Immediately after our Chest of Joash service on Sunday September 27th in which Mac was attempting to collect 1 million dollars CASH MONEY for facility maintenance, and after a series of sermons prompting his church members to give more to the church, what did Mac Brunson do?Why, do what any very rich mega church pastor would do! Take a two-week vacation to Europe! Go shopping in Milan, Italy! See ya later, suckers!
Yep, after his sermon series to tell us that we are spending our money carelessly because we're only giving on average 3% of our income to Mac's church, after poor-mouthing about how we have to get by with only $15 million in our budget because the 5000 "giving units" of our church aren't tithing...Mac packs his bags with his wife and heads off on a two-week vacation to Europe.
Mac likes to do that apparently, after asking for special offerings to fleece his sheep he heads out of town, out of COUNTRY, on expensive vacations that most of his congregation could only dream of. While we're staying in Jax and maybe splurging to see a movie after we gave sacrificially for the maintenance of our facilities, Mac heads off to Europe - what a tough life he has as our pastor. He did it on Easter Sunday - asked for $180,000 to put himself on nationwide TV, and left actually before the service was even concluded to begin his Mediterranean cruise. Then two weeks ago he asks us to give $1 million for church maintenance that our church failed to take care of with the $45 million that we have given since Mac arrived as pastor...Mac and Honey bolt for Europe. Must be that beating the sheep for money is very tiring, necessitating a long vacation after he gets us to open up our wallets.
And to top it off...Mac has the church show a video on the Sunday he is gone telling everyone how much he and Honey care for the poor:
"This Christmas season Debbie and I are going to man one of those kettles, and we're doing it in the name of Jesus Christ [actually, in the name of "FBC Jacksonville"] and I'm asking everyone of you in this congregation to join Debbie and myself in being a part of this...we care about those who have so much less than we do."
Yeah, right.
Unbeleivable!!! How much more is this church going to take? If I were one of the trustees I would be embarassed. This situation really makes it hard for them to protect and defend. This scenerio of "get the money and go on a vacation" reminds me of the big shots at AIG that once they had secured a govt., loan went to an expensive hotel to "rest". And by the way they asked for add'l money and planned another "getaway" to "rest". But even they cancelled after being found out.
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding me? Didn't they take a cruise to the Med last April? This is embarassing. By the way WD if your figures are correct re the $3000 net that the Salvation Army will collect if FBC helps. Do you realize the church paid David Allen $5,600,to preach Sunday. This is using figures from your previous blog. If I am wrong I will stand corrected.
ReplyDeleteI am beginning to be shock proof. Nothing suprises me now. This sense of entitlement rampant today has made it's way into the pulpit.
They did take a couple of weeks for a Med cruise...and then on top of that he went on a Holy Land trip.
ReplyDeleteAnd remember that both Mac and Honey are employees at the church. If Deb Brunson is an employee, who is doing her job when she is away so much? She travels with Mac, goes to KY to be with the grandbaby...do the other staffers get as much vacation as these two? I think I know the answer to that.
Interesting that in your previous column a comment stated that a pastor's competition was the Cracker Barrel. That is sad for a pastor to say. I remember our pastors, even Mac, saying that if we don't tell people about Jesus and how to be saved we might as well change the name on the outside of the building. There are plenty of restaurants, social clubs and civic organizations where people can be treated friendly and hang out. The church needs to be all about Jesus and being on mission with Him. This competing with secular organizations for "giving units" is so heretical I am shocked more at FBC Jax don't leave that place. I guess it is true, Christians get so into themselves and their comfort zone, they forget about Jesus and his reason for coming and dying for us. Sad. But a few people get rich and a few yes men get their egos stroked. Why the rest of us stay, and give funds that are needed elsewhere in our own family and community, is the real question. You can't blame Mac and Honey for blowing your tithes and offering.
ReplyDeleteWD- your live feed list shows 3 visits from Europe this morning just in the last 2 hours 27 mins. Could it be our beloved, jet-setting Mac and Honey are checking the blog before setting out on their spending spree? Or just a coincidence?
ReplyDeleteBased on a certain Facebook page, I think they're back in the states...if I understood the Facebook page they stopped in North Carolina when they came back.
ReplyDelete"WD- your live feed list shows 3 visits from Europe this morning just in the last 2 hours 27 mins. Could it be our beloved, jet-setting Mac and Honey are checking the blog before setting out on their spending spree? Or just a coincidence?"
