“Would you like me to teach you how to trust God? Start with your money.” — Johnny Hunt.
I am downright disgusted at the number of pastors/clergy who use their positions to become wealthy. I also am suspicious of people who use the title of Doctor when it is an honorary “doctorate” from what one person called “dubious paper mills.” I am referring to Johnny Hunt, who, in my opinion, appears too smooth, too well-off, and too self-assured. There are other pastors in the SBC whose lives and ministries seem to mimic Hunt’s lifestyles. Let me be perfectly blunt. I did not intend to join an SBC church when we moved to North Carolina. I had my fill of rich, smooth-talking SBC pastors in Dallas. Names such as Robert Jeffress, Jack Graham, Ed Young Jr., and Paige Patterson come to mind. However, my kids wanted to attend a church many of their friends attended. So, against my better judgment, we joined because I thought the pastor looked like a straight shooter. He wasn’t. At the end of 7 years, I was brokenhearted and started this blog.
Over the years, I have begun to listen to that “inner light,” the way the Spirit speaks to me. And something tells me that Hunt is a gifted “preacher” who used his charisma to become wealthy, well-connected, and influential within the SBC. But, of course, most of you know the story. He was fingered in the Guidepost investigation for molesting an adult woman. He denies it while simultaneously saying that anything that happened was consensual. Here is a link to some of my posts on the matter.
“Doctor Hunt”
I visited his self-named website.
I notice on Wikipedia the following:
He has earned degrees from Gardner-Webb Collegeand the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has also received honorary doctorates from Immanuel Baptist Theological Seminary, Covington Theological Seminary, and Tennessee Temple University.[4][5]
It appears that he is using the “Doctor” title based on honorary doctorates conferred by some dubious institutions. In 2009, Robert Parham wrote New SBC President Has a Resume Problem. Parham has since passed away. I wish he were still around.
When Georgia Baptist Convention editor Gerald Harris wrote about Hunt’s nomination,(ed.:SBC President )he included a paragraph about Hunt’s education: “Immanuel Baptist Theological Seminary in Sharpsburg, south of Atlanta, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree and Covington Theological Seminary in Rossville honored him with a Doctor of Sacred Laws and Letters degree.”
Clearly, Hunt’s colleagues know about his degrees from two dubious, Georgia-based entities that lack credible academic standing and legitimate accreditation.
What about those institutions?
Two dubious institutions gave the new SBC president a title that he proudly bears. By identifying himself with the “Dr.” title, Hunt legitimizes these diploma mills and encourages by example other ministers to take educational shortcuts ”shortcuts which deceive churches about the real quality of the academic training of their clergy.
That places the question mark of integrity over the SBC.
Robert Parham is executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics. (ed. It appears he passed away in 2017)
Any person who uses a title he didn’t earn should be ashamed. But does he know how hard it is to get a doctorate? Perhaps not.
Hunt and Ravi Zacharias
Hunt was present for the opening celebration” of the massage parlors. I wrote Pastor Johnny Hunt Drags the SBC Into the Ravi Zacharias Scandal.
But the always verbose Hunt was not finished. He informed Baughman that Ravi Zacharias’ plan was to”make the gospel known through the profits of the company.” Alrighty then, gospelly-centered sex trafficking. Sounds O.K. to me – said nobody ever. ( RZIM “took in $32 million in donations in 2019, according to reports filed with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.” Just how much money does an organization need to “make the gospel known?”)
Johnny boy was still not finished. When Baughman asked him about the sex charges Hunt replied he had “absolutely never heard such a charge and I was a regular customer.” Really? Do tell more, Johnny. Why were you frequenting the establishment? And please define “regular.”
Hunt, at the minimum, has poor judgment when it comes to his friends.
Johnny Hunt seems focused on money and appears to enjoy living well.
Writing in Medium, Paul Walker posted Johnny Hunt SUES the Southern Baptists for Defamation and Loss of Earnings.
Hunt had Nashville-based Cole Law Group file a lawsuit on March 17th in the US District Court in Nashville.
The complaint accused current SBC leaders and Guidepost of intentionally causing him “personal anguish and harm” and stated that Hunt had been made “a scapegoat.”
