Hal Lindsey’s Secret Legacy: Obtaining Extravagant Wealth from Non-Profit Organization

(Photo: Hal Lindsey’s TV program appearing on Daystar)

Hal Lindsey, one of the wealthiest non-profit ministry executives in America, has died at 95 years of age.

Lindsey co-authored the bestselling end-times Bible prophecy book The Late Great Planet Earth with Carole C. Carlson and hosted a TV program airing on Daystar Television Network, costing $381,000 in 2023, and other networks over the years.

Lindsey believed the re-establishment of Israel as a nation in 1948 was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy and the generation alive in 1948 would see a pre-tribulation rapture, the tribulation and Jesus’ return.

From 2013 to 2023, Hal and his wife JoLynne Lindsey received $18.5 million of compensation from Hal Lindsey Website Ministries. During those eleven years, the ministry spent only $1,105,360 in charitable assistance to groups and individuals.

(Spreadsheet: Total revenue and charitable spending of Hal Lindsey Website Ministries and compensation for Hal and JoLynne Lindsey compiled from Form 990s.)

Continue reading “Hal Lindsey’s Secret Legacy: Obtaining Extravagant Wealth from Non-Profit Organization”

Failure of Government Oversight: Privacy Laws Protect Corrupt Non-Profit Executives, Not Donors

 

The IRS recently revoked the tax-exempt status of Saved in America Incorporated, a non-profit organization in California, with the stated purpose of fighting human tracking.

The announcement appeared in the November 18, 2024, issue of the IRS Bulletin, a weekly publication providing important tax updates for accountants and taxpayers.

(Photo: The revocation for Saved in America Incorporated covers financial transactions for six years.)

The above screenshot features all the public information that is available from the IRS regarding this revocation of tax-exempt status. The IRS does not reveal what illegal activity it uncovered during an audit or investigation.

The IRS process for granting tax-exemptions is transparent, but the process for revoking tax-exemptions is cloaked in secrecy.

Continue reading “Failure of Government Oversight: Privacy Laws Protect Corrupt Non-Profit Executives, Not Donors”

Daystar Heart for the World Telethon: Non-Profit Equips Israeli Soldiers for War, Ignores Hurricane Victims

(Screenshot: Larry Huch appearing on October 19, 2024, Daystar telethon broadcast.)

Previous Investigations

Trinity Foundation has investigated Daystar Television Network, America’s second largest religious TV network, for more than a decade, and collaborated with NPR and Inside Edition for exposés of the network’s spending and use of a private jet.

Recently, another Christian media outlet, The Roys Report, has begun to thoroughly investigate Daystar. Journalist Julie Roys interviewed Jonathan Lamb, the son of Daystar’s founders Marcus (who died in 2021) and Joni Lamb, and Jonathan’s wife Suzy Lamb for stories about allegations of sexual abuse.

A list of related articles follows the end of this article.

2024 Fall Heart for the World Telethon

Less than three weeks after Hurricane Helene slammed the Florida coast, producing record flooding and destroying communities as far inland as North Carolina and just a couple of days after Hurricane Milton struck Florida, Daystar Television Network hosted its annual fall Heart for the World telethon.

However, none of the millions of dollars raised from Daystar’s telethon will help hurricane victims. Instead, Daystar president Joni Lamb promised on TV that all money given or pledged during the telethon will go to Israel.

Daystar was one of the first Christian ministries to respond with financial support for Israeli troops and citizens following the October 2023 Hamas terrorist attack. Daystar’s fall Heart for the World telethon takes place during Sukkot, the annual Feast of Tabernacles.

Is it Legal for American Non-Profits to Purchase Military Supplies for Foreign Soldiers?

Since October 2023, Daystar’s telethons have raised money to purchase body armor and night goggles for the Israeli military as well as bomb shelters for Jewish civilians.

(Screenshot: June 15, 2024, re-broadcast of March 3, 2024, episode of Heart for the World telethon.)

The IRS recognizes donations to foreign militaries as a charitable activity so long as the recipient is not involved in terrorism or in wars which the United States opposes.