ReplyDeleteSorry. It's not Mac. It's me.
I use Google Web Accelerator + Google Reader + Google Chrome. And for some reason, FeedJit gets confused.
Sometimes, when I connect through our company VPN, I am listed as connecting from California.
:-)
I tried accessing their (Debbie Brunson) facebook ... I hate facebook premise ... you have to be a friend, before you can access their profile ... so I gave up.
You have to remember: Mac views himself as a fundraiser. He praised his son during the pastors conference for "raising $100,000" for the costs of the conference. No glory to God, or even to the generous people that gave the gift.
ReplyDeleteSo Mac perhaps thinks 'After I do my thing and rake in this extra money that I'm raising because I'm such a wonderful and motivation fund raiser, I'll treat myself to a nice overseas vacation'.
To Mac be the glory for the great things Mac hath done.
You can access the facebook page...once you sign up and have an account, just search for the person's facebook and you can find it.
ReplyDeleteThey have quite a fan base, that's for sure.
bNot all of the pastors who attended the last conference at FBC Jax thought Mac's comments about Trey and his fund raising efforts were appropriate; instead some believed the remarks were callous and self-serving.
ReplyDeleteOne pastor commented that Mac's "bragging" made him cringe!
I've never in all my years seen a pastor credit a man for "raising funds" in a baptist church. We give to the Lord, and if any person is to be thanked or congratulated its the people who gave the money...but doing it out of appreciation toward people who gave to the Lord.
ReplyDeleteIt was some kind of sight to see him say that in front of all those pastors.
Some of you reading thsi probably don't believe it..but he did say it:
Mac brought his son up to the state, while DAVID JEREMIAH was on the stage...and praised his son for "raising $100,000" to help offset the costs of the conference...then, like in a bad SNL skit...he said "that's more than twice what his salary is"...as though there is some sort of cost-benefit ratio that should figure into justifying his son's salary.
THAT IS AMAZING. But its what we've become accustomed to at FBC Jax.
Sure is a different day.
Things sure have "changed" at FBC Jax....
...but as the republicans say about Obama's "change": "what kind of change are we talking about; not all change is good!"
Mac over and over and over keeps telling us that we need to be pastor for a day or for a week. He says this so we could see how tough it is, and how much he has to put up with.
ReplyDeleteWell, gee, I might take him up on that offer if I can choose the weeks to take his place. I would start with his 2-week Europoe vacation, and then I'd go over to the Holy Land also...and I wouldn't mind living in the million dollar 5000+ square foot home on the Deerwood golf course either.
Pooooor Mac. He has to put up with so much.
I just ran across Mac being one the conference speakers at Pigeon Forge Oct 20-23 2008, in a conference held by Phil Waldrep Ministries. Why haven't we heard about Phil Waldrep previously or have I just missed it? Has he ever spoken at FBC?
ReplyDeleteIs there ever going to be an announcement on the amount of money given on Chest of Joash day? How rude is it to demand money then leave on a shopping spree vacation without having the courtesy to tell the people that GAVE the money how much was given? This is the Lord's church, the Lord's money, not Mac's, whose salary the people pay!!! This is not a private club to be ruled over. If it has been reported I haven't heard it.
ReplyDeletePhil Waldrep - he is a friend of Mac's, and Mac preaches at his conferences. I have no clue who Waldrep is, what is qualifications are, etc, but his ministry Phil Waldrep Ministries is to preach revivals and hold conferences.
ReplyDeleteBack in late 2006 or early 2007, before Mac had been here a year he had Phil Waldrep in to preach a Sunday night sermon: UNANNOUNCED. Yes, he brought the man in to preach to us, without even telling us that Sunday A.M. Then, we saw that two weeks later Mac was going to preach at his conference in Alabama. So we paid the man to come preach to us while Mac was here to preach, and then Mac went and got paid to preach at his conference. Do you think Mac gave his honoraria collected up there to the church to offset the cost of having to pay Phil? Hmmmm.....
But now I see that Mac is scheduled to preach at another Waldrep conference this month...October 20-23rd in Pigeon Forge, TN. Not one night. Not even two or three. But Mac has four speaking slots at that conference, Monday through Thursday.