The decision to smear Pastor Johnny’s reputation with these accusations has led him to suffer substantial economic and other damages. He has lost his job and income and current and future book deals, and the opportunity to generate income through speaking engagements.
Hunt portrays himself as a victim, but it appears he has never apologized to the actual victim.
And he’s NEVER uttered a word of apology to the people whose lives he has irreparably damaged.
At every turn, there appears to be dishonesty and obscuration.
For example, when the allegations first surfaced, Hunt denied even knowing the pastor whose wife Hunt was accused of assaulting.
However, he later admitted to Guideposts that he had known the couple for at least two decades. Indeed, he conceded he had a “major influence on said pastor’s life and career.”
Walker goes on to say that Johnny Hunt is a very wealthy man.
The Hunts 4,400-square-foot home sits on about three acres in the woods outside Woodstock. Real estate websites estimate it’s now worth upwards of $1 million.
…Hunt also owns two other houses — they bought another property in Woodstock worth around $350,000. In 2020 he splashed out another $1 million on a beachfront home in Florida,
…Throw in the passive income from his 14 published books and an endless round of speaking engagements — he spoke at a Conference in Georgia this past weekend AFTER he had filed his lawsuit — and you can see that Johnny Hunt is hardly on the breadline.
So, maybe a few churches and Christian organisations have grown a conscience and decided not to invite Hunt to their next conference.
Boo Hoo.
Just how wealthy is Hunt? Perhaps he is more affluent than Walker imagined.
The Baptist Press posted Pastor Johnny’ is the head of a family empire that feeds off the SBC.
In 1981, a contemporary Christian music group named NewSongformed at Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, Ga. Later, the members of that group migrated to First Baptist Woodstock and one of Hunt’s daughters married a son of the group’s lead singer, Eddie Carswell.
Through these family ties and through the success of NewSong, Hunt became connected to another network of profit-making and ministry.
Today, he is related to no fewer than 10 nonprofit and for-profit businesses, as attested by tax records, event publicity and other legal filings. All are intertwined with his family.
His family manages the various family businesses and gets $$$ for doing so.
His wife, Janet, operates as the family bookkeeper for some of the businesses. The Hunts have two daughters, Holly and Deanna. Holly is married to Pete Hixson. She runs her own business called 3H Travel, while Pete is a speaker, consultant and special needs advocate. Holly manages most of Hunt’s travel. Deanna serves as treasurer of a Hunt-related nonprofit called It’s a New Day and is married to John Carswell, son of Eddie Carswell. John owns several businesses, including a motorsports company and several of the conferences that platform Johnny Hunt and Pete Hixson. The Hunts have five grandchildren some of whom are part of the family businesses
I have been a regular critic of the NAMB. Older pastors go to continue to be paid well. However, the SBC has rules: you can’t know where your money goes if you contribute to the NAMB. The NAMB appears to be a client of Hunt who recently had to resign due to his little slip-up, but not before he directed business for financial gain for the family.,
In 2018, at age 66, Hunt left the Woodstock pastorate and became senior vice president of NAMB, which has headquarters not far from Woodstock, in Alpharetta, Ga.
There, the entanglement between the denomination and the Hunt family business grew more intertwined.
NAMB has been a frequent client and collaborator with the Hunt enterprises — meaning while he drew a salary and benefits from the SBC agency, he apparently had the influence to direct denominational business to the financial gain of himself and his family.
But the NAMB ain’t talking, which is a problem in my book.The NAMB is secretive about finances.
BNG contacted both Hunt and a NAMB spokesman for response to the content of this article but received no response from either.
Specifically, BNG asked Hunt: How do you explain the network of family businesses that seem to feed each other and draw on denominational funding? How is this not a conflict of interest?
And BNG asked NAMB: What has been NAMB’s relationship with Johnny Hunt Ministries, NewSong Ministries, WinterJam, Xtreme Conferences, Jubilee Conferences, It’s a New Day Ministries or any other business affiliated with Johnny Hunt? Do NAMB’s policies allow an employee to direct business to organizations they lead or benefit from financially? And does Jim Law still serve on board of Hunt-affiliated businesses?
