Rick Warren, SBC mega church star is begging for money. Now. Warren wants nearly 1 million in 48 hours to make up what he says is a yearly budgetary shortfall. Â Why does Warren think he doesn’t have to disclose Saddleback’s finances? This paragraph sums it up.
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.)
It’s very difficult to believe this guy. He lists his accomplishments in his fund raising appeal and says:
READING JUST THIS SHORT LIST
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.
Oh.
Not Who You Think They Are: A Profile of the People Who Attend America’s Megachurches
June 2009 Hartford Institute for Religious Research
Update: Looks like the church may have received it’s million bucks. 2.4 million if Warren is to be believed. It’s not like Saddleback would or could acknowledge they didn’t get what they asked for; that isn’t how corporations (Purpose Driven Ministries – see comments) and mega-churches operate. Interesting how not only media (cue spooky ‘culture’ music) but anyone who is not ‘us’ gets scolded for their cluelessness. ‘The Miracle‘ really cheapens miracles doesn’t it?
Dear Saddleback Family,
You won’t want to miss this weekend at Saddleback! It will be history-making and also the first service of our Decade of Destiny. I can’t wait to share with you what happened this week.
It speaks volumes about YOU, the depth of commitment in this fellowship, and where God is taking us in 2010 – our 30th Anniversary year. I’m simply calling this week’s message “The Miracle”.
In spite of a media culture that thrives on bad news and is typically clueless about how churches actually work, and in spite of hatefulness and insults by some who immediately jumped to wrong conclusion – the church of God marches on, and once again God surprises all of us!
I am humbled to have been your pastor for 30 years. See you this weekend.
I really hope our government doesn’t end up giving the liberties of unaccountability to any charities in Canada. When it comes to the Christian churches, what ever happened to “give unto Caesar”?
I think that’s a major delusion in the churches today. They have forgotten what is Caesar’s and what is theirs and they have somehow come to the conclusion that it’s acceptable to covet what is Caesar’s.
It’s a sick world we live in when a church needs a mill to meet their yearly operating budget when there are so many starving and dieing.
Corporate Christianity, you’ve gotta love it!
The Public Relations Marketing firm sending this stuff out certainly has a stake in outcome. Larry A. Ross They want to be paid too.
I read a blog post last night from a Saddleback attendee who is also a dentist for some Saddleback staff. He was genuinely upset media had picked this up.
When I posted this, there were a fraction of the stories and opinion there are today, and I still can’t find financial records.
On Guidestar Purpose Driven Ministries (listed as an educational institution) brought in 74 million dollars 2007/2008.
If the Readers Digest profile on Saddleback is accurate, helping needy people is a recent development for the Saddleback organization.
According to the profile, in 2004 Saddleback received about 600 thousand dollars a week from members.
If the Readers Digest profile on Warren is correct, he has put 13 million of his own money from book sales back into building the Saddleback brand and inserting himself and Saddleback into political campaigns in the US.
He’s used to having people hand him money when he asks; the 2004 tsunami, Katrina. Those donations as one time events don’t take into account what the church charges for product for day to day operations.
Instead of asking basic donor questions and meeting need right in front of them, his supporters hand it over believing their leadership has the wisdom and organizational skills to disburse wisely.
The giving pages at Saddleback are a marvel. They have every angle worked out.
Canada hasn’t been spared Saddleback marketing and product distribution. We too have our corporate mega-churches which are just as ego driven and eager to beg.
They should have asked Joel Osteen for a hand out before he spent $75m or whatever on his new palace, aren’t they supposed to share also!
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Wow. You guys should really find something helpful to spend your time on, other than ripping other ministries. Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul. Rick was asking Saddleback members to give to their own church ministries. Why does that make Saddleback’s finances the business of others?
Jeff:
Did you read the Hartford study?
You don’t strike me as niave, do you actually think Larry Ross Communications and Saddleback didn’t work to get this out into media to help generate the giving from members? Marketing 101; leak, generate.
