When Was Jesus Born?

 

By Barry Bowen and Pete Evans

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” – Proverbs 25:2

Prophecies in the Bible have provided important clues for understanding the purposes of God. However, some of these clues are easily overlooked.

Trinity Foundation’s late founder Ole Anthony was fascinated by the question, “When (what time of year) was Jesus born?”

After studying the Bible and major events in Jesus’ life occurring on Jewish feast days, as well as the writings of biblical scholars and first century AD Jewish historian Josephus, Ole concluded that Jesus was born on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Ole believed that God created the biblical holidays as a liturgical calendar to reveal God’s redemption plan for humanity.

The Bible provides a clue in the Book of Luke regarding when Jesus was born. An angel appeared to Mary, informing her that she was pregnant with Jesus and that her relative Elizabeth was six months pregnant. Therefore, Jesus would have been born about six months after his cousin John the Baptist.

The time of John’s conception can be estimated because his birth was prophesied during the time his father Zechariah the priest was serving in the Temple.

Assuming John was conceived within the week after Zechariah returned from his temple service, that would yield a date for the conception of Jesus six months later in mid-December (on or close to Hannukah), with his birth in the fall, around mid-September (Rosh Hashanah).” Community on Columbia Bible study

Christian researchers have also searched for the Star of Bethlehem believing it could provide a clue for the birth of Jesus.

The Book of Matthew in the Bible tells of a group of astronomers searching for the baby Jesus after seeing a star that announced Jesus’ birth.

Scholars and researchers have reached conflicting conclusions about the Star of Bethlehem with some believing it was a star that went supernova in the constellation Coma representing a woman with a baby in her lap, others that it a was a shooting star (comet), and still others believing the Magi observed an alignment of planets.

While the accounts of Jesus birth in Matthew and Luke focus on creating a historical record, the Book of John provides a theological foundation for understanding this key event:

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

 

Jesse Duplantis’ Instant Gratification Theology

Jesus taught his followers that sacrificial obedience would be rewarded, but  prosperity gospel preachers exploit these verses for fundraising.

Televangelist Jesse Duplantis promotes a theology of instant gratification, creating unrealistic and unbiblical expectations. During a September 20th telethon, televangelist Jesse Duplantis told his audience:

“I always believe for the now. I mean when you want something, you want it now. Listen, we are Americans. We created fast food. You understand? We don’t like it if they spend 30 seconds more on a hamburger. We want it now. Well, let me tell you something. You need your harvest now, don’t you? Certainly, you do. Why not? That’s not being greedy. I mean it’s called growth.” (We call it greed.)

Continue reading “Jesse Duplantis’ Instant Gratification Theology”

Churches Have Little to Fear from the IRS: Scare Tactics Don’t Match the Reality:  List of 2023 Disciplinary Actions

 

Church accountants sometimes scare pastors with stories of IRS audits. The church accounting firm Chitwood & Chitwood warns, “There have been many small Churches that have encountered the wrath of the IRS. Don’t be one of them.”

However, that claim is false. Very few churches, large or small, are audited or criminally investigated by the IRS.

How frequent are church audits? The Wagenmaker & Oberly law firm reports that 2-years between October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2022, the IRS launched 14 church tax examinations. Compare with over 400,000 churches in the U.S. and we here at Trinity Foundation frequently receive calls from informants and victims complaining about fraud and embezzlement in their churches.

In fact, no churches lost their tax-exempt status in 2023 due to IRS disciplinary actions resulting from church audits.

Continue reading “Churches Have Little to Fear from the IRS: Scare Tactics Don’t Match the Reality:  List of 2023 Disciplinary Actions”

Church, Pastor and Ministry Leader Homes Sold in 2023

According to Psychology Today, “Our home conveys messages about who we are.” This is true about pastors whose homes range from modest to extravagant.

More than 2,000 years ago the prophet Micah wrote, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

The following homes were sold in 2023.

While we avoid posting current addresses of living religious leaders to avoid doxing them, this article does link to real estate website listings for former homes. In some cases, these pastors have lived in homes financially unobtainable by most of their church members.

For comparison’s sake, the lowest priced property on this list is $455,000 which is more expensive than most homes sold in America. According to real estate website Redfin, “The median price of a home in the United States is currently $414,633.”

Each of the beach houses and beach condos on this list were secondary homes for their owners.