Although NAMB is one of the most secretive organizations within the SBC, seldom answering questions about its personnel or finances,
No less than 10 businesses owned or formerly owned by Hunt are listed in the article.
Go to the article to see them all. Here is one.
New Song Ministries Inc. / Xtreme Conferences. In addition to managing the band New Song, this business manages concert performances, including the Xtreme Conferences for students and WinterJam Tour, a concert series. These events are promoted in Southern Baptist churches. Hunt and his family benefit financially from this side business.
With reported assets of $1.1 million, this organization in 2020 took in $12.9 million in revenue and reported expenses of $13.3 million.
Those involved in leadership are Johnny Hunt, past CEO and frequent headliner; Eddie Carswell, CEO; Pete Hixson, speaker; and the Hunt grandchildren, who are employees.
This organization does business with NAMB, as well as Carswell Motorsports (doing business as Midnight Coach) and 3H Publishers, both with ties to the Hunt family.
It appears that Hunt is cashing in on the SBC, and he had to be restored to get back to work.
More than perhaps any other pastor or denominational leader in the SBC, Johnny Hunt has created a system that sustains him and his extended family financially through his networking connections.
That’s likely one of the reasons him being named as a sexual abuser in the Guidepost Solutions report made such waves and why Hunt and his allies have sought to quickly “restore” him to ministry at age 70. He’s not only a preacher, he’s the head of a family empire.
Final thoughts.
The article is fantastic, and I can’t begin to cover everything that has been found. In addition, the Roys Report posted Johnny Hunt’s Network of Nonprofit and For-Profit Businesses.
Although the NAMB has a conflict of interest policy that discourages “business transactions with a trustee or employee, or a business enterprise in which a trustee or employee has an interest,” it has frequently been a client of Hunt’s and his family’s businesses.
For example:
The retreat ministry is now called Refresh by NAMB. Its revenue in 2018 was almost $900,000.
Hunt has created a new retreat for ministers through Johnny Hunt Ministries, called Advanced. The next retreat is slated for October at The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa.
Travel for Timothy Barnabas and Advanced retreats has been organized by 3H Travel, a travel agency operated by Hunt’s daughter, Holly Hixson.
The Grand Cayman Island is hardly a cheap date. However, I noticed they planned it for October, which is prime hurricane season. So maybe they got a discount?
Church father Jerome ((345–420)) warned about clergy and money.
I think today’s evangelical celebrity pastors and leaders are leading us off a cliff.
Jerome (345–420) was the September church father of the month for the 2021 Ad Fontes Patristrics Reading Group. In Letter 52, the biblical scholar, commentator, and translator writes to Nepotian, nephew of his life-long friend Heliodorus, on the duties of the clergy and their way of life (see also Jerome’s excellent Letter 14 to Heliodorus on the ascetic life). This article highlights a few points of Jerome’s practical advice for pastors. All citations are from the translation by F. A. Wright in LCL 262. Another translation of the letter can be read for free at newadvent.org.
Here’s what Jerome taught me.
- Do not seek wealth or worldly gain. The word “clergy” means “lot” or “portion” and is a continual reminder that, like the Levites, God alone is our portion, as we are his. “It is the glory of a bishop to provide means for the poor, but it is a disgrace for any priest to think of wealth for himself” (52.6). A pastor “must not be … greedy for gain” (Titus 1:7), “not a lover of money” (1 Tim. 3:3). Jerome uses a metaphor that would resonate with Nepotian, who had left the military to become a presbyter: “Do not look for worldly gain when you are fighting in Christ’s army” (52.5; cf. 2 Tim. 2:3–4).
- Do not be stingy in giving to others so that you can line your own pockets. Jerome is disgusted by “some who give a trifle to the poor that they may themselves receive a larger sum, under the cloak of almsgiving seeking their own personal gain” (52.9) and quips that “such conduct should be called almshunting rather than almsgiving” (59.9). Pastors should model generous and sacrificial care for the less fortunate. They should not be self-seeking.
- Avoid other clergymen who have sought worldly gain. “Avoid, as you would the plague, a clergyman who … has risen from poverty to wealth, from obscurity to a high position” (52.5). There were “PreachersNSneakers” even in Jerome’s day.