After 9/11, President George Bush issued Executive Order 13224 and Congress passed the USA Patriot Act to prosecute Americans providing support to individuals and organizations involved in terrorism.

The Treasury Department maintains the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (usually referred to as the SDN List), an official list of individuals, organizations and government agencies which Americans are forbidden from donating to or doing business with.

While Hamas and the Israeli government have both killed innocent civilians, only Hamas is listed on the SDN List.

Because none of Daystar’s Israeli partners are on the SDN List, these donations appear to be legal.

Exaggerated Charity?

In 2014, National Public Radio (NPR) investigated Daystar with assistance from Trinity Foundation’s lead investigator Pete Evans.

Journalists reviewed financial data obtained from the unsealing of court documents and questioned if Daystar’s then-president Marcus Lamb was exaggerating the amount of charitable aid the ministry was providing.

NPR’s report featured a 2009 quote from Marcus Lamb: “In the last five years, Daystar has written checks of donations to others, to ministries, to churches, to missions, to hurricane relief, to tsunami relief, to hospitals, etc., to the tune of $30 million cash!”

According to NPR reporter John Burnett, “NPR analyzed six years of Daystar balance sheets. They show the network gave away $9.7 million dollars in direct grants to outside recipients. Not $30 million. That works out to charitable giving of about 5 percent of donor revenue.”

Daystar responded to NPR that “international mission work” included satellite transmission expenses.

Financial Transparency

Word of God Fellowship, the parent organization of Daystar Television Network, is not a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, does not have an independent board of directors and does not provide to donors a Form 990 or audited financial statement disclosing fundraising and management expenses.

Word of God Fellowship avoids the Form 990 filing requirement by claiming church status. Meanwhile, secular non-profits have higher standards to meet.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethical Standards is 25 items long and requires its members to “ensure proper stewardship of all revenue sources, including timely reports on the use and management of such funds.”

For comparison, the National Religious Broadcasters Code of Ethics is only six items long and does not address the prosperity gospel, fundraising or financial transparency.

However, Daystar is not required to meet these six requirements because it is not an NRB member organization. Daystar avoids being a member of organizations that would subject it to oversight.

Televangelist Perry Stone served as one of Daystar’s special guest hosts during the Heart for the World 2024 telethon. On October 13th, the first day of the telethon, Perry Stone flew to Fort Worth, near Daystar’s production studio, on a Super King Air owned by his ministry Voice of Evangelism. The twin turboprop aircraft travels slower and cheaper than a jet.

(Screenshot: Trinity Foundation’s Pastor Planes project uses the website ADSB Exchange to track the aircraft by its tail number N942CE.)

While Daystar claims all money raised by the telethon will be spent on charity in Israel, it does not disclose if the network paid the guest hosts a speaking honorarium or paid for travel expenses.

To evaluate the effectiveness of a non-profit organization, donors should closely examine Program Services Expenses which are determined by subtracting management expenses and fundraising expenses from total expenses.

Charity Navigator recommends that non-profit organizations spend at least 70% of their total revenue on program services.

Trinity Broadcasting Network, Daystar’s biggest competitor, has provided this critical financial information to its donors through 2022.

(Screenshot: Column B lists 2022 program services expenses for Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana, better known as Trinity Broadcasting Network.)

Pre-Recorded Telethons

Daystar airs video clips from previous telethons during some of its Heart for the World broadcasts and appears to be in violation of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules requiring disclosure of pre-recorded broadcasts that appear to be live.

The law requires:

“Any taped, filmed or recorded program material in which time is of special significance, or by which an affirmative attempt is made to create the impression that it is occurring simultaneously with the broadcast, shall be announced at the beginning as taped, filmed or recorded. The language of the announcement shall be clear and in terms commonly understood by the public. For television stations, the announcement may be made visually or aurally.”

In 2020, Salem Media Group, owner of the Salem Radio Network, was fined $50,000 for violating the live broadcast rule.

