Subject: The APOCALYPSE CODE. |
Bible Note: "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many." Matthew 24:11 'Popular TV preachers 'Joyce Meyer is one of America's best-known prosperity-gospel TV ministers -- preachers who teach that personal wealth can be attained through a strong faith in God and a strict adherence to the Bible. 'Following is an alphabetical list of a new wave of popular word-faith ministers who have used television to build large followings: (...) 'Kenneth and Gloria Copeland 'Headquarters: Fort Worth, Texas 'Reach: Ministry Web site says its TV show, "Believer's Voice of Victory," is seen by more than 76 million households on nearly 700 U.S. stations. Show also airs on about 135 international stations. 'Wealth: A ministry official estimates the ministry's annual revenue at 70 million [dollars] . (...) 'Jan and Paul Crouch 'Headquarters: Costa Mesa, Calif. 'Reach: The Crouches are owners of Trinity Broadcast Network, the world's largest Christian TV network. TBN reaches millions of viewers on more than 5,000 TV stations and 33 international satellites around the world. 'Wealth: The Crouches and their son Paul Crouch Jr. said they earned a total of 855,000 [dollars] last year. TBN's annual income exceeds 100 million [dollars] a year, according to the Los Angeles Times. The ministry provides the Crouches a 10 million [dollar] , 80-acre, eight-home ranch near Dallas and two Land Rovers that the Crouches drive. In 2001, the couple bought a 5 million [dollar] oceanfront estate in Newport Beach, Calif. (...) 'Creflo Dollar 'Headquarters: College Park, Ga. 'Reach: Dollar's "Changing Your World" TV program on TBN reaches 150 countries. 'Wealth: The ministry's income is unavailable, but newspaper accounts say the ministry paid 18 million [dollars] in cash for his new 8,000-seat World Changers Church International on the southern edge of Atlanta. He drives a black Rolls-Royce and travels in a 5 million [dollar] private jet. (...) 'Marilyn Hickey 'Headquarters: Denver 'Reach: Her TV show, "Today with Marilyn," on the TBN and Black Entertainment Television networks can be seen around the world. She has offices in England, South Africa and Australia, and is on the board of Oral Roberts University. 'Wealth: Her ministry occupies a 260,000-square-foot former shopping mall in Denver. No information on ministry or her personal wealth is available. 'In the news: She has been dubbed the "fairy godmother of the word-faith movement" and "the mistress of mail-order madness," by the Texas-based Christian Sentinel, a ministry that monitors what it calls "religious deception." Hickey got the "mistress" name for her use of trinkets - blessed cornmeal, cloths, seeds and coins - sent out to followers to urge them to send in money. 'Benny Hinn 'Headquarters: Grapevine, Texas 'Reach: Hinn's "This is Your Day" program is seen throughout the United States and in nearly 200 foreign countries. 'Wealth: The ministry took in 60 million [dollars] in 2001. A news story earlier this year in the Colorado Springs Gazette said annual income now exceeds 90 million [dollars]. Hinn told CNN in 1997 that he drew an annual salary of 500,000 [dollars] to 1 million [dollars] a year. He has a 3.5 million [dollar] home in the Los Angeles area and drives an 80,000 [dollar] Mercedes-Benz G500. 'In the news: A "Dateline" segment on NBC examined five of Hinn's faith-healing "miracles," showing that none of the people was cured and that one woman with lung cancer died nine months later. 'Rodney Howard-Browne 'Headquarters: The River at Tampa Bay, Tampa, Fla. 'Reach: His live broadcasts from his River at Tampa Bay Church stream online on his Internet site www.revival.com and can be seen worldwide. 'Wealth: He and his wife, Adonica, oversee his 16 million [dollar] church, which they founded in 1996. The couple live in a six-bedroom, four-bath lakefront home on Cory Lake in northwest Tampa. The home includes a dock, spa, pool and gazebo. 'In the news: Howard-Browne has called himself the "bartender of holy laughter." Holy laughter was a controversial movement that swept evangelical circles in the mid-1990s. He would walk on stage laughing uncontrollably. The congregation would begin laughing. Howard-Browne would sweep his arm toward the crowd. People would appear "drunk on the Holy Spirit" and slide out of their chairs or dance in the aisles.' ____________________ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 11/18/2003 (http://www.stltoday.com/) matt2411 |