One Last Pitch: Only Hours Left to Give "Stocks, Bonds, Jewelry, Precious Metals, Land"...but Praise God, 31 Days Left for IRA Rollover Contributions

A few days ago FBC Jax sent out an email to their donors reminding them that they need to make their last contributions to FBC Jax by the end of the year.

That makes sense. Most churches remind people that December 31 is the deadline for making any contributions that can be deducted for the current tax year.

But FBC Jax also made a pitch for more than just cash.

They let their donors know that FBC Jax will take whatever you have: not just cash, but lots of other stuff too! You got it, FBC Jax will take it!

Here is the quote from the FBC Jax letter:

"There are numerous ways you can give: Cash, Stocks, Bonds, Gold/precious metal, Jewelry, Land, Automobiles, Homes, and other tangible assets. Also, recent tax legislation in Washington has extended the ability of those aged 70 ½ and above to avoid taxes on their mandatory IRA distributions through charitable giving. This benefit is available through January 31, 2011 for 2010 distributions. If you would like to talk with someone about how to make a gift through any of these means, please contact...."

And I'm sure they will accept frankincense and myrrh. If you want to read the letter in it's entirety directly on the church's server, click here.

A couple of comments on this:

- for the storehouse tithing proponents, here is a question: would any of these contributions count toward satisfying God's demand to give 10% of my income? Or does the "tithe" only count on my cash earnings from my employer or business? And why does the "tithe" only count for my cash that I earn? Perhaps there is an Old Testament scripture that calls for 10% of all assets?

- Interesting that "Land" is mentioned as a possible non-cash contribution. I would suggest, however, that if you donate land to FBC Jax you actually have two options: you can either gift it to FBC Jax for their needs, or if the Lord so moves you, you can decide to gift it directly to the pastor or some other staff member who might be blessed by your land gift, especially if it is inside a gated community. Since the precedent was set in 2006 with regard to land gifts made directly to a minister, I'm sure no objection would be made by the pastor or the deacons or the board if you made significant gifts - land or other valuable assets - directly to the FBC Jax minister of your choice instead of to the church.

- yes, you can donate cash or non-cash assets to ANY 501(c)3 organization and take a tax write-off. Most people are aware of this. I am not sure that if you have valuables you wish to donate, that gifting them to a religious institution is the most efficient way to do this. Any thoughts on this? Or should the giver liquidate them and give cash? Are there other non-profit organizations who are better suited to receive certain non-cash donations, such as the Red Cross or Salvation Army?

- The mentioning of the IRA refers to what is called the "IRA Charitable Rollover" provision that was just reinstated this month by Congress, and the late date of their action caused them to extend the deadline to January 31. But if you are so inclined, you can actually rollover part or all of an IRA account to a 501(c)3 charitable organization which would include your church. I'm sure that those who are so wealthy that they would be able to make such a gift are very much aware of this provision by their tax accountants. But just in case you're not, now that FBC Jax has told you, you can make that rollover! And now that I think about it...maybe, just maybe, the Lord's wrath is on our country because the very wealthy have NOT yet made their IRA rollover contributions to the Lord's church.

This is the LAST post of 2010. Happy New Year, everyone, see you in 2011!

2010 in Review: Top 10 WD Stories of the Year

OK, many are posting their "Top 10" stories of 2010. Christa Brown did hers here, and William Thornton posted his here, and Wartburg Watch is coming out with theirs later today.

Instead of my "Top 10", I will restrict myself to just nine, leaving you the readers to nominate one that might be different from these.

#1. Ergun Caner and Liberty: by far the biggest story in 2010 on this blog was the Ergun Caner fiasco. This blog entered the controversy on March 29, 2010 when I posted audio excerpts from Caner's November 2001 sermon at FBC Jax in which he declared to everyone present (myself included) that he was raised in Europe and trained in Islamic Youth Jihad, and "trained to do that which was done on 11 September". I posted upwards of 20 articles during the spring and summer, and the WD blog was quoted in multiple news articles covering the Caner story. I and several other bloggers were contacted by the Liberty University team that investigated Caner as they were seeking documentation and Caner sermons.

#2. Depositions and Settlement of City of Jacksonville Lawsuit: 2010 was the year in which my First Amendment lawsuit against the City of Jacksonville went all the way through the discovery process with hours and hours of depositions of witnesses including myself and many of my family members, FBC Jax leadership, the detective and assistant state attorney, all the way up to the sheriff himself. Most surprising was the revelation that the detective wasn't just a security guard at the church as reported in the news, but was in fact a deacon and even a member of the church's discipline committee. The lawsuit was settled in October 2010, with a cash settlement and the city's agreement to train all sheriff's office detectives on First Amendment issues related to investigative subpoenas.