- Prefer to show hospitality to the poor than to curry favor with the rich at your table. “Let poor men and strangers be acquainted with your modest table, and with them Christ shall be your guest” (52.5). A pastor “must be … hospitable” (Titus 1:8). “Avoid entertaining the worldly at your table, especially those who are swollen with office” (52.11).
- Be wary to rely on those outside the church to accomplish God’s work. Since pastors serve “a crucified Lord, one who lived in poverty and on the bread of strangers” (52.11), Jerome warns against wining and dining the wealthy and powerful, playing politics to secure support even for kingdom purposes.
- Use church funds with extreme care and integrity. “To rob a friend is theft, but to defraud the Church is sacrilege” (52.16).
I bet that Johnny hasn’t read up on Jerome, although I wonder… Perhaps Johnny is one of those guys who didn’t come into the church to serve but used his talents to get what he wanted. I don’t see the self-titled “Doctor” Hunt as a faithful servant. Instead, it appears to this kitchen table blogger that he wound up being on the take. He found a system that served him. He is a person that I would avoid, like the plague. That’s what Jerome said. Memorize this and apply it liberally in your lives.
“Avoid, as you would the plague, a clergyman who … has risen from poverty to wealth, from obscurity to a high position”
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“I am downright disgusted at the number of pastors/clergy who use their positions to become wealthy.”
I call it merchandising the gospel.
My Dad warned me to avoid pastors who wore gold choker chains. He would be amazed at today’s lifestyle of Christian celebrities.
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“I also am suspicious of people who use the title of Doctor when it is an honorary “doctorate” …”
Most institutions of higher learning refer to honorary doctorates in this manner:
“Honorary degree recipients are properly addressed as “doctor” in correspondence from the university that awarded the honorary degree and in conversation on that campus. But honorary degree recipients should not refer to themselves as “doctor,” nor should they use the title on business cards or in correspondence … When addressing a person who has received an honorary degree from another university, it is not correct to use the term “doctor” nor should the title be used in correspondence, biographical sketches, introductions, or on place cards.” (West Virginia University)
https://honorarydegrees.wvu.edu/the-history
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Someone should present Jerome’s treatise on clergy and money as a resolution to be adopted at the upcoming Southern Baptist annual meeting in New Orleans. However, it would probably be voted down.
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way back when I was blogging, I did a post on Hunt and the misuse of his honourary degree.
SBC fanboys piled in, nasty, demeaning, reactive, sarcastic, rude…
Which to a degree proved my point, and I did wonder about the spiritual and educational level and emotional maturity of these vocal fanboys. At the very least, I also wondered about what seemed like blind loyalty in the face of evidence. Lesson learned, for celebrity, wealthy pastors. there does seem to be an almost desperate cult following that flies in the face of reason.
I remain amazed at what guys like Hunt get away with.
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> a person that I would avoid, like the plague
In the middle of my 6th decade, I became acquainted with the concept of “sociopathy” (Martha Stout’s “The Sociopath Next Door”) and found it to be an accurate description of a number of deeply problematic people that I know. Dr. Stout’s recommendation is to avoid these people. They can’t change (in theological terms, this might be “reprobation”) and they will harm you. Identify them among the people you know and thereafter avoid them.
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The Wartburg Watch needs to send a spy to Advanced! I nominate Max. I will donate $100 towards the $4K (airfare not included!)
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Yeah…. I do not get what the attraction is there Dee. There are so many ways to get wealthy if you want to apply yourself but that is not ministry. It is certainly not how Jesus and the apostles conducted their affairs. I just do not get how they reconcile this with the Bible. And that does not take into consideration the extra-marital “mistake” he made.
Dee…. I am curious to know what your thoughts are on someone like Jimmy Swaggart. It makes me uncomfortable when my mom talks about enjoying his program. I only know about the sin from the ‘80s. I do not recall you ever sharing your thoughts on him. My mom seems to be able to get past it but I admittedly know very little about his current role in ministry. She likes his program with the music and preaching.
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A little song to enjoy:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7E2wjwqoImQ
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Most people who have legitimate doctorates seldom mention them unless they are in academia and do so for professional reasons. Therefore I’m always suspicious when I come across situations regarding honorary doctorates, let alone those from dubious diploma mills. Dee, I remember when you wrote back in the day that when you discovered that RZ was calling himself “Doctor” when it was only an honorary degree,you wrote, “I wonder what else he’s lying about,” or words to that effect. How much more is Hunt covering up?