Come on FBC Jax. Can we possibly, possibly, reign this guy in? I mean the guy hits us up for a cool million so that our buildings don't leak and take on water and mildew...then takes two weeks off to tour and shop in Europe. Then, about a week after he gets back from Europe, he's spending a week preaching at some bush-league conference up in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for his buddy Phil Waldrep. Do we have anyone at our church that can stop this? Is he going to be paid for this? If we conservatively estimate Mac's salary to be $300,000 per year, that is about $1200 per day. Can we dock his pay $4800 for taking 4 days off his regular day time job to preach at a conference?
Mac Brunson is out of control. Let's see if he tells us on the 19th of October that he's heading up to Tennessee to take a retreat and preach. And maybe he'll take his wife with him, and she'll get another week's paid vacation. The fleecing continues. Its almost enjoyable at this point. I like being a hairless sheep.
So everybody dig deep. Give sacrificially to the "storehouse". And Mac will make up his tithe that he gives to the church through double dipping - making salary from us and taking honoraria from Phil Waldrep.
Hey, while he's gone, can I be pastor for those 4 days, so I can see what its like? Then I'll take his salary for those 4 days too.
But hey, he really cares for the poor.
Anon - no, it has not been reported. Perhaps tomorrow he will report it. But good chance he won't, since they don't tell us those things.
ReplyDeleteBut its none of your business how much was raised. Who are you to demand to know how much money comes into the FBC Jax coffers? You're probably not even serving anywhere in the church, you're probably just sitting on your "blessed assurance" and then want to demand to know about finances in the church! Get real! Your job is to shut up, give the tithe as it is demanded in the scripture, and we all hope you don't get a raise because that would only cause you to get deeper into debt! Just shut up, give, and let the super smart Christian firm of Brunson, Smyrl, and Sons figure out what to do with the money.
I don't know where you get this 100,000 dollar number for the pastors office suite. Those of us who were around when that building was constructed know that it cost about $150 per square feet to construct it. ($15 million for 100,000 sq ft).
ReplyDeleteSo if he comes in and takes over 3000 square feet of our newly constructed building, that is about $450,000. The value of that pastor's suite that was originally designed to serve as a visitor's reception area and large conference room was taken at a cost of $450,000 to the church members.
So please start using that number. Or at least add it to the $100,000 spent in the renovations if that is indeed the correct number.
Thank you.
Watchdog: Questions.
ReplyDeleteThe Chest of Joash - This was a commitment by the members of fbcjax to contribute their tithes they wrote on the commitment slips. Is this correct?
$1M Maintenance Fees - Was this also a commitment slip? or was an actual donation sought on that day?
Thanks.
Chest of Joash is the annual budget committment.
ReplyDeleteThe Million Dollar effort was a one-time cash contribution.
We also have a building fund.
So far, after Chest of Joash and 1 more sunday, the church has only received about 8.5 million in the budget committments...for a budget that likely will be 16 million or more.
These figures are available on the church's website today, in the Bulletin for tomorrow's service.
Of the $1 million for the maintenance and repairs, about 250,000 was raised.
Looks like we'll get beat up tomorrow for being so short of the budget commitments. We better put on our sheep armor for sure
Watchdog: From your past experience, the monies they have collected or promised, are these trends normal? What I mean is, was there a time like this before, where there was so much of a short fall?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your answers.
I so wish my husband had been "called" to the ministry. I cannot remember when he had a week of vacation. He works most weekends and then faithfully serves on Sundays ( his only day of rest). He then does church work at least one night a week ( some weeks up to three). Pastors can complain all they want but I have yet to meet one that didn't get at least a week of paid vacation. Most of the people in our church are encouraged to take their vacation time and give back to the church by serving in VBC, Missions week or youth camps. Mac should be embarrassed but he honestly doesn't know that his lifestyle is beyond what most people could ever imagine.
ReplyDeleteWatchdog, I am so sorry for asking about Chest of Joash. Please don't throw me in the briar patch. I am, after all, just a trouble making recalcitrant. And all of my past years of tithing and service really amount to nothing. I really should know better than to ask ANY questions. You are right it is my duty to shut up and obey, no matter what. Will someone please help me when we get to the cliff not to question the pastor, but just to go ahead and follow him off of it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAnon - I hope you realize I was being sarcastic...I didn't really mean that...
ReplyDeleteDirect quotes from the Brunson book "The New Guidebook For Pastors."
ReplyDeletePages 66 & 67
"No pastor always does what is right. If he is humble enough to admit his frailty and failures, usually he can stay at a church as long as he wants. PEOPLE APPRECIATE HONESTY AND HUMILITY."
