Posted on 01/02/2010 8:37:35 PM PST by Steelfish
Calif. Pastor Takes in $2.4M After Donations Plea
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: January 2, 2010
LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP) -- Evangelical pastor Rick Warren's plea for donations to fill a $900,000 deficit at his Southern California megachurch brought in $2.4 million, Warren announced to cheers during a sermon at the church on Saturday.
Warren said the amount raised after the appeal was posted online Wednesday included only money parishioners brought in person to Saddleback Church by New Year's Eve. More was arriving by hand and by mail, he said.
''This is pretty amazing,'' Warren told his congregation. ''I don't think any church has gotten a cash offering like that off a letter.''
The pastor said he planned to talk further about the response in a Sunday sermon called ''The Miracle.''
''We're starting the new decade with a surplus,'' he said. ''It came from thousands of ordinary people. This was not one big fat cat.''
The posting on Warren's Web site read: ''With 10 percent 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.''
Warren said the church had largely managed to stay within its budget during the year, but ''the bottom dropped out'' when Christmas donations were down.
The letter cited the church's accomplishments in 2009 and detailed how the donations would be used, including the church's food pantry, homeless ministry, counseling and support groups.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Except for the guy on the receiving end, of course.
Man, I hope there is something wrong with this paragraph...
Cue the “Rick Warren is the devil” crowd in 3...2...1...
No, just a fraud.
“Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people. “ ... P.T. Barnum.
Saddleback Church with its 5 campuses in Southern California may have overextended its growth. This $2.4 million installment may be the beginning of more to come. The economy we enjoyed during the Bush years brought into being the mega churches. Whether these churches survive will be one to watch. Such churches need a good economy to operate. Can they downsize and survive is the question to ask.
Rick Warren’s ‘The Purpose-Driven Life’ ... Since 2002 it has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide
Where did that money go?
I realize that you don’t count Rick Warren among those you admire.
However, it should be pointed out that Saddleback ministers to a large number of people, and many of those are out of work and in need. The church experienced a shortfall in offerings, and this is what prompted the original request by Warren.
He, BTW, takes no money from the church.
I used to attend a mega-church in the 90’s. After awhile the services felt like a big production, TV cameras everywhere and tons of announcements. With that said however credit American christians for being good and generous givers. I prefer to donate charitable giving mostly to missions where it is desperately needed rather than supporting overblown mega buildings and expensive growth projects.
Whew... I gotta get into the religion business.
Drugs and whores?
That seems to be the pattern with these "religion" tycoons.
Why doesn’t he donate it from his own pocket? He’s got it.
Another fraud.
i dont believe he is a fraud. dont know why all the hate for this man he has done alot of good in this world. brought alot of people to Christ.
rick warren donated all that money towards solving aids problem in africa
Rick Warren paid back Saddleback Church every dollar they paid him in salary after his 24th year. He now takes no salary from the church. Saddleback is coming up on its 30th anniversary.
He and his wife determined that their living standards would not change as the result of the book sales.
The Warrens “reverse tithe”. In other words, he lives on 10% of his income and tithes 90.
The 90% of proceeds from the book go to three foundations set up by the Warrens...they get nothing from those foundations.
To date his book has sold 52 million copies.
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