#3. First Baptist Dallas "Crystal Campus", Demolition, and Grinch: quite a year for FBC Dallas, several stories on this blog concerning the high-pressure tactics used to get committments from church members toward the $120 million new "Crystal Campus", including pastor Robert Jeffress asking people to "lop off a chunk of their assets" for the building program to get closer to Jesus. The church blew up their old buildings when the pastor pressed a Big Red Button, and then they wrapped up the year with their "Grinch List" website that made national news and gave Jeffress face time on most cable news channels.

#4. Ed Young Asks for Account Numbers to Auto-Withdrawl Tithe: Ed Young makes two appearances in the top nine. In an October 2010 sermon that without question was the single most manipulative tithing sermon I have ever, ever heard - Young wrapped up the sermon by trying to get his church members to fill out a tithing committment card along with their checking account and bank routing numbers. The video posted on this blog of this Ed Young performance has to date over 40,000 views, made its way onto YouTube, and even Johnny Hunt even made reference to the video in a sermon in December 2010 when he declared he would never ask for account numbers and prefers to do it "Jesus' way".

#5. SEBTS Grad Publishes Books on Tithing: David Croteau, SEBTS grad and Liberty University professor published a book that came from his PhD research under Dr. Andreas Kostenburger that debunks the modern-day storehouse tithing doctrine, and puts forth a biblical "post tithing" giving doctrine. Croteau has another book coming out next year that has several contributors where various Christian giving doctrines will be contrasted. Croteau is definitely going to make a difference with these books.

#6. Abusive Preaching on Tithing: As churches have felt the pinch of our stagnant economy, some very prominent baptist pastors have mis-used the Bible and the "storehouse tithing" doctrine to guilt people into forking over more money. Steve Gaines and Mac Brunson were featured here multiple times: Gaines accused his non-tithing church members of driving stolen cars and living in stolen homes, and all of the first 10% of charitable giving must come to his church in an "undesignated fashion". Brunson again repeated his assertion from 2008 that our ecomonic recession is God's judgement on America for all the non-tithers, and told church members that if they don't tithe, "God collects" and will take the money through financial misfortune.

#7. Ed Young Jet Fiasco: This one is for the scandal when WFAA reporter Brett Shipp broke a story about Ed Young leasing a private jet, his enormous "housing allowance", and the convoluted business transactions that make it impossible to track the ownership or leasing arrangements of the jet. But the worst part of this story really was the absolutely embarrassing dog-and-pony show when Ed Young flew in our own Florida Baptist Prez John Cross to help deflect the criticism, and John Cross declared that Ed Young's Fellowship Church is the most transparent ministry he has ever been associated with.

#8. FBC Jax Usher, City Councilman Asks for Muslim to "Pray to his God" in City Council meeting: Not a big story on this blog, but one of the most interesting that did get some press around the country. Dr. Parvez Ahmed, a University of North Florida economics professor, was nominated by our mayor to serve on a city human rights committee. During the city council session where Ahmed's nomination was discussed, city councilman and long-time FBC Jax member Don Redman asked the professor to "pray to your God" in the middle of the city council session before the city attorney stepped in to save Redman's hiney. Redman's fear of Ahmed is to be expected, as FBC Jax preacher Jim Smyrl sounded the alarm in 2009 that our grandchildren will all "come under Muslim law" if Muslims aren't converted. Another FBC Jax member and city councilman, Clay Yarborough, told a Times Union reporter he wasn't sure if Muslims should be allowed to hold public office. Scary stuff coming from elected leaders who are evangelical Christians.

#9. Crystal Cathedral Bankruptcy: with tens of millions of debt, a dwindling membership, and many unpaid creditors, Robert Schuller's "Crystal Cathedral" had to declare bankruptcy. But it is through the bankruptcy court that the creditors were able to obtain financial information that any mega church would never in a million years release: total compensation for the pastor and his family members, including six-figure "housing allowances" and compensation packages to which the bankruptcy court objected. Lesson: to date the only way mega churches will disclosed detailed financial records including pastor and family compensation packages, is when forced to do so by a court.

#10: You fill in the blank! I have a few others I might nominate, but would like to hear from readers.

And Wade, I know you aren't blogging, but I sure would like to read your 2011 predictions, as you have done in years past.

Happy New Year to all, and best wishes for a healthy, happy, prosperous 2011!

David Platt on CNN Blog: A Pastor Truly Practicing What He Preaches, Making a Difference

In case you didn't read it, CNN's religious blog on December 23rd featured an article by Dr. David Platt, pastor of the 4000-member Church at Brook Hills entitled "Why My Church Rebelled Against the American Dream." Please click on the hyperlink and read it.

By now most WD readers have heard of Platt - he is a 31-year old graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (after earning a Bachelor's degree in journalism at the University of Georgia, earning two Master's and a PhD from NOBTS), who has written a best-selling book entitled "Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream."