"If a pastor wants to stay at a church, he should LEARN TO PRACTICE SERVANT LEADERSHIP rather than RAW PASTORAL AUTHORITY, in spite of what many church growth publications suggest."
"The pastor who leads as a servant will GRADUALLY be given authority and is likely to stay a long time as pastor."
page 67 includes the following:
"A pastor SHOULD NEVER INSIST ON HIS OWN WAY AT ALL COSTS."
What say ye?
It's OK watchdog I knew you were kidding. So was I. We have to laugh at some of this debacle at this point, because otherwise it would be just too sad. Were still blogger friends. Thanks for all you do.
ReplyDeleteSo someone else invested in Mac's book? I thought I was the only one.
ReplyDeleteI blogged extensively about how Mac has written a book that tells pastors to not do what he precisely HAS done to our church. Go back to my articles in May and June and you can see my comments on this book.
This is another significant source of revenue for Mac, since many of the SBC seminaries have this as required reading, including Liberty University. So sad that Mac can live himself according to the precepts.
"A pastor should never insist on his own way at all costs. He shouls never threaten to resign if the church doesn't go along with his ideas. Nobody gets his own way all the time. It is better to back off and approach the matter at a leter time in a different manner."
ReplyDeleteThe New Guidebook for Pastors By James W. Bryant, Mac Brunson: Page 67
You can view limited pages under google book search.
I wonder how much extra dough Mac gets by Moonlighting. If he pays $2500-$5600 to visiting speakers how much does he charge? One thing he said some time back was he had spoken 14 times in 7 days in just one week while away. If he gets at least what he pays speakers at FBC that week alone he would have grossed $31,500 to $78,400. Then add all the other conferences, speeches at SWBS, SEBS, SBS, NOBS, other churches and cruises where he gets $175 per head and you can estimate it between $250,000 to $400,000. Then add the $350,000-$400,000 at Fbc and you will arrive somewhere near $600,000 to $800,000. Not bad earnings for any CEO. How many trustees earn this kind of money? I bet not any. So the trustees have allowed the pastor they hired to pastor their church to make almost double what they guaranteed plus he's off 8-10 weeks a year every year. What a DEAL. No wonder he can't walk in the shoes of the normal average Joe. And he gets off another day by standing out there at one of them there black kettles. My hats off to him. What a fundraiser. And to think he never wanted to be a local pastor. He would have never imagined that this much wealth could have been accummulated and to have as much freedom of expression in a local church compared to being a professor or a lawyer where he would have had to be at work 8-5 five days a week and take only one or two weeks off a year if he could have gotten it. Plus as a Dr. or lawyer he would have to answer for his decisions to a client and to a governing body. Also don't forget the month of Aug. we had Smyrl and guest speakers the entire month.And, Smyrl preaches on Wed. nights when Mac doesn't want to. Yes, we should be so lucky. He does have it rough compared to many of his members who are fortunate to make $60,000 per annum. Additionally, how many of the members or anyone else has the opportunity to hire their wife and son and give them whatever salary he desires and unlimited vacation pay. Talk about a golden parachute this is like having a money tree in your own back yard.Didn't the trustees discuss this double dipping with him when they hired him.? If not where were their negotiating skills? This is basic business knowledge. After all the church is now a business entity. Can't we hire another pastor cheaper to NOT be here. I don't know if my figures are correct, but I bet I am close just from observation. This mega preacher deal is "cutting edge" with no restraints as long as you can back people down and dare them to question you. By the way, isn't their another cruise scheduled for Jan. 2009? I don't know , just asking. Another thing preachers salaries are partially tax exempt.
ReplyDeleteNo! I did not invest in Mac's book. Info available on line.
ReplyDeleteI did notice that in the Preface & Acknowledgments, Mac acknowledges the efforts and work of his Admin. Assistant, Sharron Kemp, who worked for him in Texas. Mac brought her and husband to FBC Jax. I know she is on staff now. Was this part of his "package" and was someone on staff removed or reassigned, or was another position created just for her?
Did Mac and Sharron work on this book while being paid salaries by FBC Jax? If so, then FBC should receive part of the royalties. I'm sure they would reply that minimal time was spent on the collaboration.
Watchdog did extensively cover the subject of this book earlier. Sorry I did not read the blogs earlier.
I don't know who you are, but you've pretty well summarized what my blog has been about for the past year.
ReplyDeleteAnd you know what...if he were a loving, humble, gracious preacher, thankful to his congregation for the opportuntity to pastor the church, and if he just did his job, he would probably overlook many of his "faults" that you've just pointed out.
BUT ON TOP OF ALL THAT YOU'VE JUST SAID...he's pompous, arrogant, lies and stretches the truth, and beats us up regularly. So its only a matter of time.
Its interesting that as of 10/3 the budget committments are at 50%, slightly over 8 million. I guess more committments will trickle in over time, but my initial thought is that is very alarming that our chest of Joash yielded only 1/2 of what last year's budget was.
With the very rich in our church taking a soaking in the market the past month, they may have less to give to cover the budget shortfalls. Times will be tough my friends.
Yes indeedy, Mac worked on this book at least partially AFTER he came to Jacksonville. This has been part of my criticism of Mac for his first year, as he took time off from preaching to work on his manuscript...he TOLD US...can't preach tonight, I've been working so hard on meeting a publisher deadline for my book.
ReplyDeleteSo yes, one can assume that he and Sharon worked on the book on our nickel. And now he's reaping pretty good rewards as Mac's buddies at the seminary are requiring seminary students to buy the book.
A great racket, eh?
Anybody out there whose employer would let you double dip like this?
Can anyone answer this statement?
ReplyDelete"Another thing preachers salaries are partially tax exempt."
Is Mac's income from fbcjax and other churches, tax exempt for him?
Can we assume Mac will take the opportunity while speaking during the Celebrators in Pigeon Forge, TN to slamdunk FBC Jax, its' members and especially those gosh awful bloggers embedded there?
ReplyDeleteCan we also assume he will be meeting with Maurilio during this time to learn how to "shut you up?"
Thy Peace-
ReplyDeleteI am a pastor, and I can tell you that yes, we can have a portion of our income tax exempt. It works like this, we can have the church designate a portion of our salary as housing allowance. This "housing allowance" is exempt from FICA taxes but we are responsible for Social security taxes UNLESS we opt out of Social security. Remember pastor's are considered self-employed byt the federal government.
The interesting thing is this, if you take a housing allowance, it must equal the amount that is spent on mortgage, utilities, and extra's such as lawn service, satellite TV, maid service so you can get a pretty hefty tax exemption.
Not to mention if you have an office in your house they take the square footage of your home divide it by the square footage of your home office and that is also tax exempt because again as a pastor you are self-employed!
Hope this helps,
Kyle
Thy Peace: The tax laws allow a non profit tax exempt organization such as a church to pay certain of their staff employees (ministers) with so much salary and so much housing allowances, car allowances, travel allowances, clothes allowance. So depending on how much is paid in these areas the answer is yes. Sen Grasso was interested in reviewing the IRS tax rules concerning some of these pastors that own several houses, Rolls Royce automobiles, airplanes, and million dollar salaries for them and their wives. These questions are still up in the air but there were multi millions in tax exemptions made by thousands of pastors when this recently came to the forefront of Grasso's committee.
ReplyDeleteIt does appear that some of these "preachers" are not quite as noble and self-sacrificing as many of us may have been led to believe. It rather looks like they may be in "the business" for profit. True capitalist. Makes one wonder who does the calling to the ministry. Otherwise, how do they know how to make money at every opportunity. No wonder they need marketing firms and "brands". Does any one believe these guys are truly called of God?
ReplyDeleteFor the true pastors "somewhere" it is unfortunate for them that the money called preachers are giving them a bad name. But, we know the truly God called, genuine pastors, will receive their reward in heaven, far surpassing anything they could ever receive on earth.
No wonder many preachers don't preach on greed, ill gotten gain and filthy lucre.
ReplyDeleteFor you old timers: There once was a refrain in a song that goes like this: "Got along without you before I met you, gonna get along without you now."
1. Seminaries teach that a senior pastor's responsibilities to his congregation are: preaching, leading, and pastoral care. Each requires the pastor actually to be present on-site for a significant length of time weekly--and distracted by other responsibilities to which he may commit himself--in order to accomplish it.
ReplyDelete2. "Work made for hire" laws in the U.S. may indicate that either FBCJax or FBCDallas--or both?--actually are the owners of your senior pastor's book and due all the royalties of it, unless FBCJax's leadership signed-away its rights when your senior pastor was hired. The same may be true for the sermons he prepares on the congregation's time, and the broadcasts produced weekly.
3. Ministers are permitted to count a portion (the housing-related) of their salaries as tax exempt when filing their taxes annually, as described by bloggers above. In a way, this makes up for business-related expenses not reimbursed to them and for low salaries many of them receive (one congregation I served essentially said, "Welcome to town! Your children will qualify for free or reduced lunches and breakfasts at school due to the salary we're going to pay you. As an indication that you're 'in this thing' with us, we'd like for you to buy a house in town--if you can. All benefits often provided to other pastors by the churches they serve: you aren't going to get them here (e.g., buy your own medical insurance if you can afford it after you tithe and etc.) . . ." Of course, a minister must be able to itemize when filing his taxes and the percentages have to be great enough. On the church side of things, being a minister often is both an economically and an emotionally unhealthy thing for a man and his family; on the divine side of things, God often makes up the differences--but lots of ministers, senior pastor or otherwide, go to their graves poor and their widows poorer. This might not apply to FBCJax's senior pastor, but I'd bet it will to MANY OF THE REST of the congregation's ministers! Who's looking out for them?--Your senior pastor is away too often to provide that kind of leadership and the lay leaders seem ineffective at that kind of task; your associate ministers (at least, the ones still present when your current senior pastor arrived there) may be as fed-up with the things about which you're blogging as you are, but they aren't going to say so until/unless they have other jobs to go to first. But their kids need braces, too, and etc.
EUROPE?
ReplyDeleteThe sermon delivered by David Allen was a convicting message and the best since Dr Lindsay passed. We actually heard biblical exposition and the doctrine of salvation given. No long dissertation on history just the Word. The Word is what convicts and is the truth. Anything else in its place is just fluff. One thing very apparent was that it was delivered to edify Christ and to build up the body of believers. Not as a sermon manipulated to abuse the listener or to subliminally push an angry agenda by an angry self serving preacher. Thanks Dr. Allen, please come again.
ReplyDeleteOle Mac was in rare form today!
ReplyDeleteI loved his intro. Away for two weeks, and his first words are about "anonymous persons" who criticize to bother Christians and to "push" them out of the Christian race.
Said it two or three times...anybody besides Mac have anonymous people pushing you?
Love ya Mac. Great performance today, especially the point where you trembled and almost cried. You had me going there for a minute.
Also, great point about how preachers for decades (like Mac) have been telling people not to invest in the stock market but the kingdom of God. I would love to see what Mac's portfolio looks like, as though HE is not invested in the stock market. As Joe Biden says...God love ya Mac...
WD - did you hear the contradictions in his sermon? Near the beginning he railed against pants that are worn really low - which of course is a slap at young black men who are the ones that mostly wear that style. But then later he talks about how we don't sanctify ourselves through what we wear or don't wear.
ReplyDeleteBut why attack a certain style of dress that he doesn't approve of? There are plenty of our own youth who come to church dressed as though they're going to the beach...but its easier to attack the dress styles of the young black men.
Watchdog,
ReplyDeleteWhat emotions do you approve of "Love ya Mac. Great performance today, especially the point where you trembled and almost cried. You had me going there for a minute?"
Apparently you can read a man's heart better that most can.
Is that all you got out of the sermon was that you thought he was acting?
Not sure what you mean what emotions I approve of.
ReplyDeleteI find Mac to be a performer and not a preacher.
What else did I get out of the sermon? That he thinks he's a great historian, that he likes to impress us with his knowledge of greek to tell us plebe what the scripture REALLY means...but he didn't speak one iota about "hurt" or the flip side of hurt. Oh, and I learned that we should have listened to Mac and "other preachers" who have been telling us years to not invest in the stock market but in the kingdom of God. Incredibly impractical sermon/performance. I think we need to get Maurilio down here ASAP to help him with his sermon/performance prep to make it more relevant to people's lives. But it was entertaining. He is a great orator. I enjoy watching him. Like I enjoy watching Bill Clinton or Joe Biden waxing eloquently. Its almost as incredible watching him perform as it is to listen to the giddiness of those that have drunk the Kool Aid.
GREED GREED GREED
ReplyDeleteSo, how much money is enough? Just a little more!
These PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH PREACHERS could care less about ANYTHING BUT THEIR OWN SELF AGGRANDIZEMENT.
