Author: Barry Bowen

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

Barry Bowen

(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

Barry Bowen

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”

2024 North Texas Giving Day

Barry Bowen

Thursday, September 19th is North Texas Giving Day. Fundraising is one of our least favorite activities, but it is necessary to fund our investigations of religious financial fraud. Before asking for any donations, we would like to provide a couple of updates on our investigations.

September 16th Was Super Busy Day for Ministry Aircraft

Our Pastor Planes Project monitors 66 aircraft, mostly jets, to document and bring transparency to religious non-profit organizations’ travel costs, many of which do not disclose travel expenses to their donors on a Form 990.

September 16th was one of the busiest days for religious non-profit aircraft. We tracked 17 aircraft in the air. Twenty-five percent of the aircraft we monitor were in use in one day! Many of these religious non-profits could save a large amount of donor money by using commercial aircraft.

(Photo:  Sixteen aircraft flying over North America. Another ministry jet flew from Brazil to South Africa.)

We post daily aircraft tracking maps to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

Extravagant Lifestyles

Journalists have barely scratched the surface when it comes to reporting on the accumulation of wealth by religious leaders.

In recent weeks Trinity Foundation has identified several multi-million-dollar houses belonging to daughters of televangelists. We have also discovered African preachers with vacation homes in the United States. Future articles will explore these topics.

Excess Benefit Transactions

The United States tax code currently prohibits excess benefit transactions for officers of non-profit organizations. When a pastor receives an excess benefit through the personal use of church assets, the pastor is required to pay an excise tax to remedy the problem.

While there are loopholes in the law acting as a deterrent to government oversight, Trinity Foundation is researching methods for increasing IRS enforcement to stop these financial abuses.

North Texas Giving Day

To all our donors and everyone reading our newsletters and website: Thank you for your support and encouragement.

We disclose our total revenue and expenses to the IRS on a Form 990EZ and republish this document on our website so that donors have adequate financial information to evaluate our work.

Trinity Foundation currently employs only two investigators. To increase our effectiveness in combatting religious fraud, we would like to raise funding to hire new personnel.

Another investigator could help us research international money laundering. A social media manager could post regular updates to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter while answering questions from the public. A video editor could assist us in making YouTube and TikTok videos about religious abuses.

If you would like to donate or become a member of Trinity Foundation, please visit this link.

Financing a Millionaire Lifestyle: Pastors Generate Wealth from Life and Business Coaching

Barry Bowen

(Screenshot: Keith Craft preaching about the “Favor-Minded Advantage.”

When a pastor lives extravagantly, it is appropriate to ask, “How does the pastor finance his luxurious lifestyle?”

Historically, America’s richest pastors obtained their wealth by authoring best-selling books.

However, an increasing number of pastors are generating wealth through life coaching.

Keith Craft

One of America’s wealthiest pastors is Keith Craft who leads Elevate Life Church in Frisco, Texas. Craft charges clients $84,000 annually to participate in his Life Mastery Mastermind.


(Screenshot: Keith Craft’s personal website promotes his life coaching business.)

Craft owns two houses in Texas, two vacation homes in Destin, Florida, a mountain home in Colorado, a yacht, and a Cessna 650 jet.

Continue reading “Financing a Millionaire Lifestyle: Pastors Generate Wealth from Life and Business Coaching”

Daystar Television Co-Host Doug Weiss Filed Questionable 990, Runs Association for Sex Therapists as a Personal Business

Barry Bowen

Marriage counselor and sex therapist Dr. Doug Weiss has become a host of Daystar Television Network’s TV show MinistryNow after marrying Daystar co-founder Joni Lamb, following the death of her late husband Marcus Lamb.

Weiss founded Healing Time Ministries and the American Association for Sex Addiction Therapy.  Both entities operate in a questionable manner.

An investigation by journalist Jene Nelson revealed that Healing Time Ministries appears to have filed a fraudulent postcard 990 with the IRS.

In 2022, the Carl H and Edyth B Lindner Foundation gave a $400,000 grant to Healing Time Ministries. However, Weiss’ non-profit organization reported to the IRS that its total revenue for 2022 was $50,000 or less.

Where did this money go? It would be appropriate for the IRS Exempt Organizations Division to audit the non-profit organization to find out.

Continue reading “Daystar Television Co-Host Doug Weiss Filed Questionable 990, Runs Association for Sex Therapists as a Personal Business”

Memes Spreading Toxic Theology

Barry Bowen

The prosperity gospel’s mass acceptance in America is evident by its promotion on social media.

In September 2023, a Facebook post featuring a meme with the words “3 Days from now you Will be a billionaire. Claim it 🙏” went viral.

The post received more than 275,000 likes. Also, more than 106,000 people responded with a love (heart) reaction.

The idea that people can claim wealth by making a positive, verbal affirmation is based on the twisting of scripture, and the practice has been popularized by Word of Faith preachers and televangelists.

Continue reading “Memes Spreading Toxic Theology”

What Should Suzanne Hinn’s Forensic Accountant Look for During Divorce Case Against Benny Hinn?

Barry Bowen

 

(Photo: Benny and Suzanne Hinn appearing together on TV following their 2013 remarriage.)

In a divorce petition filed on July 26, 2024, in Florida, televangelist Benny Hinn’s wife Suzanne Hinn reported, “The marriage between the Wife and Husband is irretrievably broken.”

Suzanne requested spousal support and asked the court, “Require the Husband to contribute to the Wife’s attorney’s fees and costs, including forensic accountant fees, both temporarily and permanently …”

Because Florida is a no-fault divorce state, the forensic accountant would not be looking for financial fraud or other financial crimes.