In this CNN article, Platt explains how as a pastor he looked at a world of hurting and starving people and asked: "What are we spending our time and money on that is less important than meeting these needs?", and then led his church to do things like:

- jetisson their plans to spend millions on buildings to expand their "campus ";

- gave away their $500,000 surplus fund to assist churches in India where 41% of the world's poor live;

- trimmed $1.5 million from their church budget to "...build wells, improve education, provide medical care and share the gospel in impoverished places around the world."

- led his church in helping needy, at-risk children in their county by providing adoption or foster care for 160 kids.

In a word, Platt believes that chasing the "American Dream" and following the teachings of Jesus Christ are incompatible. And he doesn't just preach it from the mountain top or from behind a gated community; Platt in fact sold his home in the 'burbs that he bought when he became the youngest megachurch pastor in the SBC several years ago, and instead moved into a two-bedroom house in the inner-city to minister among the more lowly of Birmingham.

Some may disagree with Platt's assertion that most American Christians have morphed the Jesus of the Bible into a "middle class Jesus" who doesn't mind at all our materialism and consumerism. But one thing that you really can't argue with: Platt practices what he preaches and he leads by example. Most wealthy mega church pastors have been trained to justify from scripture their infatuation with more buildings, higher staff salaries and bonuses, newer pews and jet-setting lifestyles and six-figure housing allowances and church marketing consultants.

The typical mega church pastor has helped create this "twisted version of Jesus" that Platt calls it. But while the typical mega church pastor is trying to guilt that extra 1% tithe from their peeps who have little or no margin while they themselves live high on the hog...Platt is actually saying the way to become generous is through true sacrifice of one's American lifestyle, and he dares to LIVE IT. Your average mega church pastor can't preach this, as they would stand the most to lose in lifestyle if they actually called for true sacrifice as Platt does.

It is just so incredibly refreshing to know that one of the premiere SBC megachurch pastors who is making a difference at the end of 2010 is one who is NOT calling for his church members to just give 1% more in 2011 and sign a committment card, nor is he leading his church members to lop off a chunk of their assets to give to his building program, nor is he trying to architecturally lead people to Jesus through a glorious water fountain.

Platt is trying to show American Christians a different way, a different Jesus, a Jesus of the Bible. I hope we all will listen, and take action.

--------------------

Note: Kudos to Mac Brunson and First Baptist Jacksonville for inviting Platt to be one of the speakers at the 2011 Pastor's Conference. Also, if you want to read some interesting perspectives on Platt , The Wartburg Watch has written some excellent articles on Platt here.

"Twas the Sunday Before Christmas" - A 2010 Remix

2010 was certain quite a year for the mega church pastors finding creating ways to convince people to fork over more and more of their money. We chronicled quite a few - Robert Jeffress, Mac Brunson, Steve Gaines, Ed Young, even Perry Noble (although Perry calling church attenders "spiritual whores (hos)" took the cake.)

So I thought in honor of these men's efforts to do God's will and raise revenue at their respective churches, we would do a 2010 remix of the popular poem I posted last year called "Twas the Sunday Before Christmas". Hope you enjoy!

'Twas the Sunday before Christmas
and all through God's church
"Not a churchman is tithing!"
Yelled the preacher from his perch.

The mega church preacher
climbed up into his place
Said our tithe to his church,
Was required for grace.

He had a broad face,
and a little round belly,
That shook when he yelled,
Like a bowlful of jelly.

He pulled off his glasses
and gave a jerk of his head,
Soon gave me to know
I had something to dread;

He spoke not from the Word,
and went straight to his work,
Began to tell the non-tither,
how he was a jerk.

He was dressed all in finery,
Even cufflinks of gold,
He took out his Bible
and Yelled to the fold:

"Now please get out your bibles,
You stupid sheep,
You're holding your tithe back,
You're being way too cheap,

"You owe me and God
Ten - not nine, not eight,
And we'll spend it as we please,
You dare not designate."

We thought from our Bibles,
He would be sure to show,
How point-one times the gross,
is the exact amount we owe.

But ne'er did he exegete
This demand placed on us,
He just told us to fork it over,
No need to discuss.

He said if we didn't agree,
To "Take it up wit da book",
But he didn't tell me where,
I should start to look.

The preacher said "no wonder your kids are so bad",
"But what do you expect,
When they have to live
with a non-tithing mom and dad!

I was ready for more abuse,
It was not stopping there,
So I loosened my tie,
At my shoes I did stare.

"You're driving stolen cars,
America's in the tank"
All because you're hoarding
Your tithe in your bank."

"Your greed has caused God,

To put our nation under a curse,

So be a good American,

And get the tithe check out of your purse."