A June 2024 rebroadcast of Heart for the World included a clip of former Daystar TV personality Suzy Lamb. Suzy stopped working for Daystar in 2023.

Toxic Theology

Pastor Larry Huch was one of Daystar’s special guests during the fall 2024 Heart for the World telethon. Huch has received critical attention for rejecting and/or distorting Scripture.

During the telethon, while on a TV program raising funds for Israel, Huch told viewers, “Listen to me. I will never use standing with Israel as a gimmick of raising funds.”

About 15 minutes later, Huch told the TV audience, “Keep blessing the nation of Israel. This is a window that is passing by and once it’s passed by it will never open again for one whole year.”

In 2008, during an appearance on televangelist Paula White’s TV program, Huch claimed, “Jesus is not the only begotten son of God.”

Huch contradicted one of the most well-known Bible verses. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Postscript

Trinity Foundation emailed Daystar the following questions on Friday, October 22nd but has not received a response by publication time.

  • Perry Stone flew to Fort Worth for the fall Heart for the World Does Daystar reimburse travel costs of televangelists appearing on telethons?
  • Does Daystar give a speaking honorarium to Perry Stone, Jonathan Cahn, Larry Huch, and others appearing on the telethons?
  • Daystar promised that all money given to or pledged during this year’s fall telethon will go to Israel. Why did the network not raise money for victims of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton?

Related Articles

 The Roys Report – Investigative Series

“I’m proud of having to bail my son Nathan out of jail for going to church”

Photos: 1) Nathan at Fellowship Church, 2)  Nathan with Executive Producer Chris Ayoub at Tarrant County Courthouse hearing

Religion Business documentary producer Nathan Apffel flew in from out of state and presented himself in a Tarrant County courtroom this morning, November 18, 2024, to face a criminal trespass charge.  The crime is considered a Class B misdemeanor and can be penalized with a fine of up to $2,000 or 180 days of jail time.

At the court hearing, Nathan’s dad, Ed Apffel, said, “I’m proud of having to bail my son Nathan out of jail for going to church.  The floodgates have opened for his documentary about the religion business.”

Sunday, October 20th, Apffel was arrested at Fellowship Church in Grapevine Texas while holding up a large sign asking Pastor Ed Young to reveal the amount of his housing allowance.  Young’s security team included a zealous deputy sheriff who roughed up Mr. Apffel and forced him to get his elbow x-rayed and left bruises on his wrists from the handcuffs.

Fellowship Church security called in the Grapevine police and Apffel was charged with trespassing. “I wasn’t expecting so much brute force,” Apffel told Trinity Foundation investigators following his release from jail (initial article here).   During the incident, Nathan’s cameraman Steve Hickey’s camera was confiscated and damaged by security guards and Hickey received a trespass warning.  Apffel mentioned that the Grapevine police department treated him with kindness and respect, unlike the church’s security team.

Apffel’s hearing appearance today was only a first step of good faith to prevent a warrant being issued for his arrest and he will be required to return at least once more as the case against him proceeds.  His next court hearing is scheduled for December 17th.

Daystar Jet Travels to Trump Victory Party

Correction: This headline was corrected on November 9th. Original headline said televangelist Joni Lamb traveled to Trump victory party, which is incorrect. Joni revealed on the TV program MinistryNow that her daughter Rachel Lamb Brown and two son-in-laws traveled to the Trump event.

(Screenshot: Pastor Planes uses ADSB Exchange to track the Daystar jet on Election Day.)

On November 5th, Word of God Fellowship’s Gulfstream G-V jet (tail number N279PH) flew from Fort Worth Meacham Airport to Palm Beach International Airport.

Word of God Fellowship is the parent organization of Daystar Television Network, America’s second largest religious TV network, headed by Joni Lamb.

Joni’s daughter Rachel Lamb Brown posted Instagram stories from Trump’s victory party.

According to Airport Distance Calculator, the jet traveled at least 971 nautical miles to reach West Palm Beach, Florida. LibertyJet estimates the average cost per mile for a Gulfstream G-V jet flying 200 hours per year is $19.58.

