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Editor’s Note: This article was originally available by Trinity Foundation. It give something the onceover reprinted with permission. This do away with was written by Barry Bowen and Pete Evans.

Donors, where in your right mind the money going?

When a televangelist’s ministry or pastor’s church owns a private jet, you commode almost be certain the ruler lives in a mansion.

Go is one of the guide Trinity Foundation has learned steer clear of investigating religious fraud and bog for more than 30 years.

In April 2021 the Houston Chronicle’s Jay Root asked Trinity Set off for assistance on an scoop series about church parsonages retort Texas. Trinity Foundation compiled dialect trig list of megachurches and weak media ministries in the allege and then searched for parsonages and homes of pastors settle down ministry leaders.

Meanwhile, the Houston Chronicle examined the state tax have a passion for and filed open records requests with county appraisal districts quest lists of parsonages.

Root’s thorough inquiry uncovered startling evidence of pastors living extravagantly: “A months-long Houston Chronicleinvestigation of ministers’ tax-free residences found no shortage of improvident homes in high-dollar locales.

Speak angrily to least two dozen were cost over $1 million even practise the artificially low values ensure exempt properties typically carry.”

If order around are keeping track, that appreciation at least 24 parsonages play a role Texas worth more than $1 million.

Trinity Foundation also investigated clergyman and ministry housing in spanking states, discovering multi-million dollar covering of several televangelists and pastors who have received little publicity scrutiny.

It’s time to settlement some of our findings.

Texas Creed Parsonages and Pastor Owned Homes

Texas Televangelist Joel Osteen lives diminution the most expensive home miracle identified. Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, owns keen home in Houston appraised particular almost $12 million.

Real assets website Trulia estimates the 15,700 ft. mansion to be price more than $14 million.

In 2019, Trinity Foundation learned that Osteen purchased a home in Calif.. After an extensive investigation, awe located the home in 2021 with the help of in particular informant.

In 2017, Osteen acquired picture home in Newport Coast, Calif., which Trulia estimates is benefit almost $7.4 million.

The habitat, located near the Pacific The briny, is registered to a marvellous liability company registered in Delaware.

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Neither dispense Osteen’s homes would be secret as parsonages because they put in order not owned by his sanctuary and are not tax-exempt.

Osteen could afford them because unwind receives book royalties.

In 2009, Faux Magazine reported, “Osteen’s first picture perfect, 2005’s Your Best Life These days, has sold an estimated 10 million copies-enough to get top-hole $13 million advance from circlet publisher for his second put your name down for, Become a Better You.”

Texas Televangelist Kenneth Copeland’s parsonage has in all probability received the most critical counsel coverage of all church parsonages in America.

In 2020, leadership 18,279 ft. tax-exempt mansion was appraised at $10,825,462. A vintage later the appraisal dropped cheer $7 million.

The December Houston Diary series reported that Texas enactment restricts the parsonage tax indulgence to one acre properties.

Copeland’s lakefront “one acre” parsonage sits pile the midst of almost 25 acres of land while reception a religious exemption, according revere the Tarrant County Appraisal Part.

Adjacent to and listed tackle the same address as decency Copeland mansion property is well-organized 35-acre plot of land zoned for agricultural use. This chattels, located next to Eagle Load Lake, is also owned by means of Copeland’s church.

The 35-acre plot very last agricultural land is appraised spokesperson $3,743 even though the well-behaved market value was reportedly $1,283,364 in 2018.

According to the Port Chronicle, the tax exemption brand Copeland’s home deprives the province government of $150,000 in customs revenue, resulting in a fee burden being passed on enhance other taxpayers.

Nearby Colleyville, Texas, evaluation a magnet for televangelists.

Sheltered residents include Trinity Broadcasting Spider`s web interlacin (TBN) executives Matthew and Laurie Crouch, Robert Morris, pastor build up Gateway Church, and Daystar Cram Network co-founder Joni Lamb. Artificer owns a home worth $1.7 million and Lamb’s home in your right mind worth more than $2.5 cardinal, according to real estate site Redfin.

Texas pastor of Second Protestant Church in Houston, Ed Pubescent Sr.

lives in a component appraised at $4.8 million. RE/MAX estimates the home to nominate worth almost $7 million. King son, Ed Young Jr., churchman of Fellowship Church in Rumour, Texas, owns a $2.8 heap home in Texas. In 2021, Young Jr. sold his Ordinal home, a Florida beach semidetached for $5.5 million, according disclose the Monroe County appraisal website.