"If you really loved Jesus,
You'd fill out this card,
For autowithdrawl,
It would make tithing less hard."

I wondered, where in the Bible,
Can I find this stuff,
I've read my Bible,
but apparently not close enough.

Could it be in the KJV,

or the NIV, or perhaps NASB,

No, none of those,

It must be in the Greek, you see.

He said: "You do want to get close,
to Jesus this New Year,
So lop off a chunck of your assets
For our fountain and building right here."

"Divide your income by 10,
And write a check for that amount,
Else on our Naughty List you will go,
Your name inscribed on our fount.

"Be afraid, because
God will take what you owe,
His heavenly IRS,
Will not take an answer of "No"

"When you have crashing cars,
And the dreaded leaking roof,
You will know you should have tithed,
That will be your proof."

So the plates were all passed
down each row with great care,
In hopes that the peeps
Would put their 10% there.

Mama in her new dress,
and me in my tie,
I saw that plate coming,
With a tear in my eye.

I took out my envelope,
With my measely 9 percent
Knowing I was "sinning",
But had just paid my rent.

Here came the plate,
I put my envelope upside down,
Tried to fake a tithing smile,
But wore a 9 percent frown.

Off Deacons, Off Trustees!
please count all the dough
See if there is enough,
For new carpet and pews for each row.

The white-haired man to my left
held on to his wallet
His trip to church today
He was sure to regret.

"I didn't know it", whispered, the old man
With sweat on his brow,
Then the preacher yelled,
"HA, well you sure know it NOW."

I told the old man,
After the show,
"Don't worry its not what you give,
But rather it's Who you know."

The message this Christmas, sir,
is God sent his Son,
He's after our hearts first,
Not a wallet, not one."

"Baby Jesus came into the world,
to show us the way,
Not to tell us what percent
to the pastor we must pay."

The old man grinned,
and nodded his head with a smile,
"I knew that,
I'll see you all in a little while."

"See, at Christmas time,
I've blessed kids with gifts each year,
And not once did I demand,
A tithe in exchange for my cheer."

"I find it quite odd,
These men demand cash as they do,
When God gives His love freely,
To me and to you."

But I heard him exclaim,
'Ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all,
And to all a good-night."

Southern Baptist Mega Church Pastor Linked to Mortgage Scheme Investigated by Feds

As we close out 2010 we see another example of how to mine the Southern Baptist pews for gold. This time it is Pastor Gary Hawkins of Voices of Faith Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia, who brought a man named Fred Lee of "Matrix Capital" into his church to sell his congregation a mortgage scheme that is now being investigated by Dekalb County Police and federal investigators. Hawkins vouched for Lee's integrity to his church members - resulting in Fred Lee collecting $1500 from church members who thought Lee would help them save their mortgages.

Who is Fred Lee? He is a self-professed multi-millionaire living in a $6 million home in Atlanta, and who has a history of trouble with state mortgage agencies dating all the way back to 2002, as reported back in October by CBS Atlanta (this link has more compelling footage, including ex-employees of Lee). But as reported by CBS Atlanta this week, Fred Lee did not successfully modify any of the Hawkins' church members' mortgages, and many lost their homes and went into bankruptcy. One of the church members interviewed by CBS Atlanta said they trusted Lee because of their pastor's endorsement of him, and because the sales pitch was made at their church.

Now some church members, and apparently federal investigators, want to know if the pastor received any kickbacks from Lee or Matrix Capital. The news report says over 1000 church members forked over $1500 to Matrix Capital - for a whopping $1.5 million total take: definitely gold in them thar mega church pews.

Wendy Saltzman, the CBS Atlanta reporter, said the following near the end of the clip:

"Robinson [one of Hawkins former church members] tried to speak to Bishop Hawkins, but he wouldn't answer her questions, and he wouldn't answer our tough questions either...police have spoken to Bishop Hawkins but tell us he was less than forthcoming with records that would have shown if payments were made either to the Bishop personally or to the church."

Gee, the pastor wouldn't answer their questions. I can't believe it.

Gary Hawkins and his mega church are part of the Georgia Baptist Convention, which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention. You will recall the GBC issued a proclamation condemning critical bloggers in 2007, and also disfellowshipped several churches for the dastardly deed of hiring a woman pastor. How long will it take the GBC to issue a proclamation against mortgage schemes, or to dis-fellowship Hawkins' church?

But it is all just another sad example of how Christians can be so incredibly gullible, and how mega church members idolize their mega church pastors. And pastors, please take note: you have no business using your church and your position to advertise for outside ventures to your church members. This is why I wrote in 2008 and 2009 about my concerns over what I saw at FBC Jacksonville with the commercialization of the pastor's conference and selling of "promotions packages" and selling "emcee mentions on the platform".

H/T: Christa Brown and God Discussion