Therefore, the Daystar trip from Texas to Florida and back cost an estimated $38,024. Who paid for this trip? Did Daystar’s board approve the flights as a ministry-related expense or was it considered a personal trip, and Joni reimbursed the cost of the flights?

Continue reading “Daystar Jet Travels to Trump Victory Party”

Seeing the Bigger Picture: Making Sense of the Gateway Church Class Action Lawsuit

(Photo: Worship band at Gateway Church Southlake campus. The church campus was constructed for $86 million and opened in 2010.)

By Barry Bowen and Pete Evans

Two class action lawsuits filed in 2024 are creating an opportunity to produce court precedents for suing churches engaged in alleged financial fraud.

In July, Mormon donors merged five cases filed against the Mormon Church into one class action lawsuit.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, “A total of nine plaintiffs — so far — are alleging that senior church leaders and their money managers lied for decades about using member tithing donations solely for charitable causes while instead investing the cash in a multibillion-dollar ‘slush fund’ at Ensign Peak Advisors, the faith’s investment arm.”

The Mormon class action case follows another groundbreaking lawsuit. In 2021, Mormon Church donor James Huntsman sued the church for $5 million, alleging that church tithes were used to build the City Mall Center in Salt Lake City.

On September 25th, Huntsman’s case was heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which has not yet rendered a decision.

In early October, four Gateway Church donors filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Gateway Global Ministries was spending less than $3 million on missions when the total should have exceeded $15 million annually in recent years.  Robert Morris and other church leadership had claimed 15% of money given to the church would be spent on missions.

Precedents created by the Mormon lawsuits may determine the outcome of the Gateway class action lawsuit.

Continue reading “Seeing the Bigger Picture: Making Sense of the Gateway Church Class Action Lawsuit”

Church Governance: Brian Houston and James Morris Create New Non-Profit Organizations

(Screenshot: Brian and Bobbie Houston’s new online church JesusFollowers.TV operates a YouTube channel.)

Following their departures from Hillsong Church and Gateway Church, Brian Houston and James Morris have established new churches using different legal structures to determine how the churches will be governed.

Traditionally, articles of incorporation and bylaws have determined how churches are governed by specifying whether or not church attendees have voting rights or if church governance is reserved for a board of directors or board of elders.

More recently, Brian Houston’s prior church Hillsong popularized the practice of creating churches as limited liability companies, based on legal advice from attorneys.

Church Created as Limited Liability Company

While Houston’s website uses the name JesusFollowers.TV for his new online church, the church’s legal name appears to be Wiljalo, LLC, with church donations being collected by a separate non-profit organization named Calling and Purpose, Inc.

A search of corporation databases and secretary of state websites found no Houston-related organization named Jesus Followers.

An email was sent to Houston requesting clarification, but no response was received.

Continue reading “Church Governance: Brian Houston and James Morris Create New Non-Profit Organizations”

Documentary Producer Arrested While Attempting to Confront Pastor About Housing Allowance

 

(Note, this article has been updated, since publication on 10/22/2024)

Documentary Producer Nathan Apffel was arrested and manhandled Sunday October 20th after holding a sign outside Ed Young’s church, asking what his ministerial housing allowance amounts to. Following his arrest, Mr. Apffel said he’ll need to have his right elbow X-rayed and still feels the pain inflicted on his wrists by the handcuffs.

“I wasn’t expecting so much brute force” said Apffel, who has been working several years on a docuseries about the religion business.  “I kept asking the deputy who cuffed me to ease up with the handcuffs, it was like he was trying to inflict pain.”

Apffel spent the night in jail before making bail Monday morning, 10/21/24. Two days before his arrest, he tried unsuccessfully to get an interview with the church’s CEO and lawyer Dennis Brewer Jr.

How do these preachers afford such expensive real estate? One way is through extremely large housing allowances.  Apffel stated in one of his videos that in 2005, Mr. Ed Young received a housing allowance of $240,000.  Young has not disclosed what he is receiving now in 2024.