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I am honored that you would consider me worthy to hang out with the rich and infamous at Grand Cayman! However, Ole Max’s traveling days are over. Plus, I’m not sure I could stand being around Pastor Johnny for a week without blowing my cover as a spy … as Wartburgers know, I talk too much.
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Still hoping that Patterson’s buddy White at Cedarville will move on soon. His mansion is purely narcissistic, just like him.
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“The Grand Cayman Island is hardly a cheap date. However, I noticed they planned it for October, which is prime hurricane season. So maybe they got a discount?”
Surely a hurricane would not come near a bunch of SBC pastors gathered at a retreat in paradise. Pastor Johnny would undoubtedly be able to control the wind and waves.
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Hunt basically admitted that he can’t succeed at committing adultery (unless something happened at a massage parlor, for a fee), even though he tried. Maybe he should shoot for an honorary doctorate in gynecology. …. Snort!
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Max, Pastor Johnny would undoubtedly be able to control the wind and waves.
What about scantily clad women?
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Wolves in sheep’s clothing and all of their wanna bee’s just following along. Not blindly though – inside they all know where they are trying to get to (and it ain’t more Holy or closer to God either).
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Dee, every time you write about these grifters (Hunt et al), Elton John’s song
Burn Down the Mission plays in my head.
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Max,
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Muff Potter,
Livin’ in the Parish (Wartburg) of the restless folks I know.
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Max,
🙂
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In 1 Timothy 5.17, Paul instructs Timothy that Elders should receive a “double honor”. The word for honor here actually refers to payment, which means that an elder should receive double the payment of widows on the church’s welfare roll (5.3 “honor widows who are truly widows).
So maybe elders should get double the minimum wage. Let’s see how many support that idea.
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Bene D,
Same thing happened to me when I made posts about good old Ravi Z before his other “proclivities” became public… Some of the tortured logic people used to justify Ravi using his honorary “doctorate” to make it look like it was legit was breath-taking..
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Max,
🙂
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The wolves have found it more profitable to dress in shepherd’s clothing.
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Doctor Johnny Hunt, with a fake degree that he freely flaunts, just to impress everyone….. a fake degree for fake clout, fake adoration. Speaks volumes about his character.
I believe the woman who said he attacked her.
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But, boy, he can sure preach! (shout Pastor Johnny’s fan club)
“And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With odd old ends stol’n out of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.”
(William Shakespeare)
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The early church had many problems, but I think that there’s a great deal that we moderns could learn from it.
I recall reading, more than a decade ago, that one of the early Popes (Gelasius comes to mind, but that may be too late, though perhaps not given the quote of Bp. Jerome about mercy to the poor being a bishop’s glory) promulgated a rule that 50% of local congregation receipts were to be used for maintenance of the physical structure of the local meeting place, 25% were to be used to pay salaries to the priests who served the congregation and the remaining 25% was to be used for … relief of the poor.
None of the churches I have been associated with over nearly 50 years ever, to my recollection, actually budgeted for “mercy”. It was always optional and often not even solicited. The best of the lot was a congregation of the OPC, that at least solicited an offering to the “Deacons’ Fund” on communion Sundays.
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Muff Potter,
I often feel like that soung.
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George,
Jimmy Swaggert? There were the two prostitutes, the money ( he is worth at least 14 million.), etc.
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Max,
Great quote Max!
Who but the old Bard could un-cloak Pastor Johnny so succinctly?
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R,
Made me think of “American Dream” by Hank
Williams, Jr., 1982:
Now there are some preachers on TV,
With a suit and a tie and a vest,
They want you to send your money to the Lord,
But they give you their address,
‘Cause all of your donations are completely tax free,
God bless you all, but most of all, send your money
A song that’s been around for 41 years, and things have only gotten worse.
