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?”

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”

(Photo: Worship leader Sean Feucht singing the song “There is a Name” in 2018.)

In 2022, Rolling Stone published a critical article about Sean Feucht, the conservative worship leader from Redding, California, who attracted large crowds by opposing Covid-19 lockdowns.

Rolling Stone reported, “He’s also pulling in millions for his ministry — and recently bought houses in Southern California and Montana.”

Feucht is part of a growing trend of religious leaders engaging in long distance ministry, spending much of his time far from his ministry headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Sean Feucht Ministries has acquired two parsonages, one in Washington, D.C. worth almost $900,000 and the other in San Juan Capistrano, California, purchased in 2024 for $3,450,000.

Trinity Foundation has also identified nine homes personally owned by Feucht, registered in his real name, John Christopher Feucht: One in California, one in Montana and seven in Pennsylvania.

The Redfin real estate website reports that two weeks ago, Feucht sold his Coto de Caza, California, home for $1.7 million.

Continue reading “Worship Leader Acquires Nine Homes and Two Parsonages”

 

Update: After receiving a response from Boston Rescue Mission on April, 16th, we changed the article headline from “Reporting Fraud or Accountant Incompetence? Boston Rescue Mission’s Numbers Don’t Add Up!” to “Boston Rescue Mission to Set Good Example by Filing Amended Return.”

We are more than satisfied with the ministry’s response and have updated the article to include new information and Boston Rescue Mission’s answers to our questions, which appear at the end of the article and we commend their intention to file an amended return as well.

Boston Rescue Mission also provided an explanation for the increase in compensation for the ministry’s president, age 68, who is retiring soon:

“The reported increase was primarily due to a one-time vacation and retirement payout totaling approximately $1.23 million, which had been accrued over many years of service. BRM does not impose a cap on accrued vacation time. As Mr. Samaan is approaching retirement, he elected to receive the accumulated balance in accordance with the organization’s policies and with full knowledge and approval from the Board of Directors.

It is important to understand that this payout does not reflect a sudden or unexplained increase in base salary or ongoing compensation, but rather the fulfillment of a long-standing obligation recorded in accordance with GAAP.”

“Our auditors made us aware of an IRS ruling that required Mr. Samaan to take the full payout of the accrued amount at that time.  The amount was significant because it was an accumulation over 32 years of service at that point.”

Correcting an Error

“Upon review, we acknowledge that President Samaan’s compensation should have been reported on Line 5 (compensation of current officers, directors, trustees, and key employees) of the Statement of Functional Expenses, rather than Line 7 (other salaries and wages). This was an inadvertent classification error, and we are in the process of preparing an amended Form 990 to correct this line placement.

It is important to note that the amount shown in the amended filing will reflect the fiscal year compensation actually expensed, which is closer to $200,000, and not the $1.4 million figure reported on Part VII.”

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Boston Rescue Mission appears to have filed a fraudulent Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, or the ministry has an incompetent accountant. The numbers don’t add up. The compensation for the ministry’s two highest paid employees is more than the total compensation the ministry reported to the IRS.

During the first week of January, Ministry Watch published its annual 100 Highly Paid Ministry Leaders list.

As usual, the two highest paid non-profit executives were David Cerullo ($5,425,948) and Dale Ardizzone ($2,362,151) of The Inspirational Network, but number three was a surprise.

John Samaan, president and CEO of the Boston Rescue Mission, received $1,504,419 in compensation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.

During that year, Boston Rescue Mission, which provides aid to the homeless, generated $5,703,650 in total revenue. Therefore, 26 percent of total revenue was paid to Samaan.

Boston Rescue Mission reported 41 employees for the year, therefore, the CEO gets paid a significantly higher amount than the average employee.

The compensation for Samaan and ministry vice president Michael Way was reported on a Form 990, an information return that non-profits file with the IRS.

Continue reading “Boston Rescue Mission to Set Good Example by Filing Amended Return”