn't even a down payment on a car. It's the average person's dental bills for a year. It's a PS3 and a few games. It's a middle of the line PC or a low end Mac.

If you ROBBED all the Rich people in the world, including all the Arab Oil Shieks, it still would only amount to a one time payment of $5,000 per person making under 20K a year.

Communism means everyone living on NO MORE than the equlivanet of $25K per year. For a lot of people in the world, maybe including the questioner, that means GOING BACKWARDS and GIVING UP things.

Our GWP (Gross World Product) could PROBAbLY squeek out a 25K a year salary for EVERYONE.

A brain surgeron then makes as much as a janitor.

What is the imputus to go to school a total of 25 years to be a brain surgerion when you make no more than a moron who drops out of school at the age of 12 to push a broom.

Answer 6

I dont know about that. My father in law is an evangelist and he has been crossing the country since he was 18 he is 70 now. He never has seemed to be the greedy type he uses the money of course for his own living expensises. but he has no time for a regular job becuase he is busy spreading the word about jesus.
I do not doubt, however, that there may be some "rip-offs" of there. So I dont think its fair to stereo type evangilists from regular preachers taking up offering because I'm sure that there may be some preachers that may be " rip-offs" as well.

Answer 7

some of them ARE greedy and power hungry entertainers. But for those who truly are trying to minister to people, I don't understand why people have such a higher standard for ministers when it comes to money. Why should ministers have to give 90% when the rest of people have to give only 10%? If ministers should, then everybody should. So, my question to you is why don't YOU give 90% of your money to the poor and needy? You should be more concerned with how you live your life than how other people live theirs.

Answer 8

You are being way too general here. Are you speaking of TV evangelists? I can see the point there, though it's still not true of all of them. I know a lot of evangelists, and most of them live off "love offerings." Usually it's not very much, just enough to as you say continue traveling and preaching.

Answer 9

i myself am what you may call an evangelist. i'm virtually 17 and am a preacher who is going to distinct churches whilst i'm asked and that i carry forth. I easily have preached at churches, nursing properties, even a drug and alcohol rehab middle. First shall we look into the be conscious evangelist. i think this be conscious is confussed with televangelists alot of the time. i'm going to confess, the famous televangelist is the guy on television who crys and begs for money and says that God provides you with 10 cases the quantity you provide to him. I accept as true with part of this, yet disagree with maximum of it. An evangelist is merely somebody noted as via God to share the gospel. i think that many evangelists are very political. they have a equipment of beliefes that they dont have faith everybody can alter of their minds. Many are in it to make money. yet i think there is one actual reason that evangelists upset human beings. permit me share a number of my expertise here. Conviction: --- that's the very element that triggers dislike in direction of evangelists, preachers, and ministers. The holy spirit starts off to artwork in the path of the minister and the words he speaks carry a feeling of conviction (or a easy feeling of be apologetic approximately) to the guy and that they desire to close out the sensation via changing the sensation of helpless be apologetic approximately with anger or dislike in direction of the minister. in case you desire to talk this added, digital mail me.

Answer 10

I would tend to agree that evangilists are greedy and all, with the exception of one that I know personally. Billy Graham is a great and honest man of God. If he didn't come from my home state, I may not feel the same but he does and I do. If you doubt he is doing good work, visit Samaritans Purse website.