Organizations can and do make wrong decisions, ministries are hardly exempt.
Did you look at what is available in Guidestar?
What if a Saddleback member thought through their donations and gave more directly to the people in need under their nose?
What if a member went to a church food bank once a month, asked them what they needed and went and got it for them?
What if a member found someone in their neighbourhood and car pooled?
Ministry is corrupt. The church is one of the wealthiest landowners yet we see ‘poor’ sitting right nex to us. What baffles me is how they got into so much debt. Bad management making bad decisions perhaps or the proud spirit leading the way. I agree with Bene we have far too much investment in church and not enough in the people who go there. Grand buildings were not on Jesus agenda, humility was, money was not on Jesus agenda, stopping those who hoard it and take control of it was, Sick/ness was not on Jesus agenda, he just took that which caused it and so on, so yes when we are forever being told to be good stewards with what we have by a ‘body of people’ who don’t seem to practice what they preach but just want to be seen to be doing good’ then we object and so should you. The heresy of the pharisees got Jesus all wound up in the temple when he saw what it was being turned into remember!. If his love was ruling this earth then nobody would be without. Obviously as we await his return we have some cleaning up to do wouldn’t you say.
The news of the day (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/pastor-rick-warren-asks-for-900000-gets-24-million-for-saddleback-church.html) was that the campaign raised $2.2m, twice the amount needed. In a church of 22,000, that wasn’t as big of an amount as it seems. If my old church of about 220 had a $9000 deficit, that wouldn’t be newsworthy, but tack two zeros onto each set of numbers and it becomes news.
Part of the problem with big churches is that they get mission creep, where they expand programs at the church because they can rather than because that’s the best use of the money. That can be true of any size church, but the megachurches tend to get big because of their programs.
“What baffles me is how they got into so much debt.”
Hi Hopesome:
I’m not sure they did get into debt, they call it a seasonal shortfall. I agree with Mark, Saddleback seems to be living as if it were 2007. As well Saddleback is SBC and requires a tithe of members. We could debate that issue, but let’s not.
There are going to be mega-churches in urban areas and while Saddleback says it wasn’t a management problem, my question would be, “So why ask?”
The board has a responsibility to handle what it is given prudently. I think Warren’s PR firm did this deliberately, giving the trashing he has received regarding Uganda recently. As well the Readers Digest deal falling through is another blow to a leader used to getting what he wants. The 900 thousand dollar figure is a classic marketing technique.
That having been said, feed the poor, teach your members debt management, meet the needs under your nose, help your neighbour an to Saddleback – restructure your church finances accordingly. Christians handing a mega church 2.2. million and sitting back expecting them to manage your giving gives me serious pause. Saddleback went looking for publicity, slammed those who called them on it, handled criticism aggressively and then bragged.
Biblical principles got lost, and I don’t think it’s the media’s fault.
This sounds quite like the “create a crisis” strategy used
by Conservatives in Canada and Republicans in the US and
conservatives, in general, elsewhere.
It’s a common practice. Create a crisis or special situation
and keep the time-frame short so that people can’t think
clearly through the situation.
The Conservatives of Mike Harris did this in Ontario during
the late ’90s. Start on Monday with a crisis and ram it
through the legislature by Thursday afternoon before anyone
can mount an effective opposition. Harper has done that too.
Oral Roberts had his 900 foot Jesus and the call for donations
or else He would take him “home”. Benny Hinn has done
the “special blessing” (I don’t know the actual term) whereby
people who come forward in the next 20 minutes will receive
a special blessing and be relieved of around $1000 in the
process.
The Rick Warren story has the hallmarks of the same thing.
It’s particularly telling that all this sort of thing comes from
religious bodies not accountable to anyone.
Perhaps it’s time to stop the special religious exemptions
from accountability. Rick Warren and his ilk are the ones
who are spoiling it for the many worthy endeavours.
Sorry situation, isn’t it?
Well said Torontonian. Thanks.
It is a classic Ross Communications technique and it is a very sorry thing to watch.