Glen Berteau Ministries

Glen and Deborah Berteau, founders of The House Modesto megachurch,  sold their Florida beach house in February for $795,000.

Redfin reports, “Location is everything and this Florida Cottage is within 1/2 mile to the beach & just 100 yards to Legion Park, a public boat ramp/park on the bay.”

Hillsong

Hillsong Property Holdings LLC acquired a home in Newport Beach, one of America’s most expensive cities in 2015 for $2,180,000 and sold it in 2023 for $3,525,000.

Investigators and journalists wondered if this home was the residence of Brian Houston, the founder of megachurch Hillsong.

Redfin describes the property: “A true live/work residence. Downstairs includes a large open Commercial Office Space that has its own separate entrance and its own full bathroom. Parking for 6 cars including an attached 2-car garage.”

Continue reading “Church, Pastor and Ministry Leader Homes Sold in 2023”

Self-Glorified David E. Taylor Loses Tax-Exempt Status: “Prophet”, “Apostle”, “Healer” Continues to be Blight on Christianity

“Faith Healer” David Taylor posing with props—crutches of people supposedly healed.

(photo—screen capture from Taylor’s website)

David Taylor is not an ex-con, and he is still very much alive as opposed to a few other ex-con preachers and one other deceased televangelist who are televised on what may be the United States sleaziest “Christian” television network—Kevin Adell’s ‘Word Network’.  But this is about David Taylor.  How in the world can this snake-oil salesman be allowed to continue soliciting donations, often from the poorest, least educated people in the country?

Tax-exempt status ends

David Taylor’s Joshua Media Ministries lost its tax-exempt status on May 15th, 2021, for failing to file the informative IRS form 990 for three consecutive years—the organization stopped reporting after its 2017 filing.  Despite losing his tax-exempt status, he presses on with gimmicks and projects pleading for donations from unsuspecting donors who probably have no idea that their donations to that organization are no longer tax-deductible.

However, Taylor’s sister organization, “The Kingdom of God Global Church” (KOGC) can operate with impunity since it’s a church and the likelihood of that organization losing its church status is practically non-existent, due to the reluctance of the IRS to audit churches.

For those who aren’t familiar with Mr. Taylor, you’re not alone.  He’s a small-time televangelist in a large pool of television preachers who dresses lavishly as a copy-cat clownish caricature of the more well-known televangelist Benny Hinn and occasionally utters nonsense from a garish golden throne-ish chair in his broadcast studio.

Continue reading “Self-Glorified David E. Taylor Loses Tax-Exempt Status: “Prophet”, “Apostle”, “Healer” Continues to be Blight on Christianity”

Non-profit Ministry Compensates Founder Almost $1 Million While Running $580,000 Deficit

(Photo: Cindy Trimm appearing in Bible study on YouTube.)

In 2021, Cindy Trimm received $984,549 in compensation from Cindy Trimm Ministries International. Meanwhile, the ministry generated almost $1.5 million in revenue while spending more than $2 million, resulting in a deficit of $580,607.

Trimm’s compensation was disclosed in a Form 990 filed with the IRS.

In 2020, Trimm received $72,000 in compensation, so in 2021 she received a 1,267% pay increase. However, the ministry failed to disclose how it determined Trimm’s compensation.

(Photo: No boxes were selected on Schedule J of the 2021 Form.)

Under normal circumstances a compensation study or compensation committee would recommend the salary for Trimm. During a board meeting,  Trimm would recuse herself and the remaining board members would vote to approve or reject the compensation recommendation.

Why would Trimm receive such a large pay increase? Where did the money go?

In September 2021, Trimm purchased a home in McDonough, Georgia, for $775,000. According to the Redfin real estate website, the property is in a “gated golf course community” and now worth $1.8 million.

Continue reading “Non-profit Ministry Compensates Founder Almost $1 Million While Running $580,000 Deficit”

Time to Stop the Bleeding, Revisited

In 2015, Trinity Foundation expanded its mission to investigate religious fraud worldwide. Since then, the problem of dark money in the church worldwide has only gotten worse.

In 2015, Trinity Foundation expanded its mission to investigate religious fraud worldwide. Trinity Foundation’s lead investigator Pete Evans soon traveled to and investigated religious organizations in the Dominican Republic and Guatemala.

Since then, the problem of dark money in the church worldwide has only gotten worse.

