How Churches Invest Their Money

Mintlife.com ^ | May 17, 2010 | Jason Ritchie

[knarf]

Just did a count ... 27

[knarf]

What God does with nothing, is a pretty good indicator of whom He's supporting.

Obversely, what He does NOT do with so much ......

[Colofornian]

Isnt it odd that with all those BILLIONS the mormon corporation doesnt support even ONE of their 53,000 mormon missionary/salesmen...

I don't know for certain, but I doubt it. (And here's why):

Lds has dropped off about 12% of its missionaries compared to about three years ago, when they had 60,000. In 2008, that had dropped to about 53,000. And now, the latest figures is that they are under 52,000.

Apparently, the economy has taken about one of every eight Mormon missionary who would otherwise want to serve, and kept them at home. So, despite this massive drop...the Lds church with its billions haven't turned this sinking around.

I think they could be fearful that if they set known precedents that gets out to others, that they would be flooded with appeals to apply a broader "missionary fund."

[greyfoxx39]

What God does with nothing, is a pretty good indicator of whom He's supporting.
Obversely, what He does NOT do with so much ......

The usual mormon mindset is that God is rewarding the church and the members with the secular and financial success because of their membership in and devotion to what they call the "Lord's True Restored Church".

"Funded by the newly renamed Property Reserve, Inc.--a corporate arm of the LDS Church--the multi-billion dollar City Creek Center is a 20 acre renovation at the heart of the city that will include a shopping center with foliage-lined walkways, a 35 story luxury condominium tower, and high end office space. The project is located on the same site as the aged Crossroads Plaza Mall, the previous cityscaping project of the Zions Securities Corporation.

-SNIP-

Utah Stories: The latest cost analysis for the project is $3 billion, that's the equivalent of more than $300 per member of the LDS Church. Tell me about the ethics of this kind of commerical venture. De Lay: The point of the project is to make money, so my guess of $300 per member will be a profit later on of $30,000+ per member from the income of rents on the commercial side of the project, and through sales of the units. This business arm of the Church is not interested in losing money.

What will $3 Billion do to SLC?

They are also quite proud of the 131 temples around the world.

LDS.org

It's no accident that every mormon temple is crowned by a gilded statue instead of a cross.

[svcw]

What do they do with their money? Its just stuff stuff stuff with them.

It's no accident that every mormon temple is crowned by a gilded statue instead of a cross.

bingo

[sitetest]

Dear Tennessee Nana,

“Among those ‘churches, parish halls and rectories’ that the Catholic church owns, is there any that the regular Catholic members cannot go into because they havent paid 10% of their gross income ???”

Rectories include the personal residence of priests, and thus are not entirely open to regular Catholic members, unless invited. Thus, my pastor invites me to dinner at the rectory - he’s inviting me into his personal home. I can’t go into the rectory without an invitation.

Parish halls often host events to which not everyone is invited. As a regular Catholic, I wouldn’t be welcome in the parish hall during a wedding reception to which I wasn’t invited.

Catholic schools often restrict how and where visitors may be on school property. This is especially true of elementary schools, but even my sons’ high school requires all visitors to register at the main office.

However, to the degree that any ordinary Catholic is welcome in a Catholic-owned building, no one gives a lick about who gives what.

As to Catholics that give 10% of their income to the Church, they would be exceedingly rare, as many (most?) parishes only ask that individuals give 5% of their income directly to the Church and another 5% directly to charities, especially those that help the poor and folks in unfortunate circumstances.

sitetest

[bronx2]

In most studies of charitable giving it has ben revealed that Catholics donate less than most other religious groups. Jews and Mormons donate the most followed by Evangelicals. The Catholic Church has received numerous donations of large buildings and vacant real estate which has been the source of much litigation over the years as to its intended future use.

The Vatican only possesses a life estate in the art treasures in Vatican City . The treasures are owned by the people of Italy who have the remainder interest. The Vatican must pay for the upkeep of these treasures. This was established by the Concordat of 1929 between Italy and the Vatican.

[Elsie]

Like most major churches, the exact tally of LDS assets is difficult to come by.

Like MOST???

Using the qualifier EXACT sure is one way to spin it.

MOST major churches books are an OPEN book; though EXACT figures are probably in NONE of them!

[Elsie]

Big deal!!

How many Temporary Housing Kits did YOU send to HAITI?

The MORMONs sent 600!

And, let me tell you, THAT is a lot of tarps, 2*4’s and bags of cement!

[magritte]

How much land do they own in America?

[Elsie]

It's no accident that every mormon temple is crowned by a gilded statue instead of a cross.

In Indianapolis, there is a fairly new LDS meeting house without the statue.

GoogleEarth at

39° 46' 52.31"
86° 05' 22.43"

and you'll see an empty lot (old school was torn down).

But click on the Street veiw camera icons and you can see the new structure.

---

(Can't say the MORMONs don't have balls!

This is directly across from a PRESBYTERIAN church!)

[Elsie]

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=576&sid=9678523

[Tennessee Nana]

Just about everything but the “temple lot” in Missouri...

Oh to own the whole woerld and still not be about to fullfil Joey Smith’s prophecy...

Oh noez...

[Tennessee Nana]

charitable giving ...Mormons donate the most
__________________________________________

and mormons help peiple the least...

Its not so much about how much is given by the individual mormonjs...they have to give to keep their salvation...

Its how much of those gifts are actually used to feed clothe and help...

The mormon corporation only use 1% of those funds...

How does your chuch measure up ???

[Gamecock]

***We Protestants would like to know why a religious leader is getting almost $60 million in individual contributions from parishioners...I’m sure it’s used well...but couldn’t this — for some future Pope***

Well, there are all those pesky lawsuits being brought by people who hate the Roman Catholic church.

[bronx2]

That question is the focus of governmental agencies in determining if a IRC 501(c)(3) entity should retain its tax exempt status. Most of the published statistics indicate that Christian Churches , especially the larger ones, have little problem in proving their assistance to the poor. The question you should have asked is the how a charitable entity's acceptance of government funds in supplementing its ability to provide this assistance perverts its Christian mission.

[MayflowerMadam]

“..the Catholic church maintains a portfolio of conservative investments.”

There’s just something basically icky with the words “church” and “portfolio” in the same sentence. A church shouldn’t be a revenue-generation operation. Wasn’t that one of the reasons for Martin Luther’s “95 Theses”?

[Tennessee Nana]

The question you should have asked is the how a charitable entity’s acceptance of government funds in supplementing its ability to provide this assistance perverts its Christian mission.
______________________________________________

Whats that got to do with the mormon corporation ???

The mormon corporation is not a Christian Church with a Christian mission...

The mormon corporation has just one mission...just one charity...to itself ...to gather its ill gotten gains into its ugly big barns...

[Colofornian]

There’s just something basically icky with the words “church” and “portfolio” in the same sentence. A church shouldn’t be a revenue-generation operation. Wasn’t that one of the reasons for Martin Luther’s “95 Theses”?

I agree. And unfortunately, I'm sure it's not limited to the Catholic church.

And usually, what happens, is none of their investments are carefully screened for what they wind up investing in.

Corporations are doing all kinds of stuff on an ongoing basis -- some of which has no "business" being linked to church "business."

[Utah Binger]

How many Temporary Housing Kits did YOU send to HAITI?

I had thousands of good thoughts about Haiti en Francais s'il vous plait! I also wore a pretty little ribbon to show that I care more than you do.