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I understand what George is saying, about Jimmy Swaggart and wondering about him. They do wrong, oh so much sin, but yet they just cannot leave the ministry and go live a simple quiet life somewhere out of the spotlight. It is like their consciences are so seared they do not believe that God is truly everywhere watching the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3) If only the people would quit giving them their money! I like the Hank Williams song about, the lines: They want you to send your money to the Lord, but they give you their address.
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Excellent post. Johnny Hunt is as corrupt as Al Capone.
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Doesn’t say much about Southern Baptists when their heroes of the faith are the likes of Johnny Hunt, Paige Patterson, and Armani Ronnie.
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Another one bites the dust.
https://www.rawstory.com/pastor-arrested-2660765873/
This is SBC, too.
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What does Jerome say about people like Bruce Ashford? Has he ever been put in a position where he has to respond to what’s being said about him?
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The list keeps growing. IMHO, SBC seriously needs to rethink its youth ministry model … there are too many young men on their bad-boy list already. Putting young inexperienced “pastors” in charge of children is an accident waiting to happen. Turning them loose in a community with the title of “Pastor” gives them credibility when many have proven it yet. There were no youth ministers in the early church, only men of God. Older mature believers are to mentor young folks, rather than youth pastoring youth.
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Max,
Church autonomy…..
Autonomous when it involves abuses committed against women and youth by males working within these autonomous churches.
Nullified autonomy when it involves allowing women to be appointed to certain positions within these “autonomous” churches.
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Nancy2(aka Kevlar),
When the org doesn’t deal with predators, the org becomes a magnet for predators, i.e., their hunting ground.
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Ava Aaronson,
And the SBC has been cultivating a crop for easy pickings’ for 40 years.
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If an “Hononary Doctorate” is flaunted in a dishonorable way, does that make it a … “Dishononary Doctorate”?
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How often are churches biblical about their resources? Even biblically adjacent?
In the Bible, God raises up those beaten down by the world (through no fault of their own such as drugs, gambling, laziness, and other addictions, self-indulgences, and obsessions), and God brings down the mighty and haughty in this world.
Since the Fall, the world system is evil. Every New World Order included. But God is a leveler and invites us to participate, yet warns us to not throw pearls to swine. (In some cases the swine may be the clergy collecting for private planes and such…)
In contrast, the church seems to ride the coattails of the elite for their clergy salaries, buildings, planes, travel, entertainments, and projects.
“Let the man who has two coats,” he answered, “give one to the man who has none; and let the man who has food share it with others.” Luke 3.11
However: “He who does not work, should not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3.10
Unfortunately, Lazarus was not able to share a cup of cool refreshing water with the rich man burning in hell. Unfortunately. Luke 16.
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What does kola kavod mean in Hebrew?
Literally meaning “all the respect,” kol hakavod is the Israeli equivalent of “good job!” and similar phrases like “well done” or “way to go.”
OJB
Let the Zekenim (elders, see SHEMOT 12:21) who have ruled well be considered worthy of double kavod, especially the Zekenim laboring in Messianic hatafah (preaching) and Messianic hora’ah (teaching). 1 Timothy 5.17
Where does money enter into this?
1 Cor 12, Rom 12, Eph 4 There are 18 gifts of the Holy Spirit to the church, the Body of Christ. Teaching is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Who pays for a gift?
As the church teacher disciples traveled, they were to be housed and fed by locals, yet only stay in each town for a few days. Room and board was paid for by the local church being taught. There’s nothing about salaries, private planes, double salaries, or accumulation of wealth by the disciples, etc. Matthew 10.
There were no church buildings in the NT. Church meetings took place in houses. The disciples preached in the synagogues.
Do we need to, want to, are we obligated to, pay for the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Do we need, want, are we obligated to, have church buildings?
Do we need, want, are we obligated to, pay salaries for church workers?
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Our women’s organization operates without salaries or buildings. We meet weekly. We contract for space as needed, for catering as needed, and professionals (a CPA, for example) as needed. The dues are minimal, the weekly catered lunch is affordable, and help is given for those who cannot afford it. Most members volunteer to do something, so the work gets done. Seeing how this operates, clarifies how the early church functioned. It’s possible to do well as a org without buildings and salaries, particularly in our free and relatively comfortable society – with many clamoring at our borders who just want to come here and work in a safe environment. Our weekly speakers are not paid. They come because they have something they want to present, to talk about – they already have their regular jobs. Most are not big names, but they are inspiring and informed.
