Posted on 12/30/2009 8:46:19 PM PST by My Favorite Headache
Pastor Rick Warren urgently asks faithful for $900,000 December 30th, 2009
It’s been a heck of a year for mega-pastor/bestselling author/power broker Rick Warren of the enormous Saddleback Church. It started out with Warren’s invocation at the historic inauguration of one President Barack Obama - and it concludes with Warren asking his flock to cough up nearly $1 million in just two days to keep the church out of the red.
“Dear Saddleback Family,” begins today’s missive from Warren. “THIS IS AN URGENT LETTER unlike any I’ve written in 30 years. Please read all of it and get back to me in the next 48 hours.
“I have thrilling news to share with you below but first some seriously bad news: With 10% of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated. Still, with wise management, we’ve stayed close to our budget all year. Then… this last weekend the bottom dropped out.
“On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive - leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year, unless you help make up the difference today and tomorrow.”
The church does not make its financial information public, so it’s impossible to tell just how big of a hole in the boat this $900,000 represents. A spokeswoman for Warren said the church does not release detail on its finances, so it’s hard to put the shortfall in context. (Suffice to say it may not represent a terribly significant portion of Saddleback’s annual budget, and that his personal appeal may well close the hole, and then some.)
In his letter, Warren goes on to detail the church’s accomplishments for the year, and then says:
It’s obvious that your giving through your church family is providing more “bang for the buck” than anything else you could support. It is no wonder that our ministry was named the top religious newsmaker of 2009 as reported by Associated Press.
YOU CAN HELP SAVE THE DAY 3 WAYS BEFORE JAN 1.
1. Click HERE right now to and give as large an end-of-the-year gift as you can to help avert this crisis. If we all do what God leads us to do, we’ll all be a part of a miracle. 2. Mail in your gift today. Gifts must be postmarked in 2009 to be posted as 2009 gifts for tax purposes. Mail to: 1 Saddleback Parkway, Lake Forest, CA 92630. 3. Drop your gift in the box at the front door of the Ministry Center at 1 Saddleback Parkway so you know for certain we get it TODAY or Thursday….
I love you so much. It is a deep privilege to be your pastor….
And, perhaps, a pain to be his accountant.
Let him get it from his Islamic buddies, this guy is a disgrace to Christianity.
Did he ever confess that he had been bamboozled and how by Oback Arama?
>> it concludes with Warren asking his flock to cough up nearly $1 million in just two days to keep the church out of the red
Screw him. Anyone who cuddles up to Bambi is of the devil.
Maybe he should sell his house and belongings and donate them to the church. It’s been suggested before...
How about some stimulus money? Why not, Warren helped a Muslim get elected president.
is he a limo pastor?
after his up the arse , like homosexual comments to bozo then he will not see any of my money
after his up the arse , like pro homosexual comments to bozo then he will not see any of my money
For those so inclined to donate to a Christian cause, once your personal pledges/tithe and FR’s quota is reached one might think of the ACLJ (not ACLU, ACLJ). It is NOT tax deductible so you don’t have to rush to do it before the new year, but Bummercare is going to fill Jay Sekulow’s plate pretty full I expect.
Never cared for Pastor Warren’s brand of mushy Christianity, there were no mushy Christians at the Circus Maximus.
That said, I hope they manage to raise the funds, 900k is not a great deal of money for Church of that size.
>> Maybe he should sell his house and belongings and donate them to the church.
“But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” —Mt. 19:22
Sounds like he's more interested in making news than tending to his congregation. Maybe there's a connection between his friendship with O and the dropoff in contributions...
Whatth thith? Rick Warren thaid thomething GAY?
The LORD giveth and the LORD taketh away. Blessed be the Name of the LORD. His truth is NOT for sale.
Yes, exactly that phrase and from that Person. :)
Be well Rush...
The church doesn’t release it’s finances.....
Not to the public, or not to the public AND its members?
I know exactly what the debts and cash flow in and expenses are in my church. Any member can see that information. It’s updated every month.
I’d say Rick’s probably been extravagant with the money coming in. Why don’t you match them, Rick, with all the book money you’ve made? What good does all that money do if it just sits in your bank account? What good does it do after donating a ton of money to political candidates like Obama? Do a $450,000 matching grant challenge and put a dollar of yours up against a dollar of your members?
ping
Some speculate the rich young ruler was the future Apostle Paul.
