Mega Churches.....?

[crossisom]

Ever heard of the Word Church just outside of Cleveland, OH?

Here's a virtual tour... http://media.homestore.com/HA5F8JFK.htm

I do enjoy the service there, but I've only been a handful of times. I heard Pastor Vernon's daughter was on MTV's Sweet Sixteen too.

 

[theundyingmachine]

One of the reasons why I don't $@*! with religion or churches....smh America is a piece of *%%@ when it comes down to stuff like this.

 

[mytmouse76]

^ that girl was a hot mess...and not cute

 

[eaalto]

I just don't agree with ideology of repenting your sins for access to Heaven. It basically gives you free reign to live a terrible life, then repent, thenget into heaven.

 

[jdocs]

Jesus said:

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If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.

-Matthew 19:21

Jesus said:

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"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

-Matthew 5:3

Jesus said:

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[font=arial, helvetica]Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
-Luke 12:15[/font]

 

[philballa09]

funny, the few churches i worked at had pastors who didnt have this life style.

well one had a nice living but he and his wife had high paying second jobs (

who knew pastors had second jobs)

the mega churches have big time preachers. preachers who make their earnings from books, tv and seminar appearances. and alot of these mega churches w/bball courts, movie theaters, etc. are built for teens to help them stay out of trouble. so what's the big deal?

and churches give alot of money to donations, missionary, and to there communities.

some of you are trying to find anything to bash christians and it's getting old.

 

[ValarMorghulis]

damn

 

[sundoobie]

Originally Posted by spsfinest212

They need to start taxing all churches. They bring in billions every year and it's all tax-free.

Why? Churches file Form 990 Not for Profit Tax returns and are under the guidelines of that tax code. Whatever they bring in, they pay out. Churches are notfor profit entities. They are not a corporation that is in business to profit and pay out dividends to their shareholders. A church is not structured in thatmanner. If a Pastor gets paid by the Church, he files an individual tax return just like everyone else.

You start taxing Churches then you might as start taxing the Red Cross and every single Charitable Organization out there including your Fraternities, Schoolclubs who all "bring in" money.

 

[high class scum bag]

Originally Posted by BLADE BR0WN

Its about 4-5 Mega Churches here in Baltimore alone...

The one that I normally attend whenever I go to church is right around the corner from where I live.. And there building a mega church right around the corner from that church...

I have so many stories about what goes down in these mega churches based off the congregation and the pastor alone...
The church does have:

• the ATM machine...
• the debit card swipe machine...
• 2 projection screens...
• A multi-purpose room for those who can't be seated in the sanctuary...
• Flat TV's in the lobby for those who cant be seated in the multi-purpose room...

The lead singer in the music ministry has a solo album out...

For special events, the spot be packed... like the BCPD has to come and regulate traffic whenever church lets out...

People have come from all around the world to visit the church and the pastor...

I can personally remember seeing Ray Lewis and Ed Reed there one service...

I remember seeing Dave Hollister and Sisqo come out of nowhere and start singing together at the end of one service...

People catch the holy ghost and do laps around that big sanctuary, straight Tyson Gay status...

The pastor there does a very good job as a preacher and a community activist tho...

He always looks out for people from what Ive seen...

I've seen the pastor give away thousands at the service, pay peoples rent, school, etc...

One service, dude basically held a job fair and got the unemployed there at the service to network with all employers there, or those that needed any type of assistance...

This pastor started out from a congregation of 30 people preaching in a union hall, and now, dude basically has his own empire...

It does annoy me when he asks the church to put out $, but I cant really knock what he does from my viewpoint... but i could easily be wrong...

thank you for showing that not all pastors are like how NT views them...

i go to a pretty decent sized church and my pastor is similar...for x-mas he's giving out 3 macbook pro's to students who win an essay contest. all themen who help out around the church are getting a custom suit for x-mas..

i used to attend TD jakes church in dallas and there is no ATM in the lobby and dude gives away millions every year. he's building water wells all overafrica @ 40k a piece so the africans can have drinking water....dude does a lot for the world and people want him to live in an apartment and drive a honda..

 

[supermanblue79]

First, there is nothing wrong with a minister being salaried to preach the Word of God.
It's a huge workload, and carries to an unimaginable amount of responsibility.

What is wrong, is preachers twisting the gospel into "prosperity theology" for their own personal gain.
Christ's message was about salvation free for all, not to sell hopes of material wealth for 10% of a person'sgross income.
While we're on it...When was the last time that you saw an invitation/alter call for baptim with these "prosperity preachers'?