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Is church a job?
Some church communities can afford buildings, entertainment, fulltime church workers, and programming – the rich of this world with extra. But is that where our extra resources should go? Many communities in this world cannot afford church accoutrements – the Lazarus people barely getting along.
Eternity will respond to this inequity, according to what Jesus said about the rich man and Lazarus. How we place ourselves has eternal consequences, according to Jesus. Matthew 25.
Try knocking on the door of a mega during a natural disaster …, Lakewood, for example. Using resources sensibly, biblically, with godliness, is not in their wheelhouse from the jump. They may be set up to feed greed. Greed may be charging $$$ for a gift of the Holy Spirit. Does God even go along with that? Is that when the wheel leaves the temple – when men charge $$$ for what the Holy Spirit is giving to the church? (Ezekiel)
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Interesting thought. Universities always make a big deal out of it when they bestow an honorary doctorate on someone. If “Doctor” then uses it in a dishonorable way, they should be stripped of the honor in a very visible manner by the university for all the world to see, to get them off the hook. It would be a shame on the university if a bad-boy “Doctor” continued to use the honorary degree in their name. There are many examples of honorary degrees granted to celebrities being revoked and rescinded. It would certainly be the right thing to do when “Doctor Pastor” is revealed as a sex abuser.
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The thought occurs that in the present public-health policy environment, Saint Jerome’s counsel would be interpreted to be equivalent to “freely associate with”.
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Could be the epitaph on the tombstones of many celebrity pastors.
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A music video of the same title popped up on YouTube last night:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=infyJGl_N0o
I got my head taken apart by the disciples of that back in the Seventies.
But the original mythic imagery of John of Patmos presented straight is impressive!
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I’ve been using that St Jerome quote for years on church corruption whistleblower blogs.
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Except he don’t dress as sharp as “Snorky” did.
He’s also older; Capone was in his TWENTIES when he took over the Chicago Outfit after Torrio’s retirement. Torrio was Capone’s mentor, an underworld diplomat and politician; Capone’s one and only reaction to everything was “WHACK ‘EM! WHACK ‘EM ALL!”
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Ava Aaronson,
I was thinking about Ezekiel yesterday, wondering if the Spirit is still welcome, or even present in many “houses of God”.
The apostles, the early disciples, Jesus……. no salary negotiations, no 1.5million dollar mansions, no chauffeurs….. they brushed the dust off their own sandals, preached when anyone would listen….. no fees for the salvation of souls.
We have a lot of “rich young rulers” (maybe not so not so young) leading churches and church entities.
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No Proof Text necessary.
They get not only $$$$$$ from “Ministry”, but Praise and Adoration and Privilege of Rank of the Inner Ring. Plus all the pew-peons to boss around under threat of Eternal Hell.
Now THAT’s a Dopamine Surge Fix!
Like Crystal Meth Smoke or a Killer App Algorithm!
Ramped up to GAWD-level Cosmic Scale!
And the most dangerous place to stand is between an Addict and his next Fix.
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If you were to lift the Holy Spirit out of most “houses of God”, 99% of the activity would still go on! There’s not enough evidence to convict most churches of operating in the Spirit.
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Headless Unicorn Guy,
Oop, wrong video.
Here’s the one for Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing per se:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpWSntxxiZw
And it touches on a subject of church corruption blogs: THE PREDATOR AMONG US.
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We’re on the same wavelength. Wondering, if the wheels have left the temple, where is the Body of Christ? In a place that money can’t buy? The question. The $1.5M question?
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https://baptistnews.com/article/pastor-johnny-is-the-head-of-a-family-empire-that-feeds-off-the-sbc/
Baptist News Global lengthy, detailed article on Hunt’s multiple financial syphons in the SBC larders.
Oh, how I wish someone would publish and article on Hunt……. titled something like: “Pastor Johnny’s Rise from Rags to Riches through the Tithing and Sacrificial Giving of Millions of Hardworking Laypersons”.
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In every community across America, there are real-deal Christians who agonize over the condition of the church and nation. The Body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, is still on planet Earth. The world can’t buy them; they will not compromise. Some are finding a way to exist as church members, others are done with doing church without God but not done with Jesus … they serve Him as best they can in a nation which has largely forgotten God.