After reading a report in the International Bulletin of Mission Research (IBMR) which estimated that ecclesiastical crimes (embezzlement of church and ministry funds) would reach $100 billion annually by 2025, Trinity Foundation’s founder Ole Anthony wrote the press release “Time to Stop the Bleeding.”

Anthony called for coordinated action from churches and denomination leaders, but the call fell on deaf ears. He passed away in 2021.

IBMR has continued to publish revised global ecclesiastical crime statistics in its annual January issue, statistics which get relatively little media attention.

In the January 2023 issue researchers estimated that $62 billion would be embezzled by Christian religious leaders this year while only $55 billion would be spent on global missions.

Continue reading “Time to Stop the Bleeding, Revisited”

Church TV Fundraiser: Jesse Duplantis Announces $21 Million Falcon 7X Jet, Followed by Widow of Pastor Killed in Plane Explosion

(Photo: Televangelist Jesse Duplantis and wife Cathy Duplantis exiting his Falcon 900 jet.)

During the Kenneth Copeland Ministries’ 2023 VictoryThon fundraiser, Jesse Duplantis announced his ministry purchased a $21 million Falcon 7X jet. Jesse Duplantis Ministries already owns a Falcon 900 jet.

On the September 20th broadcast Duplantis also told TV viewers that he had previously given away two jets.

According to AviationDB, Jesse Duplantis Ministries has previously owned a Cessna 500, a 1124 Westwind, and a Falcon 50.

The Cessna 500 was transferred to Keith Moore’s Faith Life Church in 2004 but has since been retired from service. The 1124 Westwind was transferred to Mike Mille’s White Dove Fellowship in 2006 and sold again in 2022. The Falcon 50 was transferred to Mac Hammond’s Living Word Christian Center in 2020.

During the same broadcast, Pastor Jerry Savelle joined Duplantis and George Pearsons, senior pastor at Kenneth Copeland Ministries, on stage to  announce his ministry was giving a seed offering of $100,000 while trusting for a Falcon 900 jet:

Savelle said, “I was sowing for the future … but the Lord recently told me. He said, ‘There’s something bigger, better, faster and more range in your future. Well, I know when He talks about future, you sow a seed because seed is about future. So tonight, I brought another seed because I’m believing for a Falcon 900 now… [Savelle hands a check to Pearsons] This is a hundred thousand dollars out of my aviation account.’”

Jerry Savelle Ministries already owns two jets: a Falcon 50 (tail number N920JS) and a Cessna 560 (tail number N229JS).

Forty minutes later the telethon featured healing evangelist Nancy Dufresne telling viewers a series of stories about people allegedly healed while watching her broadcasts.

Almost 10 years ago Edward Dufresne, the husband of Nancy Dufresne, and pastor of World Harvest Church, was killed when his privately-owned Cessna 500 (tail number N610ED) exploded over Kansas. Dufresne’s pilot also died in the incident.

Prosperity Gospel on Display

Word of faith theology, better known as the prosperity gospel, is the ideological foundation for the teaching and preaching featured on Kenneth Copeland’s TV network.

During the telethon, the hosts encouraged their audience to repeat a positive confession. According to Got Questions, “Positive confession is the practice of saying aloud what you want to happen with the expectation that God will make it a reality.”

George Pearsons tells the audience, “Everyone in here say this after me.” Then Pearsons begins the positive confession with Duplantis and the audience repeating each phrase. “In the name of Jesus, I have sown my seed and I believe the 100-fold return is working for me all the time.”

The prosperity gospel has generated incredible wealth for Kenneth Copeland. His daughter Kellie Copeland refers to her dad as she tells the audience, “It doesn’t even make sense that you could be debt-free, give all your money away and have more money and be known as the richest preacher in the world.”

While Kenneth Copeland does appear on some lists as the world’s wealthiest preacher, those lists are incomplete. Brazilian televangelist Edir Macedo is probably the richest preacher in the world. Macedo is head of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and controls the second largest TV network in Brazil.

Postscript

This article would never have been written if it weren’t for a tip. Researcher Susan Puzio contacted Trinity Foundation after watching Duplantis reported obtaining a new jet.

If you have inside information on fraud or financial abuses in a church or ministry, please submit a tip. Trinity Foundation has a long history of protecting confidential informants.

 

The Business of Church Music: Examining the Legal Structure of Worship Ministries and Practice of Pastors Operating as Music Producers

(Photo: Pastor Steven Furtick singing Psalm 121.)