I’m surprised that they don’t make their finances public. My parish publishes its budget every year (including support for the Catholic school that is attached). The buildings are all old (church and school) so there are big maintenance expenses that come up annually.
“..900k is not a great deal of money for Church of that size.”
He said in the letter that they were okay until this weekend’s offerings, which were half of what they thought they would be. So they were expecting $1.8 million for a weekend!!?? I imagine they were looking at the last-minute payers for the quarter or something? (I know on our offering we pay by the month, and the building fund on the quarters).
McCain would have been 100 times better. Shoot, my tomcat would have been 100 times better.
TWO DAYS before the end of the year, I need $900,000 from you... and PS, I love you all so much
It seems Rick has learned a thing or two about crises from Obama. Create a crisis and then take advantage of it...?
I don’t think so. I believe he takes no salary and gioves a large portion of his book royalties to the church or other Christian purposes; or at least he used to.
I also think he has gotten away from the purpose of the church on too many occasions. Maybe he needs to focus on spreading the Gospel and not a social gospel.
This is a small number for a church this size. The average attendance is 22000. 900,000 is about 40 per person. Hardly a huge stretch for a church.
Christmas cheer is EXPENSIVE ya know....
I’d suffocate in a social-gospel-only church.
Saddleback needs $900,000 - I guess that makes them Brokeback.
Warren is a POS. Did the faithful at his church finally wake up and leave his clown church? I bet they did. He is an Obama and Muslim lover. Phony prosperity preacher con artist scum.
I would not attend a church that fails to openly disclose the financials on a regular basis.
**“On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive - leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year, unless you help make up the difference today and tomorrow.” **
That’s what happens when you bakc Obortion Obama!
LOL!
**“On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive - leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year, unless you help make up the difference today and tomorrow.” **
That’s what happens when you back Obortion Obama!
Have wondered, given Paul's devotion to Judaism and his great teacher if he was, indeed, in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover/Crucifixion, even a witness. When on the road to Damascus and Jesus spoke to him, Paul already seemed to know who Jesus was. Maybe that was because any soul would recognize Jesus in a burst of light.
Sorry for the temporary thread hijacking.
**“On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive - leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year, unless you help make up the difference today and tomorrow.” **
That’s what happens when you back Obortion Obama!
I believe you about McCain. What is wrong with your cat that he wouldn't be 200 times better?
You beat me to it!
I’ve never understood these mega-churches. I’ve felt more faith and love for God on FR, so many wonderful people, and it doesn’t cost me a dime.
I’m a monthly for the news and info. The rest is icing on the cake. :)
No problem... just to point out that God is a God of the second chance, in incidents that don’t need any speculation because they’re spelled out in the bible or in personal witness today. I hope Warren gets his head on straight (not thtraight).
Write a check yourself, Rick. You’re rich enough. And make up the difference by cutting back on your grocery budget, which is clearly very substantial.
No mushy Christians in places like Greece, Italy, the Balkans and other areas who were murdered and enslaved by Muslims hundreds of years ago. The LIBERAL US Catholic church needs to learn that with importing Somalis and 50+% of Catholics voting for a muslim. Many Catholics fought and died to keep Europe Christian.
Warren is slime. I hope his church collapses. He is a fraud.
Yeah, Crist is another one who could vanish tomorrow and I wouldn’t miss him.
Where did you hear that? I thought I was the only one who had contemplated that. There is nothing new under the sun I guess.
I would be more than happy to send Mr. Warren the “not one penny” that Obama promised to not increase on my tax obligations.
Oh go ahead and spend some of that hope and change that Obama gave you, Warren.
I would be more than happy to send Mr. Warren the “not one penny” that Obama promised to not increase on my tax obligations.
Oh go ahead and spend some of that hope and change that Obama gave you, Warren.
It’s so easy for a megachurch to get into “worship of the numbers.” Early Christianity was composed of scads of little private congregations; they would have laughed at our modern megachurches and cathedrals.
I’d suffocate in a social-gospel-only church.
++++++++++++++++++
They are not that. If anything they’re one of the ‘seeker friendly’ churches - which may, at times, be almost as bad. In the brand of Willow Creek in Ill...and a hyper version of the church growth movement. Not all of this sort of thing is bad - just too much focus on it, and not enough on truth...
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus never sacrificed one, for the other...
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