The Corporate Structure of Several Megachurches is Suspect


When discussing the current status of the term, Christianity, defenders often say, "Well, yes, attendance and church membership is down, but mega churches are growing." The recent scandal in a mega church group called "Hillsong" shows large showy church shows are not churches in a participatory sense, they are money-making schemes. They are Limited Liability Corporations (LLC) that have a provision, "The corporation shall have no members."  They are run by a very few wealthy people and those in the pews cannot remove a crooked preacher. They are run from the top like the Catholic Church.

When I bring up money and the faith, detractors often say the clergy they know are not in it for the money. Clergy at small churches are not paid lots of money but that does not mean money is not involved. The preacher has to be paid something or he/she would take a different job. It is exactly the same with Catholic priests who take a vow of poverty. They must make a living. 

I don't really understand what this vow of poverty thing means. Just now I'm reading a book by the former Catholic who grew up in Ireland. The priests had the best houses in town. On top of that, his own priest had a swimming pool--very unusual in the 1950-60's in Ireland. This particular priest invited children to his house to swim. They had to swim nude as did he. I won't go any further with that.

Back to the Protestant preachers who start and run churches which are owned lock stock and barrel by the preacher. To have the moxie to pull this off is amazing. Do any of the faithful who tithe know this? Do they know when they give money it is not "going to God."

I've wondered what the legal relationship ship was between Rev. Hybel and the Willow Creek Church in Barrington (Chicago) Illinois. Women complained about his aggressive sexual references. He was fired by the Board but received several millions in severance. This seemed to me to be a purchase of the church's assets which was owned by Hybel. I'm holding back discussing the Catholic Church of Chicago and its sexual abuse settlement. The Chicago Diocese paid many millions. 

Churches being used as fronts for money making schemes seems as old as Christianity.

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