Church music has become big business.

Ultimate Guitar reports that almost $600 million is spent annually on audio equipment and instruments for performing church music.”

Churches have become one of the most common venues for hearing live music.

In six years, Bethel Music, the music ministry of Bill Johnson’s megachurch Bethel Redding, generated $80 million in revenue.

Bethel Music is one of the four most popular church music ministries in America, according to a recent academic study being published at Worship Leader Research.

The researchers identified 38 of the most popular church worship songs from 2010 to 2020. Almost all the songs were written by or performed by Bethel, Elevation Church (pastored by Steven Furtick), Hillsong (founded by Australian pastor Brian Houston) and Passion City Church (pastored by Louie Giglio).

Church performances, concert tours and radio airplay have boosted worship band awareness. Hillsong has reportedly sold more than 20 million albums.

Business Legal Structure

Most American Christians have never heard of the term integrated auxiliary, but it is the key to understanding how most megachurches and televangelists operate financially successful worship ministries.

The IRS describes integrated auxiliaries as “a class of organizations that are related to a church or convention or association of churches, but are not such organizations themselves.”

For example, Elevation Church registered a trademark for the name Elevation Worship, the name of the worship band. This allows the church to create a bank account and do business in the name of Elevation Worship.

Continue reading “The Business of Church Music: Examining the Legal Structure of Worship Ministries and Practice of Pastors Operating as Music Producers”

Two Overlords and Two Gospels… American Churches Headed the Wrong Way

…with apologies to our friend Joseph Michael Bennett, who wrote a book we recommend, “Two Masters and Two Gospels” (2019).

Last week, multiple news sources reported a Lifeway Research study of 1,002 Protestant Christians strongly indicating that the “Prosperity Gospel” is rapidly rising in America.  These two beliefs go hand in hand to spread this heresy: 1) God wants Christians to prosper, attaining wealth and health and 2) God requires a gift from us humans before he will answer our prayers.

According to the well-crafted study, “Those who say their church teaches that God will bless them if they give more increased from 38% in 2017 to 52% in 2022.”—a huge increase over a short amount of time—and “76% believe that God wants them to prosper financially”, up from 69% in 2017—another rapid increase.

Lifeway Research’s methodology was an “online survey of 1,002 American Protestant churchgoers was conducted September 19-29, 2022, using a national pre-recruited panel.”  Comparisons were made to a 2017 online survey of 1,010 Protestants who attended religious services at least once a month.  They estimate that the “sample provides 95% confidence that the sampling error from the panel does not exceed +3.3%”

Prosperity Gospel Parallels the American Dream

If you believe in and think you deserve a share in the American Dream, then your beliefs are probably shared with a large segment of the U.S. public.  If you believe in the prosperity gospel—that God will multiply blessings upon those who richly bless Him with money, it appears you share that belief with a large majority of American Protestant Christians.

“The American dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone. …(It’s) believed to be achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.”—Investopedia

God helps those who help themselves” is a phrase that’s often mistaken as a scriptural quote.  More on Wikipedia

In some ways, the two beliefs have merged.

The only problem is that neither the Prosperity Gospel nor the American Dream “work”, especially for poor and disadvantaged people.  Both those lies wreak havoc with desperate people who are grasping at something, anything that might alleviate their suffering, even lottery tickets.  Some will be blessed by God materially, but most won’t be.

The “prosperity gospel” message panders to the sensual desire for riches but is the opposite of the message of the cross.  It’s a pious, pleasing message that avoids repentance from self-seeking.  Regarding piety… “The curse of a godless man can sound more pleasant in God’s ear than the Hallelujah of the pious”—Martin Luther (repeated by Dietrich Bonhoffer)

Consider Joel Osteen’s book, “Your Best Life Now” and other similar religious self-help books that ignore or cheapen the grace of Christ.

Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall save it.”

The cross of Christ means the death of self.  For those of us who call ourselves believers, we prayerfully abandon control of our lives to God.

Signs that your church has embraced the lie of the prosperity gospel, sometimes ever so subtly:  the preacher’s mansions, luxury cars, private jets, and expensive clothing; the lack of transparency (read our article here) regarding the finances of the church; the lack of accountability (he or she answers to no one), i.e., nobody can hire or fire the pastor (read here).

The sin of greed thrives in a climate of secrecy. Therefore, we believe that churches should be required to make their finances available publicly—read about “dark money” in the church here.