In this era of "fake news" we all need to be alert and on the lookout for a new breed of scam artists - the self appointed "fact checkers". This one has been operating in the shadows by their own account for over 40 years, and their targets are evangelical Christians and your local independent Churches. They are attempting to use the power of Big Government and the IRS to shut them down.
There is no mention of one of the biggest scams of all time - the cathylicks. You don't hear of the Vatican Bank scandals, the sodomification of altar boys, and their vast homer network that corrupts the entire planet. Where is the "religion of peace" and their 1,400 year wars on Christian Civilization? Where is the scripture calling out false religions?
Their latest targets are Chuch owned private jets.
Here is what they claim to be about.
There is no mention of one of the biggest scams of all time - the cathylicks. You don't hear of the Vatican Bank scandals, the sodomification of altar boys, and their vast homer network that corrupts the entire planet. Where is the "religion of peace" and their 1,400 year wars on Christian Civilization? Where is the scripture calling out false religions?
Their latest targets are Chuch owned private jets.
Here is what they claim to be about.
TRINITY FOUNDATION
Monitoring religious fraud for 30+ years.
Trinity Foundation began in 1972 as a religious, charitable and educational non-profit foundation for promoting the public interest in the State of Texas by producing Christ-centered communications projects.
An early skepticism about the way religious programming was bought and sold prompted Trinity to conduct a controversial research project on the audience demographics and ratings of religious broadcasting. This preceded the scandals that rocked the religious television industry in the 1980’s. In 1987 after supplying testimony to congressional hearings about the religious TV industry, the foundation began full-time monitoring of religious programming and reporting abuses of the public trust. By the 1990s Trinity had become the leading “watchdog” of religious media, conducting investigations and providing information used to expose fraud and abuses committed in the name of God.
The foundation regularly provides assistance to print and electronic journalists investigating suspected fraud or other abuses of the public trust by members of the religious media. The foundation has worked with news organizations such as ABC News Prime Time Live, CBS News 60 Minutes, NBC News Dateline, CNN Special Reports, ABC News 20/20, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (now over 35 1/2 million views),
. . .
The foundation has regularly provided testimony and investigative reports to various state and federal agencies.
From 2005 through 2011, the foundation worked closely with the US Senate Finance Committee on their investigation of religious non-profit organization abuses. The committee sent letters to six ministries in November 2007 seeking to determine if they were abusing their non-profit tax status. In a letter to the Senate committee, Trinity Foundation President Ole Anthony told the committee, “In some cases it is difficult if not impossible to tell the not-for-profit from the individual’s personal piggy-bank or from the for-profit entity.”
Others have agreed religious fraud is a growing problem. Deborah Bortner, former president of the North American Securities Administrators Association, told the committee, I’ve been a securities regulator for 20 years, and I’ve seen more money stolen in the name of God than in any other way.” The usual government oversight procedures have not been able to keep up. In a 2005 letter to Senator Grassley, IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson admitted the IRS has not been able to properly confront the problem.
Unfortunately for the public, many of the huge organizations Trinity investigates are legally disguised as churches—literally disguised, as in invisible funds, no accountability whatsoever. Churches (and $100M plus/year televangelist ministries) do not have to file the IRS 990 showing top salaries and where the money goes. To top things off, in 2009, the IRS suspended all investigations of churches including the most egregious offenders—congressional legislation has not kept up with IRS organizational realities. And even as the problem has increased, news media across the country have reduced their investigative budgets, allowing most of these abuses to continue unreported.
. . .
Monitoring religious fraud for 30+ years.
Trinity Foundation began in 1972 as a religious, charitable and educational non-profit foundation for promoting the public interest in the State of Texas by producing Christ-centered communications projects.
An early skepticism about the way religious programming was bought and sold prompted Trinity to conduct a controversial research project on the audience demographics and ratings of religious broadcasting. This preceded the scandals that rocked the religious television industry in the 1980’s. In 1987 after supplying testimony to congressional hearings about the religious TV industry, the foundation began full-time monitoring of religious programming and reporting abuses of the public trust. By the 1990s Trinity had become the leading “watchdog” of religious media, conducting investigations and providing information used to expose fraud and abuses committed in the name of God.