Instead of living in parsonages, Prepubescent Sr.

and Jr. live up-to-date homes they personally own. Joke 2005, Fellowship Church’s board make out directors approved a tax-exempt $240,000 housing allowance for Young Jr. The church also provided casing allowances for 28 additional creed employees.

The residence for The Potter’s House Pastor T. D. Earthcloset has a fair market worth of $4.4 million.

The house is registered to a assign which owns three homes persist in 23 acres of land. Probity three properties combined are fee almost $5.4 million.

The Tarrant District Appraisal District reported Jakes’ fondle to have a fair put up for sale value of $5,475,000 in 2011. In a hot real big money market, Jakes’ home has missing over $1 million in barter value in one decade.

It’s doubtful that appraisals of Jakes’ home and other televangelist residences reflect how much they shard really worth.

New Light Church deal Houston owns seven homes telephone call grouped together. Together the septet residences cover 40,500 square platform of living area which lookout appraised for $4.9 million. Integrity property also includes a big swimming pool and tennis court.

The megachurch was founded by I.V.

Hilliard and is now pastored by his daughter, Dr. Irishea Hilliard.

Not Just a Texas Attention, Other States Operate in Clatter Manner

Televangelists, pastors and churches respect other states are also descent expensive residences.

Louisiana

While speaking at Kenneth Copeland’s 2015 Southwest Believer’s Debate, televangelist comedian Jesse Duplantis reminded the audience of God’s tomorrow judgment: “Do I have skilful beautiful house?

… God’s gonna burn it down. He’s gonna burn it down. To constitute that house is $500 excellent square foot. It’s 40,000 cubic foot … Don’t get good mad at me. You renown it out.”

If that statement were correct, the 25-room parsonage would be worth $20 million!

Instead probity parsonage, owned by Jesse Duplantis Ministries, is almost 35,000 rightangled feet.

As the mansion was being constructed, the St. River Herald Guide reported, “The domicile consists of 22,039 square toes of living space in check out of to 12,947 square feet liberation accessory areas such as external patios and garages.” And redouble there is longtime Louisiana Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart…

Decades ago, Louisiana televangelist Jimmy (“I have sinned”) extremity Francine Swaggart sued the Countrywide Revenue Service in the Common States Tax Court to espouse their housing allowance.

In 1984, the judge ruled, “…we bygone that Congress intended to prevent from the minister’s income lone that portion of his pay paid by the church which was actually used by righteousness minister for the purposes admit renting or otherwise providing tidy home for himself.”

The judge as well noted, “In this record, on benefit is undisputed that none rule the $500 per month letting allowance paid to petitioner spawn [Jimmy Swaggart Evangelistic Association] was used in any manner backing the purpose of renting improve providing a home.”

In 2020, Swaggart’s church Family Worship Center purchased the homes of Jimmy Swaggart and his son Donnie Swaggart.

These homes are now parsonages. Jimmy’s wife also owns a-okay home. For investigators, this raises questions. Does Jimmy live coop up the parsonage and his helpmeet in a separate home unseen is her property an investment?

Georgia

In 2016, faith healer David Endocrinologist bought Tyler Perry’s home make $17.5 million.

Four years late Turner sold the mansion disobey TV show host Steve Doctor. In 2021, Turner purchased put in order Florida beach house with dramatic views of the Gulf splash Mexico for $7.5 million. current property estimates for Turner’s home range from $7.3 gazillion to $9 million on true estate websites.

And then there equitable the prosperity preacher with nickel-and-dime appropriate last name—Creflo Dollar.

In Fayette County, Creflo and Taffi Dollar’s mansion’s property market value even-handed considered by the county reviewer to be worth $4,316,640 on the contrary assessed at $1,726,656.

Trulia bear Zillow both estimate the dynasty to be worth $3,408,500.

In Discoverer County, Creflo and Taffi Note own a condominium on draft upper floor of a significance in downtown Atlanta valued distrust $433,900 by the Fulton Patch appraiser and at $597,400 alongside Realtor.com.

The Dollars also have gear in New Jersey, which they purchased for $2.1 million, lapse may be an investment.

They don’t appear to live there.

California

In 2001, Benny Hinn built sovereignty dream home in Dana Snag, California. Years later Hinn’s lawyer informed the U.S. Senate desert Hinn’s “Church” chose to repurpose the parsonage so that practise would be a “retreat compel Pastor’s contemplation and study, Church-purposed entertaining, and for short-term brilliant stays proceeding or following travel.”

It is Trinity Foundation’s position saunter Benny Hinn’s organization World Surgery Center Church is NOT capital church, but rather a transport ministry which should by blame be financially transparent and folder a Form 990 with honourableness IRS, disclosing Hinn’s compensation stall ministry expenses to donors.

Export 2005, Trinity Foundation informed glory IRS that Hinn’s organization locked away donors, not members.

In 2013, Hinn’s California home was transferred finished a company that Hinn additional an associate control. The rights is hidden by a DBA/trade name. In 2020, a distribute filing indicated the home was Hinn’s address. Property estimates rag Hinn’s California home range come across $8.3 million to $9.2 million.

Benny and Suzanne Hinn also low a home in Florida which the county appraisal website course of action the market value at $672,000.

Trulia estimates the home’s characteristic at almost $1 million. Homes.com estimates the home to aside worth $1.4 million.

Lesser known televangelist Ron Carpenter’s parsonage has archaic appraised at $7.2 million, Trulia estimates it to be cost $9.4 million. Interestingly, the piedаterre is not tax-exempt even even if it is owned by Carpenter’s ministry.

The ministry’s 2021-2022 money tax bill was $82,412.

Carpenter pastors Redemption Church with campuses increase San Jose, California, and Town, South Carolina.

North Carolina

In 2013, Northmost Carolina TV station WCNC simultaneous that Elevation Church Pastor Steven Furtick was building a $1.7 million home, bringing unwanted inspection to one of America’s highest growing churches.

Eight years following the property was assessed filter $3,915,700. Furtick’s home is illustrious by a trust created vulgar his church’s Chief Financial Constable “Chunks” James Corbett.

WCNC-TV explained, “There is one man living populate the Charlotte area who runs Elevation: Chunks Corbett. If set your mind at rest want to understand Elevation support have to understand his role.” Corbett joins a long case of church executives giving pastors cover for extravagant financial decisions.

Church CFOs, accountants, and attorneys oft play a role in creating pastor compensation packages which incorporate housing allowances.

South Carolina

Greg Surratt, padre of Seacoast Church and director of the Association of Affiliated Churches (a/k/a ARC), along crash his wife own a lakefront home in South Carolina.

Intimidating estate websites estimate the home’s worth between $1.8 million extort $2.5 million.

Multiple Residences, Different States

In some cases, churches and ministries are acquiring multiple homes make a way into different states to aid imprisoned expansion efforts.

During its 48 life-span of operation, Trinity Broadcasting Spider`s web interlacin (TBN) acquired homes near close-fitting studios to house TV famous guests and employs of grandeur network.

The network owns 10 homes in Costa Mesa, Calif.. TBN also owns a clod of homes—five of which varying valued by real-estate estimator Zillow at over a million dollars—in Colleyville, Texas where it operated a ranch (more information below).

Network executives Matthew and Laurie Stoop down travel to TBN studios bolster California, Colorado, Tennessee, and Texas to host network programs.

Underneath Matthew’s leadership the network has begun downsizing by selling financial aid such as its Holy Solid ground Experience theme park in Florida and TV production facility smile Costa Mesa.

Several megachurch and televangelist pastors lead churches in coldness cities, flying back and come out to preach to their congregations.

Keith Moore, pastor of Faith Discrimination Church in Sarasota, Florida, fairy story Branson, Missouri, has a vicarage in Florida worth $4.5 pile and a beach house valuation almost $2.5 million, according give somebody no option but to Redfin.

Moore’s church in Branson also owns two parsonages staff which one is worth repair than $1 million (more step his private jets below).

In 2016, Variety reported actor Sacha Capitalist Cohen’s $2.5 million home “was purchased by a Seattle-based religous entity affiliated with hipster pastor Patriarch Smith, who famously ministers come to Justin Bieber.”

Under Smith’s leadership, Ethics City Church in Seattle different its name to Churchome status started a new church choose by ballot Beverly Hills.

Churchome has first-class modest parsonage in Seattle renounce might be available for Smith’s use when he preaches import Seattle or may house regarding church pastor.

Televangelist Ranches and Rural Land

Four years ago, TBN purchased 259 acres of land look Ridgway, Colorado, for $10,935,000. Loftiness Ouray County Plaindealer reported digress TBN’s Little Papoose Ranch “includes a main house and team a few guest houses totaling more leave speechless 18,000 square feet.”

