Recently, Pastor I.V. Hilliard of New Light Church World outreach Worship Center, Inc. (whew) sent out a letter offering God’s blessings to be bestowed on you in abundance.  “Do you need better transportation?  Does your car need repair or total replacement?  Do you have a dream vehicle or luxury auto you long to purchase?…”

Well, Pastor Hilliard needs some better transportation too!  We’re not too sure if Pastor Hilliard has upgraded the “ministry” jet (was N829NL) but its hard to get around town in a Gulf Stream jet anyway and a helicopter will bypass evening rush hour just fine.  The church’s Aviation Manager stated that if they “upgrade their blades” (a new chopper, perhaps?) with well over $50,000, it will save the church “thousands in the days to come”.

Houston radio KTRH reports “Houston Pastor Asks Congregation to Fund a Chopper!”.  If you fill out an online petition form verbalizing your dream transportation (don’t forget to include your $52 “transporation-favor-seed” –say what?), God will answer your petition in either 52 days or 52 weeks.  Hmmmm, we want the 52 day answer here at the Trinity Foundation…  will 52 cents work?

Just click the “Favor Seed” button on Pastor Hilliard’s letter–you can’t miss it.

According to BBC Africa and several anonymous informants who have contacted the Trinity Foundation, Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua was giving away free “holy water” at his church, Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN), when a human stampede occurred in a rush to get the water.  Four were killed and many others injured in the urgent haste forward to get the water with alleged healing powers, which, according to a “joshua watch” website, evangelist Joshua admits has no special powers (he admits his “anointed” water is pointless).  Read the BBC Africa story here —

According to a Forbes Magazine blog story from 2011, Pastor Joshua ranked fourth out of the five wealthiest pastors in Nigeria, with an estimated wealth between 10 and 15 million in terms of US dollars.

Todd Coontz regularly asks for “miracle-seed” donations–often in the amount of $273. According to Coontz, “Several years ago, God gave me the single greatest miracle of my lifetime in one day… and the numbers 273 were involved…” Jim Bradley of Eyewitenss News discovered that is the unit number of his 7th floor $1.38 million dollar high-rise condominium! This expose describes Coontz’ opulent lifestyle.

Wow.  It’s amazingly disturbing…  one of our most questionable American exports–televangelism and its excesses–has finally reached a crescendo in Australia. Millions of tax-free dollars flow through this mega-corporation (one could hardly call it a church at this point) and precious little appears to actually filter down to those in desperate need. Notice how these Aussie reporters don’t pull any punches.

December 5, 2012, Religious Leaders Tell Congress No New Laws Are Needed to Curb Abuse, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, by Suzanne Perry… A report from a multifaceted religious commission tells congress no new laws are needed to curb abuse.   The report “fails to deal with ‘thornier’ issues“, according to the Chronicle and we here at the Trinity Foundation think that’s a huge understatement.  Please keep an eye on this website for our response.

D Magazine says Ole wants both to take down the world’s largest christian TV Network and to make better waffles.  Kirsta Nightengale gives us a brief inside look at what’s happening right now with the Trinity Foundation–read story here.

As a result of the escalating drama and scandal at the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Christianity Today raises the question as to whether various ministries should seek reform for the network or simply withdraw their programming.  CT reports that the Trinity Foundation is publicly calling for legitimate ministries to withdraw from TBN (click here).  “It’s a spiritual and moral snake pit,” said Trinity founder Ole Anthony. “TBN uses these legitimate preachers to justify [its] existence.”

Ole Anthony, investigator for Brittany Koper, had more to say as an addition to CT’s article: “A federal Judge in California, Judge David Carter, soon will issue a ruling which we believe will combine all state and federal cases filed by TBN against Brittany Koper into one lawsuit.  Other actions are expected soon after that.”

Back in the fall of 1994, the Trinity Foundation sent one of its investigators undercover for months inside the Word of Faith Fellowship of Spindale, North Carolina for Inside Edition.  Now the church is accused of holding one of its members against his will and physically assaulting him.  Four church members who are also members of its security team have been charged with with false imprisonment and misdemeanor stalking and authorities are looking into a complaint filed in February by Michael Lowry that he was physically assaulted, knocked unconscious and then held for months against his will from August 1st through November 19th, 2011.  Asheville ABC affiliate television station WLOS first reported the accusations on Thursday, October 19th and the Charlotte Observer posted the story with some more details on Monday October 22nd (neither story is available any longer on their websites as  of March 2017).  See our more recent posting of an AP article in 2017.

Click below to watch an Inside Edition broadcast about the Word of Faith Fellowship from 17 years ago: