Johnny Hunt has recently preached two excellent sermons on money from James 5, addressing the dangers of wealth and hoarding and defrauding. The dates are 11/14/10 and 11/28/10, and can be seen here. Hunt preaches New Testament giving principles of being generous givers, not hoarders, and instructing his congregation on how they are to be about helping the poor and needy, and how God is concerned with how those in power treat the poor and needy. No self-serving tithing guilt trips. No threats misuing Old Testament scripture about how God will take your money from you anyways, or that you're bringing God's judgement on America if you don't tithe.
Johnny didn't even ask for the account numbers of his church members.
Johnny did mention the YouTube video of a "very well-known pastor" who asked his congregation to give him their checking account numbers so he could auto-withdrawl their tithe. Then Johnny made the following statement in his trademark passionate plea while descending half-way down the stairs from his platform:
"Those of you who watched that video on YouTube, you're probably thinking 'Is Hunt going to do that?' No, I want you to look this way. I've been a pastor 35 years...and just for the record's sake, I don't need your account number, I'd rather have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and if he can't get hold of your heart and get it the way it's supposed to come, we don't need it around here. We need to do it Jesus' way, God's way, the oracles of God."
For Johnny to mention this he really had to be totally disgusted. After all, Ed Young is not some far-out-in-left-field televangelist - he is a fellow Southern Baptist, son of Ed Young, Sr, and whose church board includes the President of the Florida Baptist Convention!
Good for you, Johnny Hunt. In this day of money-grubbing preachers who are misusing scripture left and right to coerce and threaten people to give more money, it is refreshing to see you publicly call out one of the worst offenders.
Below is the video of Hunt's remarks....followed by another interesting excerpt where Johnny describes why HE thinks America is facing God's judgement, and it ain't because of non-tithing Christians! Take a look!
Good for you, Johnny Hunt. In this day of money-grubbing preachers who are misusing scripture left and right to coerce and threaten people to give more money, it is refreshing to see you publicly call out one of the worst offenders.
Below is the video of Hunt's remarks....followed by another interesting excerpt where Johnny describes why HE thinks America is facing God's judgement, and it ain't because of non-tithing Christians! Take a look!
30 comments:
Johnny needs to take a spiritual shower too! His "brother" Bob Reccord (whom Johnny supported and gained money from) was not the best example of a Leader! This from "Baptist Planet"...
"Reccord funneled $3.3 million to business friends, including current SBC President Johnny Hunt, while NAMB staff was downsized. His severance package of two years’ salary plus benefits reportedly exceeded $500,000."
Easy to talk about "giving God's way" when your pockets are lined with peso's and you live in a half million dollar house...Is that Jesus' way?
Yea Johnny Hunt! Exactly the point we have been trying to make. We as believers are to be Spirit led. Thank you.
Anon 11:03-
Imagine that Johnny Hunt isn't a perfect man! No doubt Johnny Hunt has said and done some things that none of us would agree with, as have you. But let's give praise to those things that are praise worthy.
This was a bold move for someone in the leadership of the SBC to take a stand and "call out" another big time SBC preacher. Thanks WD, for bringing this to our attention.
Kyle
As far as I'm concerned Johnny Hunt is right there in the thick of being a millionaire pastor taking the top layer off of the sheep's money.
He's no different from Ed Young or Mac Brunson when it comes to money and the lifestyle he lives.
At one time I respected the guy as a decent preacher but like many he changed when more power and money came into his life. He lives off of the cream of the crop with the people's tithe.
Great article. You did a great job watchdog.
Hi John W - great to see you back. Missed having you around, hope you are doing well.
The first post brings up a good point. Could greed from the men in the pulpit be causing God’s judgment? Instead of their accusation that it is the failure of God’s people to give.
BBCopen forum,
Where is that clip you posted a while back of a skit at Hunt's church?
Yeah, Didn't Hunt sign the support Reccord letter?
Hunt could do this because Ed Young SR is no longer a big wig in the SBC.
Pot calling the kettle black!! He nickels and dimes our Church to death and we CANNOT find out his salary!! He doesn't want my bank account number BUT he does want my tithe to support his millionaire lifestyle and "we the people" are ready to throw a tea party. He is not a Calvinist and I've found that the "reformed" brothers won't pick your pocket as quickly as the 'armenian' brothers! Maybe we all just ought to go Amish!
Oh yeah....like Johnny Hunt needs to talk!!!
Guess who preached at Johnny's Men's conference this year? 'Hollywood' Bob Reccord on "leadership"!! This "minister" took over $500,000 from our Annie Armstrong offerings (that Johnny takes up every year) and he put that money in his back pocket. He got fired because of his 'spending habits'!
Now Johnny IS spot on about Ed Young Jr., what a car salesman, but yet Johnny will 'buddy' up with 'hollywood bob'?
Maybe it was that $92,000 he made with Bob....
Mary Kinley Branson writes in her book "Spending God's Money" about "your hero" JH...
"auditors discovered that payments were being made to evangelist Jay Strack ($300,000) and Bob’s mega-pastor Johnny Hunt at Woodstock Baptist Church ($92,000). Final payments were sent after Bob resigned but before he left the building…. There were no written contracts. So nearly half a million dollars was paid to Strack and Hunt through verbal agreements with Bob.” (Branson at p. 113)
Dig deep and it really starts to stink...
Is this a case of Hunt pointing out how bad the other guy is so he does not look so bad with his lifestyle of the rich and famous and helping to pillage NAMB before Reccord left?
I always get a kick out of how they play the humble guy on stage. People are so blind and gullible.
Hey Anon 2:10 - Don't you bring Calvinists into this! Arminians only need more money because we are the only ones who care about evangelism. And evangelism ain't cheap honey! BOOM!
That's called a Rick Flair SMACKDOWN!
To me, this is like one con man criticizing another con man's methods, but they are both having great success.
Then there's the "evangelism is expensive" approach-another very successful method of getting the gullible to part with their money.
I think more and more Christians are wising up to it all though. At least I hope they are.
Not sure why you continue to defend Johnny Hunt on this blog, watchdog! The man just took off 12 weeks WITH PAY because he was so tired from NOT being the pastor of First Baptist Woodstock followed by another 10 days off since then. The man is racking up more time away from his office of duty then Obama and yet you praise him for this little red-faced populists rant? Another poster is correct, nobody knows what the man makes because the leadership of the church refuses to tell the congregation. In fact, the leadership (senior staff) won't say what their own six figure salaries are but you stumble across one clip of him reinforcing your opinion and the praise gates open up. Unreal - he is cut from the same mega-church mold as the rest of them and I have grown tired of people like yourself, who never sat under his ministries for 10+ years like I did, make assumptions like this from so far away. Ask anyone who attended that church...it's all the same! When you have a multi-million dollar budget, that unforgiving beast must be fed to the tune of $300k+ every week! Trust those of us who have been there - giving was mentioned EVERY WEEK!!!
Anon - I understand your points. This post was not about all of that. It was narrowly focused on an important statement made by Hunt about Ed Young. For me to commend Hunt for his statement is not to condone any other bad things he may have done, just as to comment on something bad Hunt says is not to condemn the good that he does! You have to think more critically and rationally that this, anon.
Now to further clarify the importance of Hunt's statement:
You rarely see one SBC pastor call out another as blatantly as Hunt did, although he didn't use Young's name it was obvious. And his "Hello?" with a grin was to mock Young in a way. You see, usually we see mega church pastors taking pot shots from their pulpit at other LAY PEOPLE - calling to "shut 'em down", or calling critics "jack asses" or "spiritual hos", or accusing them of being thiefs, "living in stolen houses" for not tithing. RARELY will a mega church pastor call out a pastor for his misdeeds. Did Vines or Brunson ever call out Darrell Gilyard publicly? No. Gaines had a pedophile on staff for months and no pastor called him out.
But putting a deposit slip up and nonchalantly asking for people to put their account numbers on a form was way over the line, ESPECIALLY, when taken in the context of the abusive and manipulative sermon that Ed Young preached leading up to his request.
But Hunt is one of the storehouse tither preachers, no question about it. But it was refreshing to hear him preach two sermons out of James that did not try to guilt people into giving 10%, but called for a higher obedience to the Bible by not hoarding, giving sacrificially to the poor and needy. THAT also, you don't hear from many mega pastors these days, and I commend Hunt for that as well.
I appreciate your response and heat you have taken over the years with this blog. However, the point is still relevant that he is just as dishonest as the rest of them to be calling out the style with which another pastor chooses to fleece his flock just because it is more audacious than his own.