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Kenneth Copeland says, “Hold my private jet.”
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Nancy2(aka Kevlar),
Sometimes I think evangelical churches should put up a slide that reads “Inspired by a true story” before every service. When that happens in a movie, we get the idea that some of the events happened but maybe there was some narrative license, characters were combined or erased, maybe dialogue was spiced up.
I feel like evangelicalism has many kernels of truth, but maybe 95% is just culturally-borrowed expressions of success sprinkled with the word “Jesus”.
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Grift is a gig, and it runs in families, apparently.
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taking God’s name in vain
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One day there will be a reckoning.
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Headless Unicorn Guy,
But now that narcissism, self-dealing and sundry varieties of grifting are endemic in the churches, we can stop worrying about them, the way we are learning to live with endemic viruses.
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In the following verse (18)
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CARL: And he said if I sowed a Seed of Faith you would bless that gift and increase it ten, a hundred, a thousandfold!
JESUS: So you called the toll-free number, pledged some money, and now you’re expecting me to give you a return on your investment.
CARL: Well, those rates are a whole lot better than I an get at any bank, Jesus.
JESUS: Did you happen to notice, Carl, that the man pitching this scheme was seated on a gold throne and wearing a three-thousand dollar suit?
— “Sow a Seed” (Coffee with Jesus clip-art webcomic)
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Which one?
He has THREE – one more than Creflo Dollar.
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Convenient how we have redefined that to mean cussing and only cussing, Eh, My Dear Wormwood?
P.S. Nowhere do we corrupt so effectively as at the very foot of the Enemy’s altar!
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Many years ago, Christian Monist did a short piece of fiction about a future, completely Virtual church in the Cloud where everyone attended through Virtual Reality “avies”.
I think it ended with everybody logged off and asleep or otherwise busy and all the avies “fellowhipping” completely in autopilot mode with pre-programmed responses. And any viewer encountering that 3D Virtual Reality chatroom church couldn’t tell the difference.
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Lowlandseer,
And as for the etymology-
“ 3877 I. כָּבֵד (kā·ḇēḏ): v.; ≡ Str 3513; TWOT 943—1. LN 86.1–86.3 (qal) be heavy, weigh much, i.e., have an object be physically heavy (Job 6:3; Eze 27:25); (hif) make heavy, feel heavy (La 3:7); 2. LN 87.4–87.18 (qal) honor, honored (Job 14:21), note: in some contexts, implying a raising or changing of financial status; (Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew, James Swanson)
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Paul K,
“I feel like evangelicalism has many kernels of truth, but maybe 95% is just culturally-borrowed expressions of success sprinkled with the word “Jesus”.”
++++++++++++++++++++++
…like one big multi-level marketing scheme with weekly conventions to keep people fired up and working for your downline and getting others to sign on.
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Ava Aaronson,
“Wondering, if the wheels have left the temple, where is the Body of Christ? In a place that money can’t buy? The question. The $1.5M question?”
++++++++++++++++++++++++
they could be anywhere. but it doesn’t matter. it’s better if professional christian managers/controllers don’t know where they are.
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Someone paid 30 shekels for this information. In due time, the Righteous One prevailed, however.
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I’m completely amazed that people still fork over their hard-earned greenbacks to that guy.
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I have the same thought that “Evangelicals” are operating like a MLM scheme – peddling a promise to be closer to God if you sign-up this seminar $$$, read these books $$$, listen to this music $$$, and “sow seed”. None of which can get you closer to God.
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Sowre-Sweet Dayes,
a friend invited me to an mlm convention some years ago. everything about it was just like church, except it wasn’t peppered with words like “one another”. such a ridiculous state of affairs all ’round.
i was so nauseated by it all, my toes curled backwards… i invented a reason to have to leave after a few hours.
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Amway, the Mother of all MLMs, deliberately patterned itself (and its “conventions”) after Revival Meetings, pseudo-Biblical language and all.
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Max,
You’re too young, but I remember back when children understood religion just as well as the grown-ups we were sat amongst. We didn’t need the caste system then!