Hey Haters! pt2- (Furtick's House is Bigger Than Your House...)

[Reformed Guy]

Seems like Furtrick is getting a bit of attention for piliing up $1.7 million worth of wood, hay and stubble....

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/23/4407782/elevation-church-pastor-building.html

...but what really got my attention was the statement that his church... business venture... entertainment venue has NO deacons or elders.  None.  No oversight.  Zilch.

Unless you call a small circle of like-minded-cronies "oversight...."

http://news.charismanews.com/us/41523-megachurch-pastor-steven-furtick-draws-criticism-for-1-7-million-home-secret-salary

Ichabod

 

[Bob H]

Seems like Furtrick is getting a bit of attention for piliing up $1.7 million worth of wood, hay and stubble....

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/23/4407782/elevation-church-pastor-building.html

...but what really got my attention was the statement that his church... business venture... entertainment venue has NO deacons or elders.  None.  No oversight.  Zilch.

Unless you call a small circle of like-minded-cronies "oversight...."

http://news.charismanews.com/us/41523-megachurch-pastor-steven-furtick-draws-criticism-for-1-7-million-home-secret-salary

Ichabod

Thanks Cal dude. Unlike some I'm thankful for a false teacher warning given to the church.

 

[Izdaari]

Furtick might well be a false teacher, but having a big, expensive house doesn't make him one.

He says he paid for it with money from his book sales, and not a dime from the church. If he's telling the truth (and he has sold a lot of books), he might be guilty of bad taste and profligacy, but not of misusing church funds.

 

[rsc2a]

Furtick might well be a false teacher, but having a big, expensive house doesn't make him one.

He says he paid for it with money from his book sales, and not a dime for the church. If he's telling the truth (and he has sold a lot of books), he might be guilty of bad taste and profligacy, but not of misusing church funds.

But like someone pointed out in the article, Furtick and Elevation Church are basically the same brand. You cannot separate them this easily.

 

[freelance_christian]

Furtick might well be a false teacher, but having a big, expensive house doesn't make him one.

He says he paid for it with money from his book sales, and not a dime for the church. If he's telling the truth (and he has sold a lot of books), he might be guilty of bad taste and profligacy, but not of misusing church funds.

It may not make him a false teacher, but it does betray a sense of avarice and excess, at least on the surface, to this outside observer.

 

[Izdaari]

Furtick might well be a false teacher, but having a big, expensive house doesn't make him one.

He says he paid for it with money from his book sales, and not a dime for the church. If he's telling the truth (and he has sold a lot of books), he might be guilty of bad taste and profligacy, but not of misusing church funds.

It may not make him a false teacher, but it does betray a sense of avarice and excess, at least on the surface, to this outside observer.

I agree. It would at least make me wary of him, and I'd have to check him out very thoroughly before making him my pastor. And from what I know already, I'm pretty sure Elevation Church would not be right for me.

 

[JrChurch]

If I don't have to pay the mortgage, clean it or furnish it, then the size of a house is of no concern to me. 

 

[freelance_christian]

If I don't have to pay the mortgage, clean it or furnish it, then the size of a house is of no concern to me. 

Except it reveals wrong and most likely sinful priorities on the part of a pastor to live in a multi-million dollar estate home. Quite frankly, I'm not sure that it is right for any Christian to live a life of excess and wealth in this way.

 

[Fresh Air]

While I completely agree that pastors should be well compensated, and that it is not, strictly speaking, my business what another local church does... at the same time there are obvious red flags here (no deacons, a house more expensive than anybody needs, etc.) The love of money is incredibly pernicious, and the lack of accountability described in this scenario will allow such an unhealthy love to breed unchallenged.

Of course, there are a whole bunch of red flags about Steven Furtick, so this doesn't shock me any. I just really don't understand my generation of American Christianity...

 

[Bob H]

Furtick might well be a false teacher, but having a big, expensive house doesn't make him one.

That's true BUT it does throw up a red flag. And then when one investigates him it removes all doubt.

 

[abp]

Meh, 1.7 mil is not all that much money. I'm sure plenty of mega pastors have a house worth that much in California. The 16,000 sqft house is a bit of over kill though.  I thought my former preacher's 4000s sqft house for just he & his wife was a bit much too. The way the financial stuff is all secret & his salary is set by other preacher friends is not how I imagined it going for Paul.