The divorce petition provides a clue for what a forensic accountant would examine:

“Determine if the Husband has transferred away or disposed of assets within the two (2) year period prior to the filing of this case or during the pendency of this case and, if so, make appropriate adjustments in the equitable distribution scheme.”

The forensic accountant should start by identifying bank accounts and assets owned by the World Healing Center Church and consulting companies such as Family Altar of the Air and eMinistries Consulting, Inc., which are run by Benny’s top confederate Donald B. Price.

Bank accounts may have been opened in trade names registered to each of these legal entities.

World Healing Center Church has registered one active trade name in Texas: Benny Hinn Ministries.

Continue reading “What Should Suzanne Hinn’s Forensic Accountant Look for During Divorce Case Against Benny Hinn?”

Televangelist Keith Moore Acquires Third Jet with List Price of $17.5 Million; Creflo Dollar’s New Jet Was Priced at $18.6 Million

Barry Bowen

(Photo: April 21, 2024, rebroadcast of sermon Free from Idolatry on YouTube. We are not insinuating that the pictured 7X jet is Moore’s idol.)

Televangelist Keith Moore’s ministry Faith Life International has purchased a third jet following a fundraising campaign featuring a fundraising goal of $10 million.

The used Dassault Falcon 7X jet acquired by Moore’s ministry was listed for sale at $17.5 million on the website AircraftVx. A new model would have cost $60 million.

The Federal Aviation Administration disclosed the purchase when it certified the jet in May.

The jet’s original tail number was N1902C, but has been changed to N37KM.*

 

Tail numbers are the aircraft equivalent of license plates for cars. When ministries purchase a jet, the ministry founder’s initials are frequently used in the tail number.

Continue reading “Televangelist Keith Moore Acquires Third Jet with List Price of $17.5 Million; Creflo Dollar’s New Jet Was Priced at $18.6 Million”

Suzanne Hinn Files for Divorce Again from Televangelist Benny Hinn

Barry Bowen

(Photo: Suzanne and Benny Hinn saying their wedding vows for a second time in 2013.)

Last week Suzanne Hinn filed for divorce for the second time from televangelist husband Benny Hinn.

Suzanne and Benny first married on August 4, 1979. Thirty years later Suzanne filed for divorce in February 2010.

Three years later the couple remarried before a large audience at the Holy Land Experience in Orlando with the late pastor Jack Hayford officiating.

Following the re-marriage, Benny Hinn Ministries sold DVDs of the event for $25. Christian Post reported, “The evangelist is busy getting back to work following his marriage, and has announced plans for a ‘life-changing’ trip to Greece and Italy, where he says he will retrace the steps of the Apostle Paul, one of the most prominent writers of the later books in the Bible.”

The first Hinn divorce was filed in California, a no-fault divorce, community property state. The second divorce was filed in Florida, which is a no-fault divorce, equitable distribution state.

Continue reading “Suzanne Hinn Files for Divorce Again from Televangelist Benny Hinn”

40 Church and Ministry Leaders’ Beach Houses, Beach Condos and Waterfront Homes Identified; Their Total Net Worth Is $140 Million

Barry Bowen

(Photo: Trinity Foundation investigator Pete Evans took a picture of Benny Hinn’s Dana Point, California, beach home while it was under construction. Evans spoke with Dave Busk, the builder, and was told the new residence would be his client’s “dream home.”)

Beach houses and beach condos along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts have become the vacation homes of choice for America’s wealthiest pastors.

In 2017, Joel Osteen purchased a beach house in Newport Coast, California, for $5 million. Recently, the Redfin real estate website estimated Osteen’s second home to be worth $11 million.

Over the past three years Trinity Foundation has conducted hundreds of property searches, resulting in the discovery of 40 beach houses, beach condos and waterfront homes in coastal cities owned by church and ministry leaders and their non-profit organizations. These 40 properties are worth a combined $140 million.

Wikipedia defines beach house as “a house on or near a beach.” For this study, Trinity Foundation restricted its definition to a home or condo within one mile of a beach. This restrictive definition prevented the inclusion of televangelist David E. Taylor’s $8 million Tampa parsonage and other expensive pastor-owned vacation homes.

Two waterfront properties, while technically more than one mile inland, were included in this study because of their construction next to canals with large boat docks allowing the property owner to quickly travel by yacht into the Gulf of Mexico.

(Photo: Word Network CEO Kevin Adell’s waterfront home is located near a yacht club. In addition to the waterfront home, Adell owns a mountain home in Utah and multiple residences in Michigan. His total residential property holdings are at least $18.5 million, based on estimates from real estate websites.)

Thirty of the properties are vacation homes. The most expensive secondary pastor residence is currently for sale at a price of $14.9 million. Florida is the most common location for pastor vacation homes.

For televangelist Benny Hinn, one beach house is not enough. Hinn appears to reside in two beach houses. Hinn’s Dana Point, California, beach house is currently worth $12 million, according to Redfin.

During an inquiry into religious ministry abuses of the tax code, Hinn’s attorney informed Senator Chuck Grassley that Benny Hinn Ministries “decided the best use for the facility was as a retreat for Pastor’s contemplation and study, Church-purposed entertaining, and for short-term overnight stays preceding or following travel.”

In 2013, Hinn transferred the Dana Point home to his assistant Donald B. Price and Dominion Land Trust, possibly through a straw buyer arrangement. However, in 2020, a corporation filing revealed that Hinn was still using the residence.

In 2020, Hinn purchased a beach condo in Palm Coast, Florida, for almost $2 million. Hinn’s son-in-law, Michael Koulianos, who leads the ministry Jesus Image, also acquired a beach house in Palm Coast.

Continue reading “40 Church and Ministry Leaders’ Beach Houses, Beach Condos and Waterfront Homes Identified; Their Total Net Worth Is $140 Million”