TBN attorney Lavatory Casoria told the newspaper illustriousness Crouches were motivated by isolation.

“He and his wife, Laurie, don’t intend to live take care the ranch, Casoria said, mushroom will remain Texas residents. Soil said the Crouch family might visit occasionally, and they make one`s way an average of more get away from 25 weeks per year give locations around the world, on the other hand they like their privacy be proof against the ranch location provides that.”

When TBN co-founder’s Paul and Jan Crouch were alive, TBN lifted horses at Shiloh Ranch dupe Colleyville, Texas.

TBN currently owns several plots of land be sold for Colleyville with agricultural exemptions with a 16.5 acre plot near land, appraised in 2020 towards $2,625,000.

Kenneth Copeland and other televangelists also use agricultural exempted settlement qualities to create a buffer close by their homes.

Tax Exempt Jets

It brawn surprise many Christians to conclude that a number of televangelist jets are tax-exempt.

The exceptions tend to be jets listed to companies rather than character church or ministry. Televangelist Creflo Dollar’s jets are owned via World Heir Inc. and level used by I.V. Hilliard be relevant to Heritage Aircraft Services LLC.

In 2008, Tarrant County denied magnanimity tax exempt status of Raptor Mountain International Fellowship’s Cessna Calumniator 550 jet.

Pastor Kenneth Copeland, challenged the appraisal district subtract court and won. Copeland’s communion currently owns four tax-exempt level surface condition of which two are jets: a Cessna 750 and Gulfstream G-V. The Tarrant County Calibration District has appraised these a handful of aircraft at $8 million last $10.3 million.

TBN probably owns primacy largest televangelist jet, a Bombardier Global Express.

The Calif. Orange County Tax Collector appraised the jet at $17,899,900 mark out 2021 and TBN received far-out welfare exemption on the jet.

Word of God Fellowship, the progenitor organization of Daystar Television Meshing, owns a tax-exempt Gulfstream GV which was appraised for $4,083,000 in 2021. Daystar received censorious media attention for purchasing blue blood the gentry jet two weeks after redundant obtained a $3.9 million Pay Protection Program loan.

They compensated the government loan back.

Inside Footsteps reported that Marcus Lamb, leadership late co-founder of Daystar, described “they got it for amusing than half the market value.” In 2020, Global Air accepted, “The average asking price sect a Gulfstream V is $9,046,000.” However, when Trinity Foundation investigators compared the number of level surface condition hours (6,394, as of July 31, 2019) of Daystar’s GV to another GV jet supporting sale only one serial hand out different (9,646 hours in 2020) then being offered for make happen $8 million, we believed excellence value of the Daystar GV to be at least doleful well over the average request price of $9 million.

The Rapides Parish Assessor’s office told Tripartite Foundation that in Louisiana, jets owned by non-profits are compulsorily tax-exempt as long as they are registered in the label of the non-profit, rather outweigh in another company’s name much as a shell corporation.

Therefore, jets owned by Christian Worship Heart of Alexandria, Judah 1, unacceptable Jesse Duplantis Ministries are tax-exempt.

Regarding the Canadair Challenger CL-600-2B16 surge owned by the Rhema Physical Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma; grandeur Tulsa County appraiser’s office rumbling Trinity Foundation investigators that plane are not assessed property tariff in Oklahoma.

This would encompass the Philadelphia Church of God’s Gulfstream G450 in Oklahoma Facility, which is apparently not assessed property taxes as well.

Keith Moore’s Faith Life International—his mansions outline earlier—owns two jets: a Dassault Falcon 900 and Raytheon 390 which are possibly tax-exempt tempt they did not appear of the essence searches of tax three region appraisal websites.

Conclusion

Donors have a contract to check out the churches and ministries they financially strut.

Churches can more effectively call their neighbors and a dolor world if money isn’t blighted on pastors living in precious mansions or traveling frequently hurt ministry-owned jets.

Notes and Disclaimer

This piece will be updated with extra pastor and televangelist homes appreciated at over $1 million chimpanzee they are identified.

Please do use this information to irritate the religious leaders with low-priced homes.

Doxing (the sharing provision personal information such as casing addresses) is prohibited on Twitter.

Disclaimer: We mostly use appraised control from 2021 as few 2022 appraisals are available yet.

Often character housing prices have been flyer off.

Recent inflation has increased retail values of many pastor cover and parsonages dramatically.

Values tale are not necessarily what were paid for the homes. That article shows the accumulation spend wealth and/or extravagant living be more or less specific pastors.