Publicity hound pastor Ed Young, known for his attention getting stunts, such as holding a press conference in bed with his wife on top of the church office building, now has the kind of publicity he would probably rather avoid.

While Steve Hickey, Nathan’s cameraman, was filming Mr. Apffel, his camera was confiscated and damaged by security guards and he received a trespass warning. Mr. Hickey stated they were confronted by over a dozen security guards. As Apffel was detained, the Grapevine police were called in.

Fellowship Church CEO Dennis Brewer Jr.’s father, Dennis Brewer Sr., represented quite a few well-known pastors and televangelists.

Donors:  We (Trinity Foundation) urge you to find out how the money is spent (including housing allowances) in the ministry or ministries you support. This information may be available on a Form 990 or church financial statement, if the non-profit organization files such statements.

Time for an IRS Audit? Estimate: Cost of Personal Flights on Ministry Jet Surpasses $1 million

(Photo: Word of God Fellowship jet parked at Fort Worth Meacham airport.)

In February, an IRS news release announced the government agency would launch dozens of audits of “business aircraft involving personal use.”

United States tax laws treat personal flights on business-owned aircraft as a fringe benefit and require American citizens to pay a tax on these personal flights.

Each year the IRS publishes two updates disclosing the Standard Industry Fare Level (SIFL) tax on personal flights.

(Screenshot: IRS April 15, 2024, Bulletin)

The IRS could audit America’s televangelists that make personal flights on ministry jets.

Since October 2022, the Word of God Fellowship jet has flown to Colorado Springs 28 times and to Destin, Florida, 21 times.

Word of God Fellowship is the parent organization of Daystar Television Network, the world’s second largest religious TV network.

Daystar’s leaders Joni Lamb and Doug Weiss married in 2023, following the death of Joni’s previous husband Marcus Lamb.

The couple travel to a Colorado mountain home and Florida beach condo they own. Weiss also operates a marriage counseling center in Colorado Springs.

Continue reading “Time for an IRS Audit? Estimate: Cost of Personal Flights on Ministry Jet Surpasses $1 million”

Book Review: Comparing Benny Hinn to Mafia

Is Benny Hinn a gangster? Some of his critics may think so.

In 2017, the televangelist’s nephew Costi Hinn wrote an autobiographical article for Christianity Today with scathing criticism of his uncle’s ministry:

“Growing up in the Hinn family empire was like belonging to some hybrid of the royal family and the mafia. Our lifestyle was lavish, our loyalty was enforced, and our version of the gospel was big business.”

Six years earlier, former Benny Hinn Ministries employee Cheryl Brown leveled similar complaints in her autobiographical book Mafia Ministry: A Crying Shame.

Brown described a time when Hinn approached while she was working as a maid cleaning the church parsonage. Hinn “pointed his finger at me and said, ‘I am watching you’ and walked off. His tone was that of a gangster. I thought, wow, he sounded just like the Godfather!

By working in the Hinn home, Brown observed the relationship of the televangelist and his wife Suzanne. “When I would see him, before he left out of the door to travel out of the country or go out of town, you would see him standing there as if he was waiting on a hug or a blessing from his wife. I never have seen her give him that.”

The initial excitement of working for Benny faded away as Brown became disillusioned by the working conditions. In her book Brown reports, “All of a sudden, about 50 of us from Benny Hinn Ministries were laid off without any explanation.” Is that how a church should treat its employees?

Brown would be re-hired personally by Hinn rather than the church to clean the parsonage. After Hinn failed to pay Brown for a month, she drove to the parsonage, asked to be paid and was fired.

The ministry security team gave Brown a warning on the day she was fired. “‘I better not ever go against Benny Hinn Ministries or that my family and I will be cursed.’ They told me that people who had left from BHM go on and do great things for the Lord, but that there are also ones that have died once they have gone against BHM.”

A black Suburban belonging to the ministry began following Brown whenever she drove. A friend encouraged Brown to call the police to report the stalking, but Brown refused.

Eventually, Brown moved away from California to escape.

Continue reading “Book Review: Comparing Benny Hinn to Mafia”