Acts 2 talks about the church that Christ built and how things were carried out.

Acts 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all [men], as every man had need.

In the Church, wealth/material possessions were shared among all of the members.

That said, every member's needs should be well beyond met before the minister/pastor purchases a helicopter,mansion, ect.

 

[westcoastsfinest]

my friends dad is a non denomination pastor and they live up in the hills yo!

 

[russ tha g]

Joel Olsteen and Lakewood Church:

Yes, same building the Houston Rockets used to play basketball in is now his church. Dude is a salesman. His sermons are actually decent (coming from anatheist, too) because he only talks about positives and not the "fear of God" BS. However, he's also doing a lot of promotion for books, tours,etc. during his sermon (it's also televised)--there's usually a banner at the bottom of the screen throughout the entire thing, plus little commercialsegments thrown in. When he was leading up to his sell-out/sold-out sermon at the new Yankee Stadium, he was talking about constantly. My GF's family goesthere and tithes to him...

I've met Olsteen and his wife at my old job and they're not particularly polite people. His wife is actually quite theb-word. If you read up on it, there are many accounts of this, too. However, the church does do good things, and they're very, very positive. So Idon't hate on what they're doing, but I think it's odd that people pay ANY institution an extra 10% of their income.

 

[blade br0wn]

^ what church is that? i def. heard about a church that Dave and Sisqo attend...i have fam in Bmore...

Empowerment Temple, AME Church...

But I'm not sure if Dave Hollister and Sisqo actually do attend now...

The scene I mentioned earlier happened back in 2006... I know they used to visit heavy, but I'm not sure nowsince I havent been in about a year...

 

[mytmouse76]

Originally Posted by Russ tha G

Joel Olsteen and Lakewood Church:

However, the church does do good things, and they're very, very positive. So I don't hate on what they're doing, but I think it's odd that people pay ANY institution an extra 10% of their income.

the good things the church does comes from that 10% people tithe...

 

[russ tha g]

Touché.

 

[dgk3188]

Originally Posted by wuSHUMast3r

This is Christianity at its worst. There's a local megachurch that takes up an entire city block, with a parking lot across the street. They have a pedestrian overpass specifically for people to cross the street, YET every Sunday morning, there are at least 3 police officers doing traffic control, stopping cars to let people cross the street. The nerve of these people!

you wouldn't by any chance live in Orlando would you?

sounds like you're talking about Northland.

 

[dgk3188]

Originally Posted by eaalto

Originally Posted by DAYTONA 5000

Aren't pastors supposed to be following Jesus' example though?
Jesus didn't live a lavish lifestyle at all.

I think deep down inside those pastors know they are pulling a huge gaffle on their congregation. They know they are
just selling these people a dream of the "pie in the sky, by and by"

Actually, it's all relative. He could have been quite comfortable in those times. That thought aside, you have no idea what kind of life Jesus lived. Besides, he was just a man. Why would it matter what example he set forth?

 

[darthska]

KayCurrency:

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High Class Scum Bag:

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i dont understand people complain about preachers having nice cars and things, but are fine w/ a rapper or dope boy driving a benz.

This.

Its like yall are saying God and being financially well-off dont go hand and hand....Like every holy person is suppose to be dirt poor and happy

Using profanity is not a clearly identified sin in the Bible. Save the references about using the Lord's name in vain, because that's notwhat those verses are speaking about. Cussing is not a sin.

So KayCurrency and High Class, what would you say about a preachercussing all the time, making no apologies about it? Like it's whatever? "I'd have no problem with it, because cussing isn't a sin." Isthat what your opinion would be?

Vandalism is not a clearly identified sin, so are you cool with preachers taking up Krylon cans and bombing traincars now?

KayCurrency:

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The reason im going so hard for Pastors is because I get to chop it up with one every week when I get my hair cut, He's a really good/blessed person...and I can tell he has a good heart. He brings the barbers News Papers and Mcdonalds breakfast when he comes in...little stuff that he's really not obligated to do. You can really tell he's a really Spirtially Wise man....and he lives a lavish lifestyle, which I have No problem with..
One member of a group has never, EVER represented the entire group, neither positively or negatively, so I definitely can't understand playingdefendant for mega-church pastors... because you know one.