The foundation regularly provides assistance to print and electronic journalists investigating suspected fraud or other abuses of the public trust by members of the religious media. The foundation has worked with news organizations such as ABC News Prime Time Live, CBS News 60 Minutes, NBC News Dateline, CNN Special Reports, ABC News 20/20, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (now over 35 1/2 million views),
. . .
The foundation has regularly provided testimony and investigative reports to various state and federal agencies.
From 2005 through 2011, the foundation worked closely with the US Senate Finance Committee on their investigation of religious non-profit organization abuses. The committee sent letters to six ministries in November 2007 seeking to determine if they were abusing their non-profit tax status. In a letter to the Senate committee, Trinity Foundation President Ole Anthony told the committee, “In some cases it is difficult if not impossible to tell the not-for-profit from the individual’s personal piggy-bank or from the for-profit entity.”
Others have agreed religious fraud is a growing problem. Deborah Bortner, former president of the North American Securities Administrators Association, told the committee, I’ve been a securities regulator for 20 years, and I’ve seen more money stolen in the name of God than in any other way.” The usual government oversight procedures have not been able to keep up. In a 2005 letter to Senator Grassley, IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson admitted the IRS has not been able to properly confront the problem.
Unfortunately for the public, many of the huge organizations Trinity investigates are legally disguised as churches—literally disguised, as in invisible funds, no accountability whatsoever. Churches (and $100M plus/year televangelist ministries) do not have to file the IRS 990 showing top salaries and where the money goes. To top things off, in 2009, the IRS suspended all investigations of churches including the most egregious offenders—congressional legislation has not kept up with IRS organizational realities. And even as the problem has increased, news media across the country have reduced their investigative budgets, allowing most of these abuses to continue unreported.
. . .
Calculating the Cost of Ministry-Owned Aircraft Flights
July 16, 2021 Barry Bowen
Let’s take a look at one of the most expensive days so far in 2021 for church, ministry and Christian university aircraft trips. We tracked eight aircraft on March 19, 2021. It is possible that more than $100,000 could have been saved by flying commercial rather than using privately-owned aircraft.
List of aircraft owners:
A. Mt Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries
B. Mighty Horn Ministries
C. Liberty University
D. Liberty University
E. Faith Life Church.
F. Assemblies of God Financial Services Group
G. Philadelphia Church of God
H. Harvest International Ministries
Daniel Robertson Jr. pastors Mt Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries in Richmond, Virginia. The church owns a Cessna 650 jet which is also known as a Citation III.
On March 19th, the jet made a 20 minute flight from Richmond to Manassas, Virginia. According to Aircraft Cost Calculator, the Cessna 650 has an estimated hourly operating cost of approximately $2,970. Estimated cost of trip: $1,000.
. . .
READ MORE AT:
July 16, 2021 Barry Bowen
Let’s take a look at one of the most expensive days so far in 2021 for church, ministry and Christian university aircraft trips. We tracked eight aircraft on March 19, 2021. It is possible that more than $100,000 could have been saved by flying commercial rather than using privately-owned aircraft.
List of aircraft owners:
A. Mt Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries
B. Mighty Horn Ministries
C. Liberty University
D. Liberty University
E. Faith Life Church.
F. Assemblies of God Financial Services Group
G. Philadelphia Church of God
H. Harvest International Ministries
Daniel Robertson Jr. pastors Mt Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries in Richmond, Virginia. The church owns a Cessna 650 jet which is also known as a Citation III.
On March 19th, the jet made a 20 minute flight from Richmond to Manassas, Virginia. According to Aircraft Cost Calculator, the Cessna 650 has an estimated hourly operating cost of approximately $2,970. Estimated cost of trip: $1,000.
. . .
READ MORE AT:
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