The people I feel sorriest for are Saddleback members. Of the approximately supposed 22 thousand, some of them have to understand the manipulation.
Some have to have the spiritual maturity to see what is wrong with this technique.
Mark Byron noticed this was in the #3 spot on Google business.
Makes sense, given it was a corporate move.
Thanks for the article. I found it very interesting. Your article, and the links to background articles and reports provided me with enough information to begin to dig deeper and analyze this situation, and others more critically.
Hi bene
Seasonal short fall is still debt its just another manipulation of language to hide it by calling it seasonal. Thats what governments do, use language to deceive us. At the end of the day theres debt and somebody it seems has to make it good. Like you say if we are all there to help our neighbour when its called for then we become church and in the process the building of it. We had a neighbour recently who required our help, she broke a bone in her ankle. One neighbour went to the bank for her, some popped in on a regular basis to chat with her, some did the shopping and some helped feed the cats and so on. The burden was shared. Gradually though we all had to withdraw, why, she began to take advantage of the love and hope she was receiving and was beginning to demand more. It was nice to be cared for and I can understand that but there comes a point when she would have lost her independence and we ours and so gradually without anyone saying anything to each other we left the situation when we felt comfortable to do so. She was a bit stroppy for a while but in the end respect was maintained and dignity preserved and we all still get along real fine. Discipline is somehting that is required its how its dished out that counts.
Torontonian, you might want to remember the old saying “Never chalk up to malice what can be better explained by stupidity.” Or lack of foresight. Lots of churches will have been caught short on cash in a bad 2009 due to optimistic budgeting and Saddleback was likely one of them.
The crisis-motif of fundraising can be a profitable ploy that all non-profits can use, but I’m not reading anything more sinister than bad budgeting in this one.
(Interesting story, hopesome, there are so many still simmering in their unmet childhood needs, which only God can meet. I think you did the right thing to withdraw, though I wouldn’t call that discipline, more just maintaining the integrity of your boundaries. I doubt she is any the wiser as to her wrong, unless she has expressed remorse in some way. I think to be properly termed discipline, it would have to address the wrong, which probably was nobody’s call in a case like this anyhow.)
Therese you are right about the unmet needs, they can hold us captive and prevent us from a fullness of life that we all deserve.
I am no mans debtor sayeth the lord, so if we walk with him then debt of any kind will not be able to step in and claim us, for his protection keeps us safe from its grasp. Debt comes in many guises and thats what the lord says, I have come to take your debts, your ‘fell short of lord’ so that you can begin the road to freedoms that have been denied you. Our greatest debt is to keep him out of that debt, once we allow him in then his knowledge for our circumstances circumvents ours and the road to freedom begins. Saddleback has ‘lost the plot’ somewhere along the line either depending on the cash or expecting it, Now they need him to overcome their 5,000 needs with the few loaves and fishes they have left!
I agree, Saddleback has lost the plot all right, along with many others, and not just about money! But the Lord seems to be laughing at the spectacle of man’s silly antics lately, and I’m glad because it means that I can stop wringing my hands and laugh too! I’m glad our God has a sense of humour and that He laughs at His enemies. Sometimes we need a good laugh. I can’t seem to get the spectacle out of my mind of a blind man advertising himself as a tourguide, and the only customers he gets are also blind, that’s the only reason they hire him – they can’t see that he is blind. And off they all go on their merry tour, except they all tumble into the first ditch they happen upon. They don’t even know they’ve tumbled into a ditch because they can’t see and will probably pick themselves up and spend the rest of their time touring the ditch, unless they start to listen to all the people who are trying to tell them, ‘hey guys, what are you doing in that ditch down there?’ (how do you do a hilariously laughing emoticon?)
Blind leading the blind ! thats how we can get lead I suppose if at some point we aren’t prepared to ‘step out of the boat (‘of conformity’) and begin our walk (on the water) of true faith with him
and your right, a sense of humour certainly helps us keep things in perspective.
Amen, nicely said hopesome.