Keep up the good work but be ready to turn a doubtful eye on even the most solid looking ministries.
It seems to me that there needs to be an organization set up that could monitor finances of churches and pastors and let them "put their money where their mouth" is so to speak and lets see what is happening with all of God's money.
I wonder if Hunt, Brunson, or Young would be okay with having their churches financial records checked. You know, be totally honest and open with God's money. Maybe we could even do something like this with those who lie behind the pulpit to sell books and boost their ego's!
Isn't this the same Johnny Hunt that had the "tithing rap" that you hated?
My word, you are right! It is the exact same "Johnny Hunt".
I have sat under Johnny Hunt's preaching for 10 years as well, and yes, he does "mention" giving on a regular basis, but it doesn't take very close looking and listening to see his heart on the matter. He follows what he believes God would have him to teach his people, and most importantly he leads BY EXAMPLE and gives away the majority of his own money. Yes, he lives in a nice house but not a mansion by any means, and he lives in the same neighborhoods as do many of the people attending his church, which is appropriate.
Pastor Johnny has a heart of gold, and only wants his church to follow Jesus' teaching in giving, giving, giving, so that our church can continue to give that money away to be able to do all that we can to share the gospel to the ends of the earth! I don't believe he or the senior staff would have any problems at all with a church audit. There is nothing to hide at FBCW, praise the Lord!
"I have sat under Johnny Hunt's preaching for 10 years as well, and yes, he does "mention" giving on a regular basis, but it doesn't take very close looking and listening to see his heart on the matter. "
Please study on your own. People who listen to one guy week after week for years never grow past that person. Is Hunt your standard for truth? If he is, I pity you.
Most pew sitters have no idea about the finances of the church yet they believe whatever they are told like you are. Hunt gets lots of perks and honorariums to speak. Lots of free trips and rides on private jets. His support of Bob Reccord showed us his TRUE heart. He certainly does not mind the pilliaging of the SBC for his own personal gain. He profited from Reccord big time.
Interesting...decided to look up if any of the churches being mentioned are members of the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability.
FBC Jax is a member.
Anything Ed Young is not. (Creative Pastors & Ed Young Television)
Ed Young's church is not.
FBC Dallas is not.
Johnny Hunt or his church is not.
Now it does look like it is mostly organizations but there are still plenty of churches that join.
Interesting...decided to look up if any of the churches being mentioned are members of the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability.
FBC Jax is a member.
Anything Ed Young is not. (Creative Pastors & Ed Young Television)
Ed Young's church is not.
FBC Dallas is not.
Johnny Hunt or his church is not.
Now it does look like it is mostly organizations but there are still plenty of churches that join.
December 12, 2010 5:27 PM
I would not be impressed. They pay a fee to be a member and report what they want to report. Most folks would not even know how to report a problem IF they knew of one in a mega.... which are very good at hiding how money is spent.
"Reccord funneled $3.3 million to business friends, including current SBC President Johnny Hunt, while NAMB staff was downsized. His severance package of two years’ salary plus benefits reportedly exceeded $500,000."
Somehow I missed this part of the Reccord fiasco.
Can we have more details or some link to the story???
Both my father and I worked with the HMB in its real ministry days. This kind of expenditure is totally removed from the kind of ministry going in our active time.
WOW!!!!!!!
I have done a little research since asking the above questions. Here is my result on my blog:
http://babyboomlearner.blogspot.com/2010/12/stop-baptist-predators-spending-gods.html
It's worse than I first thought and the book reviewed here came out a few years ago. Many of us obviously missed it!
Wow!, Dr.Caner your arrogance preceeds you! Especially in light of your previous indiscrepancies. I believe if you will examine the SBC records you will find there is really no difference between the 2 camps within the Sbc. I do believe technique is quite different.It is not necessary to embelish stories in order to share the Gospel, just share the whole Gospel and let God use the truth of the Gospel to save men. You must have spent extravagant amounts to put on some of the shows you have displayed. Shame on you! I'm sure Paul would have strongely disagreed with you.
Johnny Hunt is getting rich off of the tithes of his church and has the nerve to preach about this...........
The church has so much overkill tons of speakers, tv cameras, numbered seats. what really got me is the ATM machine for donations accepting your credit cards.
Hunt is a joke
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