Trinity Foundation

Photo—Facebook: On May 26^th 2024 Ed Young (right) announces his son,

Ben Young as the next senior pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas 

On Monday, April 15^th, 2025, Jeremiah Counsel Corporation (also “Jeremiah” in this article), a non profit formed by a group of concerned members and past members of Second Baptist Church, filed an unusual court petition in Judge Latosha Lewis Paynes’s District Court 55 against the current leadership of Second Baptist Church Houston requesting church governance reforms and restoration of members’ voting rights taken away in secret.

Defendents named in the 123 page petition are Ben Young, Homer Edwin Young, Lee Maxcy, Dennis Brewer Jr., and the Second Baptist Church Corporation, collectively called the “Young Group” throughout the filing.

Yesterday, Jeremiah Counsel Corporation issued a press release and an open letter to Second Baptist’s “90,000 +” members at large from its new website.

What Happened?  A Radical Change in church governance…

At a sparsely attended May 31, 2023 church business meeting, members in attendance either “unknowingly or unwittingly” rubber-stamped the church’s new regulations (its bylaws) without having the opportunity to inspect or read what they were being asked to approve, according to two letters signed by dozens of concerned members and sent directly to Pastor Ben Young months before the filing of this petition.

Section (H) of Jeremiah’s lawsuit gives examples of the “deliberately inconspicuous, legally insufficient, and intentionally vague” purported notices advising recipients of the May 31 membership meeting.  According to the petition, “These statements were part of an intentional plan to alert as few members as possible to the other purpose for this church meeting and to mislead those who did see the notices.”

Section (M) of the petition states, “only about 200 of Second Baptist’s 94,000 members attended on May 31” and that those at the meeting represented less than “one quarter of one percent” of Second Baptist’s members.

What does Plaintiff Jeremiah Counsel Corporation want?

 Typical lawsuits request pecuniary relief, often in the millions.  However, apart from legal fees, Jeremiah’s petition doesn’t ask for monetary damages to its members but rather requests a return to the Church’s 2005 bylaws and does request money damages for Second Baptist Church from the Young Group and injunctive relief to cease and desist all conduct or actions stemming from the May 31 bylaws “updates”.

Section (I) of the lawsuit details how Second Baptist trustees, who had met for church business only a few weeks prior to the meeting, were completely unaware of the severity of the bylaw’s changes, before, during, and even after the scantly attended May 31 meeting—changes that eliminated and replaced their own positions.

According to the lawsuit, the Young Group permanently abolished: “(1) church members’ rights to vote and elect, e.g., Second Baptists Pastor and officers, to the governing body of the church, (2) church members’ rights to inspect Second Baptist’s books, financial records, and governing documents, and to provide input on its financial direction and obligations, and (3) church members’ rights to provide input on church policies.” (wording bolded in the lawsuit, p. 15)

Continue reading “A Story of Power, Deceit, and Betrayal at Second Baptist Church: Members File Court Petition, Try to Save Church’s Legacy”

In addition to producing its own original programs such as Joni Table Talk and Ministry Now and broadcasting Christian movies on Saturdays, Daystar Television Network relies on 69 programming partners to fill its weekly broadcast schedule.

We were curious: How many of Daystar’s programming partners provide financial information to donors?

The following spreadsheet reveals which programming partners file an IRS Form 990 which discloses total revenue, total expenses, and compensation of officers. Unlike other non-profits, churches, synagogues and mosques are exempt from the requirement to file a Form 990.

One-third (23) of Daystar’s programming partners provide a Form 990, which was more than we expected.

Continue reading “Exploring Daystar Programming Partners: Guess Who Owns Six Square Miles of Land?”

Most Christians don’t give it much thought and trust their leaders.  We tend to look to a pastor, priest, or whomever is in charge as the expert(s).  But members and donors have a responsibility to make sure their tithes and gifts are doing more than simply enriching the person or persons at the top.

Givers should, at a bare minimum, seek answers to: 1) Who governs the organization or church—a single individual with little or no accountability or an independent group of individuals such as a board of directors? 2) Where does the money go? Do they file a public form 990 or publish an audited financial statement?

Trinity Foundation has encountered all types of organizational and church governance (read our Governance Project) and while there is probably no “best” form, there are certain things members should look for and others to be wary of.  We’ve seen terrible examples over and over and can best describe the better leadership forms by what they are not.

Decades ago, we discovered televangelists and pastors had begun eliminating church member oversight and personal accountability.  We found that all decision-making power in a board of directors often consists of hand-picked family, friends, or employees.  We discovered that more and more pastors are consolidating power in their organizations and eliminating church member oversight.

The “smell factor”

If a certain pastor or ministry leader is living lavishly (any one of the following—a corporate jet, a mansion, multiple houses, a luxury car, etc.) this lifestyle begs the question—is this person more concerned about themselves or the gospel of Christ and others? Are they a lover of money?   When the smell is “off”, so to speak, donors need to start asking questions.

The pattern set forth in the gospels is one of servanthood and humility, not of “lording it over” congregations or members.  If it begins to smell foul, both the person and the organization deserve a closer look and some good-old-fashioned research.

Questions Donors Should Ask:

Does the leader regularly preach, teach, or advocate the life and teachings of Christ, including the cross?  The Apostle Paul said, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

Does the pastor or leader constantly refer to themselves, other than confession?

Is the church or ministry transparent?

How are your donations being used?  We can’t emphasize enough that churches and organizations should publish or make available financial documents illustrating how donor money is spent.  They should file the IRS form 990 or publish an audited financial statement on their website.

Do excess church funds simply accumulate to make the church wealthier, or do they help the poor, needy, distressed, and disadvantaged in the community?

Does the pastor or ministry leader’s family control how and where the money is spent?

Is there a group of people that hold the leader responsible, such as an independent board of elders, deacons, or board members?

Leadership Standards

Does the leader have integrity as defined by the Apostle Paul? (1^st Timothy, chapter 2) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt at teaching; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; one who rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all dignity.

 

Over time, televangelist Joni Lamb acquired six residential properties worth $11 million, according to research by Trinity Foundation.

Joni Lamb owns four houses in Texas, a home in Georgia and beach condo in Miramar Beach, Florida. This week, Trinity Foundation discovered that Joni still owned the Grapevine, Texas, home she purchased in 1991 along with her husband, Marcus, who died in 2021. Ownership of the property was hidden by the county.

The six properties are worth an estimated $11 million, based off recent sales amounts and estimates on real estate websites.

How Much is Joni Worth?

Continue reading “How Did Televangelist Joni Lamb Acquire $11 Million of Residential Property?”

(Photos: Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Bill Winston)

In 2006, three American televangelists registered four offshore companies in the Bahamas with Trident Corporate Services. Three of the four corporate filings occurred precisely a week apart. The purposes for the four corporate entities are unknown.

While offshore companies may have a legitimate purpose, they are frequently used for tax evasion and to hide assets when, for instance, a rich husband expects a possible divorce.

Offshore corporate registrations are a critical component of international money laundering.

In December 2024, the IRS launched an investigation into Trident Corporate Services’ parent company Trident Global Trust. The purpose of the IRS investigation is to identify Americans who failed to report income generated in offshore locations during the years 2014 through 2023.

Continue reading “Financial Secrets: In 2006, Three Televangelists Created Offshore Companies in the Bahamas”