Church, we must not ignore what is happening within Christian organizations operating like Giant Church Inc. We must speak about it and against it. My hope and prayer is that others who are looking at the Church will come to know the difference between Giant Church Inc and the Church. That will happen as we follow Jesus, tell the truth, and love one another. Love is our trademark.
God’s Tithe
Giant Church Inc continues to roll on, and so do those who are exposing it. More people are coming forward about Hillsong New York. The most recent article is about the way tithe money funded the pastors’ lifestyles. Julie Roys published the article entitled, Former Hillsong Members Say Tithes Funded Pastors’ Lavish Lifestyles, on her website.
This is part of Giant Church Inc culture. Extravagant trips, “ministry expenses” that include nice restaurants, makeup, spa treatments, trendy clothes, and free childcare for some pastors and staff. Church staff childcare includes meals and trips to water parks, theaters, and other recreational activities paid by the church for specific staff kids. I say some pastors and specific staff members because Giant Church Inc determines which staff members are eligible for childcare services.
Julie interviewed an insider who helped launch Hillsong New York. You can find the Roys Report podcast here or on Spotify or Apple podcasts. Those of us who’ve experienced spiritual abuse and admit it, will recognize the pre-conditioning the guest reveals.
Another Empire
Another story that shocked me was about Ramsey Solutions. I wasn’t shocked by what the story revealed about how Dave Ramsey and other executives there operate the organization. It’s evident from previous stories by a variety of publications, his own show, and podcast, how he operates the business. He admits to the heavy-handed leadership and other strict policies, like the one about gossip.
I was shocked by the response from Ramsey Solution’s public relations team. Bob Smietana wrote the story published by RNS, called Is Dave Ramsey’s Empire the ‘Best Place to Work in America’, Say No and You’re Out.
Bob is an award winning journalist, well respected in his field. He takes his work seriously. The public relations team issued this response to Bob’s request for an interview and comments for the article. It’s a gross understatement to say that the email from the PR team at Ramsey Solutions is unprofessional and un-Christian. It’s vile.
When we take the time to read the personal stories of those who shared bits of them in the article, we see a clear pattern of spiritual abuse. Spiritual abuse happens in churches, homes, in close relationships, and at the workplace. For more personal stories, I suggest you visit Amy Fritz‘s and Melissa J. Hogan‘s blogs.
I visited Dave Ramsey’s website because I wondered about their Christian claim. The about page only says they offer biblically based, common-sense education.
Shouldn’t this claim apply to the way the business operates and treats its employees? I suggest they read the Gospels and the book of Proverbs to help with their biblical based and common-sense approach to operations and human resources.
Photo by Chronis Yan on Unsplash