A teacher is supposed to be BETTER at the subject than his students; that goes for math, cooking, karate, whatever. If the teacher passes up the teacher on thetopic, then either the teacher sucks, or the student needs to advance to a higher level or start teaching or something.

If Christianity is a subject and pastors are the teachers, then the teachers should have a MORE firm grasp on the topic matter than the students, and one ofthe precept of Christianity (as has already been mentioned by numerous people) is the concept 'Take what you need and leave everything else.' Takingmore than you need is the very essence of greed.

 

[kaycurrency]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

KayCurrency:

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High Class Scum Bag:

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i dont understand people complain about preachers having nice cars and things, but are fine w/ a rapper or dope boy driving a benz.

This.

Its like yall are saying God and being financially well-off dont go hand and hand....Like every holy person is suppose to be dirt poor and happy

Using profanity is not a clearly identified sin in the Bible. Save the references about using the Lord's name in vain, because that's not what those verses are speaking about. Cussing is not a sin.

So KayCurrency and High Class, what would you say about a preacher cussing all the time, making no apologies about it? Like it's whatever? "I'd have no problem with it, because cussing isn't a sin." Is that what your opinion would be?

Vandalism is not a clearly identified sin, so are you cool with preachers taking up Krylon cans and bombing traincars now?

KayCurrency:

---

The reason im going so hard for Pastors is because I get to chop it up with one every week when I get my hair cut, He's a really good/blessed person...and I can tell he has a good heart. He brings the barbers News Papers and Mcdonalds breakfast when he comes in...little stuff that he's really not obligated to do. You can really tell he's a really Spirtially Wise man....and he lives a lavish lifestyle, which I have No problem with..
One member of a group has never, EVER represented the entire group, neither positively or negatively, so I definitely can't understand playing defendant for mega-church pastors... because you know one.

A teacher is supposed to be BETTER at the subject than his students; that goes for math, cooking, karate, whatever. If the teacher passes up the teacher on the topic, then either the teacher sucks, or the student needs to advance to a higher level or start teaching or something.

If Christianity is a subject and pastors are the teachers, then the teachers should have a MORE firm grasp on the topic matter than the students, and one of the precept of Christianity (as has already been mentioned by numerous people) is the concept 'Take what you need and leave everything else.' Taking more than you need is the very essence of greed.


Your examples are EXTREME...

As for your greed part....Should every follower of God live Check-by-Check?...Christians cant save their money because its "Greed"? I mean becauseafterall, Its only savings...they really dont "need" it...So we should just Pay our bills and give the money we dont use away?

 

[Original Playa Records]

Depends on what the church does for the community. My church does a LOT for its members as well as it's community.

 

[ebay 23]

*%$% mainly happens down south

 

[ugk4life]

Originally Posted by NomadicSole21

Originally Posted by mytmouse76

alot of those mega church pastors don't preach...they write...go to speaking engagements and other stuff...

i don't rock with them cuz i want a church where i can just walk up to the ministers and they know my first name and its nothing for me to talk to them or the other members of the church...

Word...small church>mega church

I don't care how good a delivery and speech the pastor gives me, i just want that down to earth, family feel of a church.

yea this is exactly what i look for in a church...

-Tyler

 

[darthska]

Should every follower of God live check-by-check? Yes. (Do they? No, but that's not what you asked; you presented a question about the word'should').

Should every pastor be a BETTER example of the topic (Christianity) than the subjects? Yes, meaning he should live MORE check-by-check than common folk do.

And saving your money for retirement is not even in the same ballpark as stunting in a Benz. *wonders if you're familiar with words like'frivolous' and 'excessive'*

And my examples are extreme what? Extreme examples of doing something that isn't declared as sinful but is still not consistent with the life of a pastor?Because that's exactly what a pastor living frivolously and excessively is doing.

And knowing a friend who fails to meet this standard that isn't explicitly listed but is generally understood doesn't make everything o.k. I have afriend who is a youth pastor and has a huge porn stash. Guess what? I'm not going to defend him, or any pastor fitting the same description. If someonemade a thread about it, I wouldn't take the stand 'Oh I think it's fine, and the reason I don't have a problem with is because a friend I hoopwith is a youth pastor and loves 3rd Degree films.'

 

[kaycurrency]

Hey the Pope likes to "Stunt" too.....Lets bash him...We all know how unholy this man is

 

[daytona 5000]

Did you really bring up the head of probably the most corrupt institution of ALL TIME?