 

[freelance_christian]

Except it reveals wrong and most likely sinful priorities on the part of a pastor to live in a multi-million dollar estate home. Quite frankly, I'm not sure that it is right for any Christian to live a life of excess and wealth in this way.

So, don't live that way.  *shrugs

So you think excessive living and Christianity are compatible?

 

[clgtk2]

I think it`s tough to criticize a guy like this for spending money that he earns outside of the pulpit. No one knows what he gives back to God`s work monetarily. It could well be more percentage-wise than most pastors......who knows? I refuse to criticize when I don`t know the facts. In this case I will never know the facts, therefore I`ll just thank God for every soul that comes to Christ through his ministry and not worry about the *potential* indiscretion..........after all, I have to worry about my own monetary indiscretion on a 35K/yr salary.

 

[subllibrm]

960 glorious square feet of government tract house. Raised three kids (teenage girls no less) with one bathroom to share between us. Never did get around to building that family room addition. Oh well, we're fine.

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

This is not my business any more than what happens financially at FBC Hammond or Lancaster Baptist in Lancaster....or any other church of which I'm not a member is my business. 

 

[rsc2a]

This is not my business any more than what happens financially at FBC Hammond or Lancaster Baptist in Lancaster....or any other church of which I'm not a member is my business. 

It is your business. The greatest problem with the hyper-indepedents of the independent church movement is their belief that they are completely insulated from the Church universal. How XYZ church down the block from you acts will reflect on how others perceive your own "independent" church. Churches should be responsible for themselves as a local church, but they also need to realize they still have an obligation to the Church universal.

 

[subllibrm]

This is not my business any more than what happens financially at FBC Hammond or Lancaster Baptist in Lancaster....or any other church of which I'm not a member is my business. 

It is your business. The greatest problem with the hyper-indepedents of the independent church movement is their belief that they are completely insulated from the Church universal. How XYZ church down the block from you acts will reflect on how others perceive your own "independent" church. Churches should be responsible for themselves as a local church, but they also need to realize they still have an obligation to the Church universal.

No doubt this gentleman would love to hear from you for feedback and advice. Let us know how you do influencing the church universal.

 

[rsc2a]

This is not my business any more than what happens financially at FBC Hammond or Lancaster Baptist in Lancaster....or any other church of which I'm not a member is my business. 

It is your business. The greatest problem with the hyper-indepedents of the independent church movement is their belief that they are completely insulated from the Church universal. How XYZ church down the block from you acts will reflect on how others perceive your own "independent" church. Churches should be responsible for themselves as a local church, but they also need to realize they still have an obligation to the Church universal.

No doubt this gentleman would love to hear from you for feedback and advice. Let us know how you do influencing the church universal.

Seeing as how I influence people who aren't in my local church, I seem to be doing okay. Even more importantly, when some jerk is "being a Christian" by refusing to tip his supposedly gay waiter, it is definitely affecting how people see the church universal, but not necessarily how people see his church local.

 

[subllibrm]

This is not my business any more than what happens financially at FBC Hammond or Lancaster Baptist in Lancaster....or any other church of which I'm not a member is my business. 

It is your business. The greatest problem with the hyper-indepedents of the independent church movement is their belief that they are completely insulated from the Church universal. How XYZ church down the block from you acts will reflect on how others perceive your own "independent" church. Churches should be responsible for themselves as a local church, but they also need to realize they still have an obligation to the Church universal.

No doubt this gentleman would love to hear from you for feedback and advice. Let us know how you do influencing the church universal.

Seeing as how I influence people who aren't in my local church, I seem to be doing okay. Even more importantly, when some jerk is "being a Christian" by refusing to tip his supposedly gay waiter, it is definitely affecting how people see the church universal, but not necessarily how people see his church local.

I don't disagree. I do wonder though what vehicle you would use to rebuke Mr. Furtick (since this thread is dedicated to him and not the supposedly gay waiter).

 

[rsc2a]

[quote author=subllibrm]I don't disagree. I do wonder though what vehicle you would use to rebuke Mr. Furtick (since this thread is dedicated to him and not the supposedly gay waiter).[/quote]

I wouldn't use any vehicle. Given his celebrity and demeanor, I believe it would be futile. Why waste my time?