After all, look at next years Pastor Conferance Speakers. At least two are CALVANIST. Seven may be nondenominational. But most are WEALTHY or look at the Purpose Driven Model to grow WEALTHY.
HEY! Don't blame them for wanting to be Rich. BLAME THEM FOR HOW THEY GET THERE. On the backs of you and me. Shame on me for helping them. Shame on me for getting sucked into their GIVE ME YOUR MONEY SCHEMES.
BLAME THEM FOR THIER DECEIVING PREACHING.
What we have here is the continuing story of the false teachings of Rick Warren.
God help them! God help us all!
Watchdog: Classic. Just classic. You have really got him pegged. I have thought from first hearing Mac, "He cannot preach." He is good at expressing his ideas of what he "thinks." But, he is not a preacher!! In my opinion, of course. A really good salesman maybe. Evidently that, as he sold the pulpit committee. They hired him.
ReplyDeleteAnnon:of Oct.l2:@7:l2: In point 3 of your excellent blog, you speak about the difficulties many pastors have in making it financially in the ministry. I agree that this is the case. This could be why roughly 3000 leave the ministry every year. That and maybe they arn't truly called of God. Most churches cannot afford to give the preacher all of the gifts that these mega preachers demand and feel they are entitled to. One thought occured to me while reading your blog. Wouldn't you think Mac would be thankful for what has been "HANDED" to him here. Instead of beating up the very people that have been so gracious to him. Maybe we should concentrate more on the preachers that need help instead of rewarding the one that obviously doesn't like his current church. Ungrateful is a word that comes to mind.
Annon: 2:42: Re the "dress" factor. Isn't Mac being slightly LEGALISTIC? I thought Smyrl didn't allow comments on the teenagers dress fashion. Besides how can Mac critize the dress factor, wasn't it he who put the deacons and ushers in golf shirts and aprons when he came here?
FBC you may think you are Baptist but your not. You are Presbyterian-Calvanitst. Wonder how you got there? I think I know.
ReplyDeleteAnon 4:02 PM:
ReplyDeleteOften, churches cannot pay their ministers enough for all they put those pastors through (read the Bible: God gives ministers to His church to EQUIP the saints, not to motivate the saints so that they can be equipped; if a professing Christian's destiny-changed-from-Hell-to-Heaven-forever doesn't motivate him inwardly to serve the Lord Jesus Christ outwardly with everything he has and is always, that professing Christian may not really be a Christian!). On the other hand, God hasn't made ANY SENIOR PASTOR YET who ought to be paid a salary/benefits as great as has been discussed at this blogsite (ministers of education are a different story, though). Should a senior pastor fortunate enough to make an extraordinary salary genuinely appreciate it, and live as if he does by serving/leading his congregation well?--That absolutely goes without saying. And, you can tell what a person really is like, in part, by what he does with what he doesn't need.
Look out well for your other staff members, ministry or otherwise.
Watchdog,
ReplyDeleteA little off the subject but I noticed one of our lead men in the finance committee went on vacation with Brunson and Honey.
Guess some you bulldog and others you smooze. Tom Stymler (also on the pulpit committee who brought in Brunson) was on vacation with the Brunson's. Nice move Brunson!
I suggest that the reason some are trembling today is because the congregation only offered 52% of the budget and 25% of the special offering of $1M. Me thinks someone got his wish with the members that work who only did not get a pay raise (due to economic slow down) but also those that have lost their jobs and cannot find one at present and who are borrowing from their cash reserves, parents, friends or refinancing something to make ends meet!!!. For those that don't work and have invested in the stock market they just got hit with a 40-75% slash of their equity. The retirees get somewhere around 2.2-2.5% increase in their social security while the inflation factor in most categories is around 10% or greater. They keep losing year after year after year.
ReplyDeleteI don't recall in the history of the church that the offerings have been so dismal. Maybe this is a sign of something new that is about to happen which no one expected? Possibly God's will is being perfected to bring the church to its knees? All things do work together for good don't they for the Christian?
You know most of the American workforce is suffering financially and maybe its time for America to wake up. America cannot continue to live beyond its means. Payday someday is here and now. This election is the most imporant election in our history. The next president will either fix it or destroy it. The latter will be a calamity for us all. The one world government just may be on the horizon. The man whose number is 666 could be just a few months or years away. What we need is prayer, prayer, and more prayer.